So, you already know all the benefits of taking a nice, relaxing post-workout shower, but are you making the most out of those showers?
You push yourself through each workout, becoming stronger, healthier, and happier with your growth and accomplishments. However, it’s important to not let all that hard work go down the drain. Here are some important post-workout shower tips that can step up your workout routine:
Hot vs. Cold
The age-old battle of hot versus cold showers lives on today in gyms all across the nation. To be fair, there are pros and cons to each. For example, cold showers help with DOMS after intense workouts, whereas hot showers are great for relaxing your muscles. So which one is it? As experts at Healthline suggest: both.
Developed by Dr. Sebastian Kneipp, Healthline reports that alternating between hot and cold during your showers has a number of benefits: “the health benefits come from the cold water constricting the blood vessels. This means all the blood will go to the middle of the body. The hot water will open the blood vessels and all the blood comes rushing out again. This can pump the blood completely through the muscles and organs and is great for regeneration and detoxification.”
During your post-workout shower, start by turning the shower as cold as you can bear for one minute, then hot as you can for one minute, and so on. Of course, while there is no guarantee this method will completely change your life post-workouts, it’s certainly worth trying — just remember to also moisturize after your shower to prevent dry skin.
You’re Using the Wrong Soap
While this might be a more common problem for men than women considering men are rarely shown how to create a personalized beauty routine, it’s important to utilize the right products in and out of the shower. From the soap you clean with to the lotion you use afterward, sometimes the basic doesn’t always cut it. You’ve already got the diet and exercise down, so why not invest in some post-gym grooming essentials to help maintain the health of your hair and skin as well?
Skip the classic bar soap and reach instead for a heavy-duty shower gel that will clean up all that sweat but also leaves your body’s natural moisture alone. Furthermore, considering how often we shower after workouts, you’re likely stripping away a lot of essential oils from your hair. Most of us have hair that shouldn’t be shampooed every day, but (understandably) you don’t want to meet up with your date or start a meeting with stinky, sweaty hair. Reaching for a cleansing cream over typical shampoos is a great way to keep your hair from losing all its moisture and keep it strong and healthy.
Of course, it can be tempting to skip over these steps or grab the cheaper, fast shower options, but eventually, these bad habits will catch up. Instead, enjoy the self-care you deserve after a grueling workout and reap all those long-term benefits.
Hitting the showers after your workout seems like an arbitrary factor within your exercise routine, but it’s actually a significant part of the workout process. Making the most out of your post-workout showers can really add that final touch to all that hard work you’ve just put in.
Tags: contrast shower, exercise, fitness, post-workout, recovery, shower, workout
