Taking cold showers not only helps the body adapt to the demands of the external environment, but also promotes health and disease prevention. However, like anything else, there are pros and cons to taking cold showers. So, can taking cold showers help with weight loss?
Can taking cold showers help with weight loss?
No, taking cold showers cannot help with weight loss.
If you approach cold showers with the intention of losing weight, it is not beneficial for your health. On the contrary, taking hot showers can be effective.
What are the disadvantages of taking cold showers?
1. When taking cold showers, the pores contract due to the cold temperature, preventing dirt and impurities from being properly expelled with sweat. Although the skin may temporarily appear smoother after showering, it is only because the pores have temporarily tightened. Inability to sweat properly can lead to water retention and edema.
2. If you take a cold shower immediately after excessive sweating, the cold water stimulation causes the skin blood vessels to contract, which can hinder sweating and heat dissipation, leading to increased body temperature. At the same time, the reduced blood flow to the skin increases the return blood volume and burdens the heart.
What are the benefits of taking cold showers?
1. Taking cold showers can enhance the body's ability to adapt to temperature changes, especially cold air, helping to strengthen the immune system and effectively resist the harm of external cold and disease factors, thereby reducing the occurrence of colds.
2. When taking cold showers, the blood vessels contract due to the cold temperature, causing a large amount of blood to flow to the internal organs, and then back to the body surface after a moment. This expansion and contraction of blood vessels enhances their elasticity, and long-term cold showers can prevent cardiovascular diseases.
3. Taking cold showers can have a calming and sedative effect. The stimulation from the cold water excites the brain, activating the whole body to strengthen its activities and resist the cold. Long-term adherence to cold showers can enhance the central nervous system function through neural reflexes and brain effects.
How can taking showers help with weight loss?
Taking a shower or bath with warm water at an appropriate temperature before breakfast every day can help with weight loss. The heat causes the skin's micro blood vessels to dilate and turn red, while blood flows away from the intestines towards the skin. This reduces blood flow to the small intestinal epithelial cells and decreases digestion function, resulting in reduced absorption of nutrients. In addition, taking hot showers can promote metabolism and accelerate the excretion of sweat. Moreover, before breakfast, the body lacks sufficient energy, and taking a hot shower requires energy consumption. Therefore, the body can only rely on burning fat to maintain energy, ultimately achieving the goal of weight loss.
