Regular and contrast showers can be a very useful tool in training and improving health.
A shower is a daily procedure that has become so familiar that many do not pay any attention to it, automatically doing the same actions every day. However, if you use this hygiene product wisely, you can improve your health and make your workouts more effective.
In addition to hygiene, the goals of taking a shower may differ. For example, with the help of a shower procedure, you can cheer up and tone the body. It is logical that such a shower is taken in the morning.
contrast shower
One of the best ways to quickly "turn on" after waking up and stay productive all day is a contrast shower. Exposure to different temperatures on the body helps to cheer up due to the inclusion in the work of the endocrine, nervous, circulatory and muscle systems. In addition, due to an increase in the speed of blood flow and the release of stimulating hormones into the blood, it accelerates. This, in turn, will speed up the fat burning process.
Why does a contrast shower give such an amazing effect? The fact is that sudden changes in temperature are perceived by the body as stress, and it begins to build the necessary protection. Therefore, it is sometimes worth resting from a contrast shower, for example, taking a break for the weekend, or taking three days, and then resting for one day.
Contrast shower rules
In order for a contrast shower to bring maximum benefit and pleasure, you must follow simple rules.
It is always worth starting with warm water - this will give you the opportunity to warm up properly (the skin will acquire a pinkish tint), and the subsequent flow of cold water will not bring negative emotions. Gradually increase the temperature to hot (but not to boiling water - no need to scald yourself!), Switch to cold water.
The greater the temperature difference, the stronger the stress, and, accordingly, the effect on the body. But if you are new to this business, it is better to start not with cold, but with slightly cool water. Gradually, the temperature can be reduced. The time spent under hot water should be longer than under cold water. From the very beginning, you can simply douse yourself with a cold shower, and then immediately return to the hot water.
Over time, standing under cold water will get longer. For example, you can practice this scheme: you stand under hot water for 30 seconds, then under cold water for 5 seconds. Then the time spent under cold water can be increased. How to understand that it's time to switch back to hot? Try not to let goosebumps appear - because this means that the body is cooling down and trying to keep warm. During a contrast shower, you should not freeze.
Usually it is enough to complete three cycles of water changes - that is, stand three times under a hot stream and three times under a cold jet. It is better to finish the procedure with cool or warm water, and then rub yourself with a towel. It is important to remember about contraindications: you should not take such a shower during colds or inflammatory diseases, with high blood pressure, problems with the cardiovascular system, and also during menstruation.
How to understand that the contrast shower procedure is carried out correctly? After it, you should feel good and be in a good mood!
In the evening, before going to bed, a warm shower is more appropriate. It calms and helps you sleep. In the evening, various products are used to cleanse the skin and hair. It is good if these products contain your favorite essential oils or, for example, fig extract. This will further help relieve daytime stress.
How to organize your shower procedures after a workout?
And is it worth supplementing your classes with a contrast shower at the end? Despite all the benefits of a contrast shower after a workout, it would be better to take a regular one, especially if the workout was intense. As mentioned above, a contrast shower is stressful for the body, and a good workout is also stressful. Therefore, after class, it is better to take a regular shower, especially if you have a habit of taking a contrast shower in the morning. Then all the useful properties of such a soul, including hardening ones, will not be missed. But if you feel great after a workout, are alert enough and have a desire, then you can not refuse this procedure.
How to choose the optimal post-workout shower temperature?
Recent studies by scientists have shown that the human body contains the hormone irisin, which is produced during physical exertion or under the influence of cold. This hormone is being studied as a potential fat burner. According to this information, a cold shower should be taken after a workout if your main goal is to reduce the percentage of body fat. However, there is another opinion that the evidence for the existence of this hormone in humans is inconclusive. Therefore, to believe in the fat-burning effects of a cold shower or not, everyone must decide for himself. In any case, immediately after a workout, you can’t get up under an ice shower. Let it cool down a bit, about 10 minutes. It is not recommended to take such a shower for a long time, especially do not wash your hair with cold water (this can lead to serious colds).
But if your goal is either an increase in strength, a cold shower is definitely not recommended. Cold water slows down muscle hypertrophy and strength growth. A hot shower can help get rid of muscle pain (see), stimulates blood circulation. But at the same time, it can affect the cardiovascular system, so you should not use it after a serious cardio load. In any case, after a workout, a warm shower will always be appropriate, with the temperature that is comfortable for you.
In this article, I will tell you whether it is possible to take a cold shower after a workout 🙂
The most common thing that you can find about a cold shower after a workout is that it HARDENS THE BODY (organism) and stuff like that and helps in RECOVERY of muscles ...
Personally, I am not a supporter of this theory, and a cold shower (water) after a workout, because, in my opinion, this will be excessive stress for the body.
Look, in training, our body (body) already gets the proper stress, due to the fact that we train (we do physical exercises, with a barbell, dumbbells, on simulators, etc., etc.), and if after this stress you also take a cold shower, which is also in a heated state (namely, such a state in a person, after training) - then, in my opinion, this is a double stress for the body.
Why is stress dangerous? Yes, by what is provoked (arises), as a result of which the very muscles that you are trying so hard to build up by visiting the gym are destroyed.
In other words, the body (body) after training needs rest to recover. And you just continue to rape him with further stress, taking your cold souls, blah))
The warmed state of a person after a workout is also embarrassing, because. for those who don’t know, a sharp cooling of a heated body leads to a weakening of local immunity factors, and as a result, many problems may arise.
There are also theories that a cold shower after a workout impedes blood circulation. And this is not good, because. blood circulation - a good effect on the whole body, up to faster recovery and muscle growth. Therefore, in my opinion, taking a cold shower after a workout is not a good idea.
In my opinion, e If you are already interested in the topic of hardening and recovery, then in this regard, a contrast shower is much better suited (p.s. I recommend it, so to speak).
Those. warm (hot), cold (not icy, of course, this is so, figuratively speaking, everything is in moderation, according to well-being), warm (hot), cold, etc., such a shower will be good, because it does not impede blood circulation, but on the contrary, it constricts and dilates blood vessels, stimulating it (i.e. blood circulation).
And this, as I said earlier, has a very positive effect on the entire body as a whole, up to its faster recovery and muscle growth.
P.s. I, to be honest, have been taking a contrast shower for a very long time (not only after a workout, but in general, in general, in life, on an ongoing basis), and to be honest, until that moment I didn’t even think about the SOUL (water temperature ) and MUSCLES)), but I definitely wouldn’t use a cold shower (why, you already know), but, you see, of course, for yourself ...
P.s. and yes, do not confuse everything said earlier with HARDENING procedures, this is another topic.
Sincerely, administrator.
For a speedy recovery after a workout, water procedures are often resorted to. Most gyms, especially those in the “Soviet style” or simply “old stile” category, offer nothing more than a primitive shower (in the form of a faucet suspended from the ceiling, which forces the athlete to do an unscheduled hydromassage), God forbid, with hot water. In modern fitness centers, the choice is wider - you can go to the bath / sauna, there would be a desire (and money). In addition, no one forbids going to the bath / sauna outside the walls of the gym, immediately after a workout or some time after it. The question is, is it worth it?
Elevated temperature creates a significant load on the heart, which is highly undesirable to be exposed to immediately after training, especially if the training was carried out with significant weights and / or in a high-intensity mode, which in itself gives a large load on the heart (up to an increase in pressure up to 180-200 units ). At a young age (up to 20-25 years old), the body will almost certainly cope with the stress, but the rate of "landing" of the heart will increase significantly compared to how an arrhythmia would be earned under normal conditions, when a person receives a load only from training. The situation is aggravated if the athlete is overweight, which in itself does not have a very unpleasant effect on the work of the cardiovascular system. Large loads in middle age, combined with an extra 10-15 kg, can become a ticket to the hospital, at best, and to the morgue, at worst. And if you can be discharged from the hospital, then nature does not provide for return tickets from the next world.
Proponents of going to the sauna after a workout usually operate with the assertions that in the process of taking it, some decay products are removed from the body, while forgetting that less substances are excreted through the skin with active sweating per day than with one act of urination. As for the redistribution of blood, this effect can also be regarded as more negative than positive, because. there is an outflow of blood from the muscles, which adversely affects, especially if the training is carried out in the pumping mode. For the sake of maintaining health, you should not abuse going to the sauna in general, making them no more than once a week, and then on a separate day from training. But if you really want to take a steam bath on a training day, then it’s better to do it no earlier than 2-3 hours after completing classes in the gym - this time is enough for the heart to calm down and the pressure to normalize.
But a cold shower after a workout does not harm the cardiovascular system, it even invigorates and allows you to recover faster (though, coupled with a hot one, that is, we are talking about a contrast shower). True, here you need to follow a few simple rules. Firstly, you should not climb under ice water at the very first training session (or at the next training session after reading these lines), the water temperature should be lowered gradually, it is better to start doing this in the warm season (late spring or summer). Secondly, at any time of the year you should not wash your hair under cold water, this can provoke the occurrence of colds, and in the cold season - meningitis. Remember that both saunas and cold showers are generally good for the body, but only if you approach them wisely.
Showering after a workout doesn't just help you stay clean. There is also an additional benefit, which you will now learn about.
Hygiene
First of all, a shower after a workout is necessary from a hygiene point of view. The sweat your body produces when you exercise is a sign of a good workout, but people prefer to hear about it rather than smell it. Showering is especially important if you play team sports where you may come into contact with other people. Another person's sweat can get into small cuts and abrasions and should be cleaned out as soon as possible to prevent infection. It's also very important for swimmers, as chlorine in pools can damage your hair and skin if you simply dry yourself off with a towel after you finish your swim session.
Recovery
A shower will help you recover from a tough training session. You can prevent muscle soreness the day after your workout, known as delayed muscle soreness, by taking an ice cold shower by directing the water to the exact muscles that were being worked. Professional athletes even take an ice bath, however ice spirit is a faster and easier alternative. If you train daily or do so more than once a day, this routine is even more important as you will be able to start your next training session without experiencing symptoms of delayed muscle soreness while maintaining the intensity of the previous session. If you feel uncomfortable tension in your muscles in the morning, a hot shower will help you increase blood flow to them, so that the muscles can relax and the tension will subside.
Fat burning
Everyone knows that exercise is an important part of losing weight, but did you know that a cold shower after a workout can also help your body lose weight? In order to maintain a normal body temperature during a cold shower, your metabolism can increase up to 550 percent of its resting level, which means that you will burn more calories to keep warm. If an ice cold shower is too uncomfortable for you, even slightly cool water can increase muscle tone and your body's need for energy.
Health and Mood
In the case of a large number of sports, the shower is introduced as an integral part of the training regimen. The moral code of Taekwondo, for example, declares that cold showers can help people develop pride and perseverance.
We will not talk here about whether it is necessary to take a shower after a workout, because this should be an indispensable action. Unfortunately, I have to admit that this indispensability is neglected by many visitors to fitness clubs. It is even more regrettable to say that it is the weaker sex that predominantly shows its weakness in this as well. It would seem a paradox. Where is the very tenderness and femininity? How can you put clean clothes on a wet sticky body? Through the open pores on the skin of which toxins continue to come out, and the sweat generator has not yet turned off its work. Someone will say that he does not sweat, to which I will answer that someone does not plow properly. It doesn't happen otherwise.
Unhelpful shower
But this is a small introduction, in fact the topic of the article will be somewhat different. A shower after a workout is a must, and it's important. But in what water should you wash after a productive workout? It is precisely on this point that opinions differ, and I would like to delve deeper into this issue.
There are supporters of the theory that ice water gives an anabolic effect. This is explained by the fact that the body (and, therefore, the muscles) receives stress. And we know that all living beings react to stress either with death or progress in development. Hence the half-joking phrase "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger."
In one of the articles we discussed . Their growth is a kind of response, an adequate response to the load received. The essence is the same stress, due to which the development phase begins. Slow, but development - we all know that muscle growth takes time.
So, according to the same logic, any stress can have a growth effect. But if you go too far with this question, the immune system fails, and illness sets in. We have encountered such an inflection when discussing overtraining, where the excess of our efforts resulted in a regression. Do we need it? No, we don't need this.
So, a cold shower after a workout. We did a good job, the muscles got stressed and want to rest. And we know about the importance of their restoration, moreover, timely. And just imagine, we plowed, the body is in anticipation of food and rest, and here - on you, another stress. This is where defense mechanisms come into play. Blood circulation slows down (the vessels constrict), the access of nutrients that are carried by the blood to the muscles weakens (this is not what we worked for at all), and in fact, there comes a moment when the immune system fails.
What shower to take after a workout
On the other hand, if you didn’t work out in the gym, and you have enough strength left, it’s unlikely that the resulting stress will “finish off” your body. In any case, if you stand even under warm water after a workout, and you start to feel a slight chill, this is already a sign that you are somewhat overtrained. If a cold shower after the hall goes through force, this means that you do not need it. And vice versa, it happens that he warmed up to such an extent that he was right in the buzz.
That is, the gym could not exhaust you enough, because you can train in different ways. In the same way, you could sort out with a load. Thus, we can conditionally derive a formula that the level of shock for the body in the shower should be inversely proportional to the stress received in the gym. Otherwise it will be overkill.
What to do with this shower? Yes, it seems that rely on subjective sensations, trust them, feel your body. One solution is a contrast shower after a workout, but it is not necessary to make water with a large temperature difference. Adjust it to suit your comfort. Your main task should be to improve blood circulation, stimulate metabolic processes, you do not need to shock the body when it is tired without it. And the indicator that you are doing everything right is the very feeling of comfort and the so-called pleasant fatigue. And not feeling overwhelmed, with mild nausea, lack of appetite and other typical symptoms of overtraining.
