Take a contrast shower to wake up without coffee and strengthen your immune system

You have all heard about the incredibly beneficial effects of a contract shower. How many of you take it? And do you know how to do this? So, a contrast shower is a type of hardening, a water procedure using alternately cold and hot water.

Adviсe:

• immediately tune in to regularity; for a healing effect, the procedure must be carried out daily;
• It is better to start in the warm season, in the morning, when you are healthy (in the absence of inflammatory diseases - cystitis, sinusitis, sore throat, runny nose, fever), you should not start during menstruation;
• at first you can pour only your feet, and then your whole body;
• you should start gradually, first take a comfortable shower with one slight temperature difference (contrast), then increase the temperature difference and duration;
• The water should be cold, not tepid. Otherwise, you will simply freeze, but you need to put your body under stress;
• pour over the entire body, do not linger in one place, wet your face before the procedure;
• a surge of strength and energy, a good mood after a shower is a sign that you did everything right. Important! If you have chills, frozen hands or feet, you are doing something wrong!
• Keep in mind that contrast showers should be taken with caution in certain diseases (hypertension, cerebrovascular accident, thrombophlebitis and others).

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Contrast shower: what is it, benefits

A contrast shower is a way to increase the body's adaptive capabilities by alternately dousing with hot and cold water.

Let me explain how a contrast shower is useful if a person regularly practices such hardening? It provides:

• Cheerfulness and energy boost for the day.

A sharp change in ambient temperature forces the body to turn on protective mechanisms. And to make it easier for us to endure stress, endorphins are released, which are also called hormones of happiness.

• Disease resistance.

Due to improved thermoregulation, resistance to hypothermia and overheating increases, resistance to bacteria and viruses increases, says my colleague B.E. Abdusamatova in the article.

Such additional protection is especially relevant in late autumn, early winter and early spring, when the temperature outside is variable. It helped many of my patients strengthen their immunity, and they got sick less often during the winter.

• Trained cardiovascular system.

The alternation of hot and cold flows makes the heart work more actively. Blood circulates faster, rushes to the skin, expanding and making the blood vessels more elastic.

If there are no serious contraindications, I recommend this type of hardening for people suffering from vegetative-vascular dystonia (VSD). However, before taking a contrast shower, consult your doctor.

• Accelerated muscle recovery.

Increased blood flow to the muscles supplies them with additional nutrients and hormones. Therefore, recovery processes are faster.

I recommend taking a contrast shower after strength training to reduce delayed muscle pain and start anabolic processes.

• Fast metabolism.

By improving the body’s adaptation to sudden temperature changes, we simultaneously accelerate metabolic processes. Food is absorbed better, and the energy obtained from it is spent with greater efficiency. Less fat is deposited, so a contrast shower is suitable for weight loss.

• Skin health.

Alternating dousing with hot and cold water expands and tightens the pores, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin. Pimples and blackheads disappear, the skin becomes elastic, flabby areas are tightened. A similar effect can only be obtained in a sauna.

Contraindications for hardening

A contraindication to hardening, or at least evidence that you are making too sudden changes in temperature, can be poor health. Therefore, it is important in general to take into account individual characteristics, listen to the reactions of your body and observe measures in setting the temperature.

Contrast showers are strictly contraindicated for the following diseases and conditions:

• presence of cardiovascular diseases,
• anemia,
• sore throat, cystitis and other acute inflammatory processes,
• malignant neoplasms (oncology),
• thrombophlebitis and other hematopoietic diseases,
• post-stroke condition and other neurological diseases,
• some skin diseases (check with your dermatologist),
• menstrual period,
• respiratory viral infections,
• malaria,
• pregnancy and breastfeeding,
• periods of exacerbation of chronic diseases,
• increased body temperature,
• enlarged lymph nodes,
• hypertension,
• spasms,
• for vegetative dystonia syndrome, the procedure has a number of features that will be determined by your attending physician.

Ready to try?

We provide instructions that are approved by experts.

During a regular shower, you need to make the water temperature hot, but still comfortable for the skin. When you feel that you have warmed up well, turn on the cold one. It is better if the water does not cool gradually, but immediately switches to a low temperature. In this case, the head should be left warm and not watered with cold water.

You need to stand under an invigorating shower for at least half a minute, more is not necessary. In some experiments, participants spent up to several minutes under cold water, but the effectiveness of the procedure did not increase with its duration. If you choose to cool down for longer than 30 seconds, increase your shower time gradually.

The procedure can be repeated three to five times in a row. Although even one switch of the shower was enough for participants in the Dutch experiment to improve their well-being. You need to end the contrast shower on a cold note. Rub yourself thoroughly with a towel and get dressed immediately.

What could go wrong?

We react to cold water as to stress: the heart begins to beat very quickly, the pulse and breathing become more frequent, and the pressure rises. Healthy people effectively cope with short episodes of stress, but for “heart” and “lung patients” such experiments can result in serious problems.

The remaining warnings are within the bounds of common sense: do not get scalded and do not get hypothermic. Also, do not replace a contrast shower with taking medications and other medical procedures.

What mechanisms are hidden behind a contrast shower?

Although scientists have demonstrated that contrast procedures reduce pain, swelling, muscle congestion and even improve overall well-being, how this effect is achieved is not fully understood.

There is a hypothesis that in the acute phase of dousing, when we are trembling, the concentration of cortisol and norepinephrine increases. In this case, the greatest physiological reaction to exposure to cold water is observed in the first 30 seconds. This means that it is most likely initiated by neurogenic pathways rather than by circulating hormones. But activation of the sympathetic nervous system fully explains the long-term antidepressant effects.

Researchers also claim that the alternating contraction and relaxation of blood vessels creates a pump effect and accelerates blood flow. They are objected to that the cooling during a contrast shower is very superficial. Intramuscular temperature does not change enough to create this “pump.” Other authors have suggested that swelling is relieved by flushing out excess fluid through the lymphatic system. But the movement of lymph requires muscle contraction and does not depend on blood circulation.

Misunderstandings between scientists do not allow us to explain the effects of contrast showers only by physiological mechanisms. Perhaps psychological factors are involved or the placebo effect is triggered. The issue requires further study.

Life story

One of my friends had 2 problems at once - difficult waking up and loose skin. As a rule, in the morning she crawled out of bed with great difficulty. Moreover, I couldn’t wake up even after 2 cups of strong coffee. And she, in general, hated the morning. In addition, there were also difficulties with the skin. Since even the most expensive lotions with innovative components did not help to remove her flabbiness.

At the same time, the girl believed that a contrast shower was just nothing more than hardening. But a therapist she knew recommended this therapy for her morning vigor and skin tone. She listened, and what do you think?

Incredibly, after 2 months the skin became more elastic. And waking up is convincing, and all thanks to contrasting douches! That’s why my friend’s reviews of this procedure are now the most enthusiastic. In addition, as a “pleasant bonus”, she also received strengthened immunity!

Dear readers! Now, I hope that you will now adopt this great way to become healthier, happier and more cheerful. Personally, at one time I felt all the delights of this extraordinary procedure.

If you were interested in reading this material and you received the necessary information, please share the article with your friends on social networks, and also subscribe to my blog. What healing methods do you personally use? Please share in the comments. That's all. Health and good luck to you!

Start and end of the procedure

As mentioned earlier, a contrast shower is always stressful, no matter how long you have been taking it and whether it has become part of your routine. To normalize body temperature and get hormones in order, it is important to properly prepare for the procedure and complete it correctly.

So, you need to start by warming up the body; it is recommended to take a bath with soothing ingredients that relax the body. For example, you can use a bath mix with lavender and cornflower flowers “FLOWER SKY”. In addition to the benefits of Epsom and pink Himalayan salts, the body will receive the necessary trace elements, which reduces the impact of stress from the subsequent procedure. Cornflower petals and lavender oil contained in flowers added to the mix have an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic effect, which is ideal for anti-allergenic and healing baths.

soothing bath shimmer with lavender and cornflower flowers

If you want to awaken your body even before a contrast shower, it is recommended to try citrus mixtures. Salt with SLIM CITRUS oils is perfect. Orange and lemon oils will open the receptors, and regenerating processes begin in the skin. Moreover, citrus oils have an excellent anti-cellulite effect and can keep the skin toned.

awakening bath salt with orange and lemon oils

After the procedure, the body needs to be warmed up. For these purposes, you can use a regular towel, but while the pores are open and metabolic processes are at their peak, it is worth using scrubbing and warming agents. So, if taking a contrast shower is necessary for weight loss, you should use a body scrub with a warming effect. It contains a great combination of Dead Sea salt, chili pepper oil and cane sugar. While you feel pleasant warmth and deep massage, the scrub removes excess water, removes puffiness and evens out the skin. This action enhances the effect of a contrast shower.

warming body scrub

You can apply massage oil to already dry skin to moisturize it. With smooth movements, a mix of eight oils is rubbed into the skin, which creates a warming effect and gives a pleasant aroma throughout the day. Suitable for daily use, has a cumulative effect.

anti-cellulite massage oil

Effect of cold water on recovery

A huge amount of research has been devoted to studying the effect of cold water on recovery after exercise. The results showed that such procedures effectively relieve fatigue immediately after training and reduce the manifestation of muscle pain. One of the proposed mechanisms leading to this effect is a reduction in blood flow in the muscle and a local decrease in temperature in the tissues, which leads to a decrease in inflammation in them.

Procedures in which athletes are immersed in water at a temperature of
10-20°C for 5-10 minutes . Regular swimming in cold water in winter with increasing duration relieves stress, fatigue, improves mood and memory. Those suffering from rheumatism, fibromyalgia and asthma experience an improvement in overall well-being and an increased pain threshold. Local application of cold reduces tissue metabolism, relieves swelling, reduces muscle spasms and may have an anesthetic effect.

The effect of cold water on mental disorders

The most interesting research on the benefits of regular cold water procedures lies in the field of mental disorders. Cold water is known to activate the sympathetic nervous system, which turns on the body's readiness to act. This is a kind of physiological stress that requires the body to use all internal organs and systems to return to normal body temperature, which can be beneficial not only for the central nervous system, but also for the entire body as a whole.

Cold water treatments lead to an increase in the level of beta-endorphin and norepinephrine in the blood. Norepinephrine is one of the most important neurotransmitters (along with serotonin) that many of the existing antidepressants target (these drugs aim to increase the level of norepinephrine in brain cells). This hormone is also able to cross the brain blood barrier and increase cerebral blood flow.

In addition, constant hardening leads to an increase in the production of beta-endorphin - another neurotransmitter responsible for overall well-being - and a decrease in pain through opioid receptors.

To summarize, we can say without a doubt that dousing with cold water is good for health.

However, you should not, under the impression of the positive effects of hardening, run outside without shoes and walk barefoot in the snow or rush to the nearest ice hole - a gradual approach is needed here, as with any kind of training. Sudden changes in temperature are a physiological shock for the body, and you need to approach the issue wisely.

References: 1. The Effect of Cold Showering on Health and Work: A Randomized Controlled TrialGeert A. Buijze, Inger N. Sierevelt, Bas CJM van der Heijden, Marcel G. Dijkgraaf, Monique HW Frings-Dresen. 2. Scientific evidence-based effects of hydrotherapy on various systems of the body. A Mooventhan, L Nivethitha.

This is interesting!

Moreover, the fact that contrast douches help you lose weight has been proven by scientists. For example, in our body there is white fat and brown fat. But it is brown that protects our organs and is responsible for heat exchange. Since under the influence of cold water, brown fat increases heat production by as much as 15 times.

As a result, much more calories are burned, and with them, white, the most harmful fat.

This discovery was recently made by scientists at the Joslin Diabetes Center, Harvard Medical School.