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Hot or cold shower: Which one is the best post-workout choice?

Showering after exercising may do more than just getting rid of sweat. Know if you should take a hot or cold shower after a workout.
A woman showering after a workout
Know if you should take a hot or cold shower after a workout. Image courtesy: Adobe Stock
Updated On: 5 Feb 2025, 06:28 pm IST

Once you are done with a good run or sweating it out in the gym, what’s the first thing you do? Do you just sit and relax, have water, or reach out for a towel and hit the shower? If showering is one of your post-workout habits, you should know that the temperature matters. Cold or hot—both can be refreshing and help to clean off sweat and dirt. However, the choice between these two can make a difference in your recovery. So, should you go for a hot or cold shower after a workout? Each option has its benefits as well as drawbacks but one may be slightly better than the other.

What are the benefits of taking a cold shower after a workout?

If your water is about 10 degrees celsius, it will be considered a cold shower. Before knowing if you should go for a hot or cold shower after a workout, check out the benefits of taking a cold one:

1. Reduces muscle inflammation

“One of the cold shower benefits is that it can help alleviate muscle inflammation by constricting blood vessels,” says physiotherapist and fitness expert Dr Aijaz Ashai. It can reduce blood flow to muscles and tissues, and help in reducing swelling and soreness that can result from an intense exercise.

Cold shower
Should you take a hot or cold shower after a workout? Image courtesy: Shutterstock

2. Relieves soreness and pain

The cold water can numb the pain, which helps to reduce muscle soreness, especially after intense workouts such as strength training. A 2023 study published in Frontiers, showed that when athletes immersed in cold water immediately after exercise, it helped to reduce muscle soreness and speed up recovery.

3. Improves mental toughness

Before deciding whether to go for a hot or cold shower after a workout, remember that exposure to cold water can challenge the body. This can help to make you mentally resilient. “Taking a cold shower after a workout can help improve your tolerance for discomfort, and make you mentally tough to face both physical and mental challenges,” says the expert.

4. Increases endorphins

The shock of cold water while taking a shower after sweating it out can help to release endorphins, which are the body’s natural ‘feel-good’ hormones. “This may help you be in a good mood and alleviate post-workout fatigue or mental stress,” says Dr Ashai. Remember this while selecting a hot or cold shower after a workout.

5. May help with weight loss

Exposing your body to cold water may help with weight loss. “If the water is cold, your body will have to regulate its temperature, and energy will be spent, which can help you burn calories,” shares the expert. But don’t just rely on cold showers for weight loss. Continue working out, eating healthy, and improving your sleep quality to lose weight.

Disadvantages of taking cold showers after exercising

Using cold water after working out has some disadvantages too:

  • Not suitable for everyone: “Exposure to a cold shower can be painful for some, and is not recommended to those with cardiovascular conditions or cold-induced asthma,” says the expert.
  • May cause muscle stiffness: Sometimes, cold showers can make your muscles feel stiff, especially if the exposure is too long or the temperature is too low.

What are the benefits of taking a hot shower after a workout?

It may be a little difficult to decide whether a hot or cold shower after a workout is good or not. Before making the decision, know the benefits of taking a hot shower (43 degree celsius):

1. Relieves muscle tension

Want to know if you should go for a hot or cold shower after a workout? “Well, hot water increases blood flow, and so, it can help to relax muscles and release tightness,” says the expert. This is especially helpful after a strength training session where muscles can become a little stiff and sore.

2. Improves flexibility

The warmth of a hot shower that you will feel after exercising, can loosen up your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. “This can improve your flexibility, make it easier to move around, and reduce the risk of injuries after an intense physical activity,” says the expert.

3. Promotes relaxation

Relaxing after a workout is essential. Hot showers can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system, a network of your nerves involved in relaxing your body. “Stimulating this will make you feel relaxed and let go of stress after a heavy workout,” says Dr Ashai.

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4. Improves blood circulation

Hot water has a tendency to dilate the blood vessels and boost circulation across the body, something to remember before deciding to go for a hot or cold shower after a workout. “This increased rate of blood delivery can help your body with faster diffusion of oxygen and nutrients to your aching muscles and other parts,” says the expert. Receiving adequate amount of oxygen and nutrients are important for your body’s proper functioning. Your body will also recover faster due to better circulation.

Hot shower
Enjoy the warmth of a hot shower. Image Courtesy: Shutterstock

5. Improves sleep quality

If you like to exercise after office, take a hot shower. “It can stimulate your body to cool down after the hot water experience, and promote a better sleep quality,” says the expert. During a 2019 analysis, published in Sleep Medicine Reviews, an association was found between taking a hot shower before bedtime and improved sleep quality.

Disadvantages of taking hot showers post-workout

Going for hot water to refresh yourself after exercising may not always be beneficial.

  • May increase inflammation: While hot showers can be very relaxing for the muscles, they may also increase inflammation if taken immediately after an intense workout. “Hot water can expand blood vessels, which may exacerbate muscle swelling,” says the expert.
  • May make you feel itchy: Hot water can leave you itchy skin. The warmth of the water can cause mast cells, which consists of a chemical called histamine, to release their contents in the skin. This can lead to itchy skin after being exposed to hot water.

Should you have a hot or cold shower after a workout?

Whether you should take a hot or cold shower after a workout, it depends on how your body feels afterward. During a 2015 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, taking a cold shower immediately after exercise or 24 hours later was found to be superior to a hot shower in reducing pain.

“Cold showers are ideal for reducing inflammation and muscle soreness, while hot showers are better for relaxation and relieving muscle tension,” says Dr Ashai.

You may choose a hot or cold shower after a workout, but remember that only 5 to 10 minutes of exposure to water is sufficient. “It would be sufficient for washing off the sweat and helping to recover from the muscle fatigue,” says the expert.

Listen to your body before choosing a hot or cold shower after a workout. See how you feel after sweating it out. Also, apply a moisturiser to hydrate your skin after the shower.

Related FAQs

Do cold showers burn fat?

Cold showers could contribute to burning fat. This is because when the body has to regulate its temperature, energy has to be spent. This in turn leads to burning of calories. It is, however not such a big factor in the burning of fat. It has to be incorporated with a healthy diet and regular exercise to help in burning excess fat in the body.

How to shower after exercising?

To really enjoy both hot and cold showers, take the warm shower first, allowing the water to help cleanse your body of the sweat and dirt. You can alternate hot and cold for short durations afterwards. Such an arrangement can enhance relaxation and has an added advantage of lowering the inflammation of sore muscles.

Disclaimer: At Health Shots, we are committed to providing accurate, reliable, and authentic information to support your health and well-being. However, the content on this website is intended solely for informational purposes and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalised advice regarding your specific medical condition or concerns.

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About The Author
Natalia Ningthoujam
Natalia Ningthoujam

Natalia Ningthoujam has written on various subjects - from music to films and fashion to lifestyle - as a journalist in her career that started in 2010. After getting stories from the crime scene, police headquarters, and conducting interviews with celebrities, she is now writing on health and wellness which has become her focus area.

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