When to shower: morning or evening? When is it better to shower: morning or evening When should you shower in the morning or evening


According to a study from Harvard University, you need to choose the time to go to the shower taking into account your characteristics and lifestyle.

YOU SHOULD SHOWER IN THE MORNING IF...

1. You know that a difficult work week is ahead.

2. You will have to solve difficult problems during this week.

3. You need peak creativity and work potential.

HOW IT WORKS?

A morning shower stimulates brain activity at a time when it is still quite calm, but is already anticipating the upcoming tasks.

Shelley Carson, a professor of psychology at Harvard University, explains that when our perceptions are relaxed, pleasant sensations (including showering) stimulate associative connections and make it easier to come up with strong solutions to problems than when we are thinking hard about them.

And “The morning is wiser than the evening” thus receives scientific justification.

YOU SHOULD SHOWER IN THE EVENING IF...


1. It is difficult for you to disconnect from the thoughts and experiences of the past day.

2. It is difficult for you to relax and fall asleep.

HOW IT WORKS?

An evening shower helps regulate body temperature, relieve nervous tension and gives you a feeling of greater relaxation, since the rapid cooling of the body after a hot shower triggers natural drowsiness. A relaxing evening shower also reduces cortisol (the stress hormone) levels and helps you drift off into dreamland.

As you can see, you don't have to choose between morning and evening once and for all. Just the opposite. The lack of routine, alternating shower times, and focusing on your well-being give the maximum effect for the body. Whether it's relaxation or activity.

Many people take a shower simply when they consider it necessary, others prefer to do it before bed, and others, on the contrary, after waking up.

Is there a difference between a morning and evening shower?

It turns out that there is a difference, and a significant one. It affects your skin, health and rhythm of life. If you don’t yet know exactly how, then we will tell you, and you can choose the best shower time for yourself!

Leather

If your skin is dry, it is better to shower in the evening, because treatments in the morning will make your skin even drier during the day, which is highly undesirable. At night, such a process will not occur, so you don’t have to worry about it.

If you have oily skin, then it is better for you to take a morning shower, as it helps dry out the skin, so that it does not shine during the day. This point is especially relevant for women!

Do you have problems sleeping?

If you suffer from insomnia, then you should not shower before going to bed. The fact is that warm water causes the temperature to rise and a person feels cheerful. This is exactly what is needed for those who have difficulty waking up, so it is better for such people to take a shower in the morning.

Do you feel clean throughout the day?

Some people want their body to be clean when they go to bed; they want to wash off all the dirt that has accumulated during the day. Such people should wash in the evening. Well, if you like to feel fresh during the day, then a morning shower is much more suitable for you.

Now you know the difference and can decide for yourself when it would be better for you to take a shower!

Content

The benefits of hardening have been proven for a long time: the procedure helps strengthen the immune system, improve the condition of the skin and blood vessels. Experienced experts advise taking a cold shower even in winter, and it is better to do it in the morning, then the benefits will be maximum: the invigorating procedure activates metabolic processes and tones the entire body before the working day. However, you should first learn about possible contraindications and rules for hardening.

Benefits of a cold shower

This useful procedure is widely used in spa salons to activate blood circulation. At the same time, a cool shower helps saturate skin cells with water and oxygen, which improves the appearance of the skin. In addition, ice water helps fight cellulite, varicose veins, relaxes muscles, and stimulates skin renewal. In addition, cold showers are very beneficial for hair, as it strengthens it, makes it shinier, and prevents the formation of dandruff and the development of alopecia. Cool water reduces sebum production, making your hair less oily.

An invigorating ice shower provokes the production of red blood cells and increases the body's resistance to any infections/viruses. The procedure is ideal for the prevention of colds and flu, helps tone the body and stimulate mental activity. Cold water is an excellent remedy against depression, as it stimulates the production of happiness hormones.

For men

Ice water treatments are especially beneficial for men, as they increase physical strength and activate mental capacity, which occurs due to a surge of adrenaline in the blood. As a result of regular procedures, the following changes occur in the male body:

  • the energy charge increases;
  • the heart rate increases, blood flow activates;
  • testosterone production increases;
  • the quality of seminal fluid improves.

For women

An invigorating cool shower stimulates the removal of waste products from the body, which can slow down metabolism. In addition, for women, the procedure is especially useful because it helps fight fatty nodules under the skin (cellulite). The effect of ice water on the skin is invaluable; it provides a rejuvenating effect, tones the skin, smoothing out wrinkles, making stretch marks less noticeable. In addition, it is important for women’s health to take contrast showers to avoid the development of gynecological diseases.

How to take a cold shower correctly

To prevent the procedure from causing harm, you should not immediately start doing long water procedures, standing under an icy stream for 10-15 minutes. It is very important to prepare your body for douches. To do this, use the following tips:

  • the bathroom should have a moderate temperature (it should not be cold);
  • the first procedures should be carried out not under ice, but under cool water (32-34 degrees), gradually reducing the temperature;
  • the duration of the first procedures should be limited to 1-2 minutes;
  • You shouldn’t immediately stand under the cold stream, it’s better to gradually immerse your legs, arms, and then your body and face under it;
  • After the procedure, be sure to rub yourself with a towel and do a warming light massage.

In the morning

If it is better to take a warm shower before bed, then cool, invigorating water procedures are best done in the morning. How to take a cold shower in the morning? Immediately after sleep, it is ideal to do exercises to warm up the muscles, and only then do a douche. The total procedure time should be 5-8 minutes, but it is better to start hardening from 1-2 minutes. You can put your head under cool water only when you get used to the procedure. After dousing, the skin should be rubbed until slightly red with a clean towel made of natural fabric.

For weight loss

When the skin comes into contact with cold water, small blood vessels contract. The body protects itself from freezing by activating blood flow, causing blood pressure to rise slightly. This activates metabolism and the process of burning calories. It is optimal to use a contrast shower for weight loss, in which the water switches from hot to cold every 1-2 minutes. It is worth conducting such sessions 1-2 times a day, starting from an early age.

If you often get colds accompanied by a runny nose, then you should lower your temperature slowly. Choose the optimal water temperature for yourself within 12-4 degrees. You need to pour the body from head to toe. If you shower after exercise, it is important to let your body cool down and dry off sweat. You cannot stay under a cold stream for a long time after physical activity, as this can lead to hypothermia and a cold.

The modern beauty and health industry offers a wide range of procedures aimed at rejuvenating and strengthening the body. This includes hardware cosmetology, various massages, and cryotherapy (cold treatment). By the way, our article has some relation to the last point, because it will talk about the benefits and harms of a cold shower.

Errors in nutrition, stress and a sedentary lifestyle do not have the best effect on the health of the body. But these attributes have become an integral part of the lives of many people. And if previously problems such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, and excess weight were first encountered only in old age, now it occurs in young and middle-aged people.

Water procedures are the oldest means of preventing many diseases. How does taking a cold shower affect the body? Proponents of cold therapy say ice water improves blood circulation and releases endorphins, known as the feel-good hormone. A person’s mood improves, body tone rises and immunity is strengthened. Below we will examine in more detail the effect of a cold shower on the human body.

Fat Burning

When exposed to cold, the body expends more energy to keep warm. To provide vital organs with heat, reserves of adipose tissue are used up. There is also evidence that cold water helps the production of brown fat, which is considered beneficial. It helps eliminate harmful fats deposited in the abdominal area. If you regularly take cold showers, you can lose up to 4 kg in a year.

Improved blood circulation

Blood circulation improves. Under the influence of cold, vasoconstriction occurs. Blood moves more actively, warming the body and filling the internal organs. This is a good prevention of diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Improved mood

The effect of a cold shower is comparable to the euphoria of a runner. The skin contains a huge number of nerve endings. When cold water hits the skin, nerve impulses are sent straight to the brain. This helps a person experience less stress and depression.

Cold water is especially useful for the stronger sex. Showering with ice water increases testosterone levels.

Beauty of skin and hair

Cold water has a good effect on the condition of the skin and hair. Under the influence of hot water, the skin and hair dry out, which cannot be said about cold water. Oddly enough, after a cold shower, the skin becomes softer, wrinkles are smoothed out, and the hair gains shine.

Improved tone

If you take a cold shower in the morning, you will feel the benefits throughout the day. Cold water wakes up the body faster, starting the work of all systems. This effect will last all day. Instead of a cup of coffee, try to cheer yourself up in the morning with cold water from the shower.

Relaxation and healthy sleep

It is believed that you sleep better in a cool room. Cold water treatments will help those suffering from insomnia. They lead to stimulation of the receptors, and then to relaxation. A person calms down easier, which means he falls asleep faster.

Rules for performing procedures with cold water

If the beneficial effects on the body have inspired you to try this procedure, it is important to learn how to take a cold shower correctly:

  1. Do not rush to fully stand under the cold stream. First wet your hands and feet and wash your face. Let your body get used to the low temperature. And then rinse completely. You can even limit yourself to washing your limbs for the first few days.
  2. After the limbs get used to cold water, connect the chest, back and head. Pay attention to the space in the body where the head connects to the neck. Hold the stream there for a while, letting the water flow down your spine.
  3. The temperature in the bathroom should be comfortably warm so that when you step out of an icy shower you won't find yourself in the cold air. Otherwise, there will be too much stress, which can lead to a weakening of the body's defenses.
  4. It is important to remember that this is not dousing yourself with ice water, and to give your body time to get used to it. Start with water at room temperature, gradually lowering it. Remember that at a water temperature of +16 °C hypothermia begins.
  5. The water should be cold, but not extremely icy. Find the right temperature. If the water takes your breath away, increase the degree a little.
  6. At first, take such a shower for a few seconds, gradually increasing the duration to 20 seconds.
  7. After completing the procedure, rub your entire body well, including your arms and legs. In order not to disrupt the movement of lymph, rub from the extremities to the body, avoiding the lymph nodes that are located in the groin area and behind the ears, and do not rub the armpits.

After a shower, you should feel warm throughout your body. This is an indication that the procedure was performed correctly. It's good to walk around in your underwear for a while, but if you feel very cold, put some clothes on right away.

Contraindications and harm

Is it possible for everyone to take a cold shower? Despite many beneficial properties, there are also contraindications. If you have any heart disease (ischemia, tachycardia, heart failure), such a shower should not be taken. During acute respiratory and viral diseases, it is better to postpone the procedure until complete recovery. If you have skin problems, it is recommended to consult a dermatologist. Ice showers are also contraindicated for people suffering from high or low blood pressure.

In addition to the diseases listed above, individual intolerance to cold water is possible. If you just can’t get used to such water, even by gradually reducing the temperature, then perhaps the procedure should be postponed for a while.

Cold and hot shower

A contrast shower has no less beneficial properties. The essence of the procedure is to alternate cold and hot water. Moreover, the sequence will be different for men and women. So, men start with cold water, then hot water, and finish with cold water again. Women need to start the procedure with hot water, turn on cold, and then warm. The time of the hot and warm phase should be minimal for the best effect. Basic rules for taking a contrast shower:

  1. The procedure is carried out in the morning on an empty stomach after exercise.
  2. The difference between cold and hot water should be about 30 °C. Of course, it will take time to get used to such a contrast. Hot water - approximately 43 °C, cold - 14-15 °C.
  3. A minimum of 4 contrast douches should be done, each lasting 1 minute. Duration from 5 to 8 minutes.
  4. Start pouring from the bottom, moving upward. Do not keep the stream in one place for a long time.
  5. Do not use detergents (soaps, gels, shampoos).
  6. After the procedure, do not wipe or dry yourself. Let the body dry on its own.

In general, a contrast shower tones the body, strengthens the immune system, and prevents many diseases.

A cold shower in the morning will wake you up and energize you for the whole day. This procedure will bring benefits only if it is performed correctly, otherwise it can cause harm. In any case, listen to your body and sensations. And if you have any chronic diseases, first consult your doctor. If you follow the recommendations and regularly, procedures with cold water will bring health, good spirits and good mood.

Some people prefer to wake up in the shower, while others prefer to go to bed clean. But is there any specific difference between swimming in the morning or in the evening? In fact, it all depends on the characteristics of your body, what you do and what you are going to do. So…

Take a shower in the morning if...

...you have oily skin. Your skin can become very oily overnight, so a morning shower is a great way to clean out your pores.

You are a creative person and you have a creative job. Then the morning shower acts like meditation, relaxes the body and brain and sets them up for productive work and the birth of new ideas.

“If you have a creative problem to solve and you've been working on it for a long time and can't find a solution, then you could give your brain a break, take a shower and literally refresh your body and head,” says Harvard psychologist Shelley Carson.

If you have a hard time getting up in the morning. For many people, a shower simply helps them wake up and cheer up. Doctors note that this even starts the metabolism. And even better, according to the advice of doctors, turn on cold or cool water in the last few seconds of taking a shower. Then an invigorating effect is guaranteed!

If you exercise in the morning. There's no point in showering at night if you get out of bed in the morning and immediately get on the treadmill and do 100 push-ups. Shower after your workouts.

If you are prone to cuts during your morning shave. According to doctors, in the morning there is an influx of platelets in the human body, so the blood on cuts stops faster.

Shower in the evening if...

... you have a hard time falling asleep. Yes, we just said that a morning shower is invigorating, but in the evening everything is completely different. Firstly, the water relaxes, and secondly, when you come out after a warm shower, you feel a little cool, and you immediately want to wrap yourself in a blanket and fall asleep.

If you have dry skin Well, then a morning shower is literally contraindicated. Do not dry your skin even more before it is exposed to outdoor irritants. Save your shower for the evening.

If you're worried about the cleanliness of your sheets and the thought of sleeping on your bed unwashed just scares you.

If you have a “dusty” job. If you work outside all day in the sun, then you yourself will want to wash off all the sweat and dust from yourself in the evening. But even if you are sitting in an office, the pollutants around you will still reach you while traveling on the subway, bus, and when in contact with other people.

If you train in the evening. Then no one will go to bed sweaty after fitness!

As you can see, an evening shower becomes almost mandatory if you don’t sit at home all day. But a morning shower is also very useful. So if you don’t mind water and don’t have skin problems, then swim for your health both in the morning and in the evening.