Shake Up Your Showers!

While I know that part of the entire freshman experience is living in the dorms, most of the painful aspects 0f this living situation originate in the communal bathrooms.  Those that live on the deluxe floors of Atherton and Simmons, complete with their spacious rooms, closets without curtains, and private bathrooms, fortunately dodged these issues.  However, no matter how pristine or grimy dorm showers are to the individual, they have been found to be very beneficial besides their hygienic properties.

Firstly, showering is important; we all learned this during middle school gym class when trying to mask the smell of our old tennis sneakers from our friends (No? Just me?).  No matter how much tie dye or mud food we made, there was nothing a shower couldn’t clean off.  I know that there are emerging studies that are proving that excessive cleaning that appears in many western cultures is not entirely necessary/healthy, but on a general platform, bathing regularly is still a popular societal expectation.  Research has begun to show that there are certain ways to enhance the showering experience beyond the immediate sanitary benefits. From articles from LiveStrong.com, PopSugar.com, and MayoClinic.org, I have compiled a list of some of the overlooked benefits of taking both hot and cold showers.

Hot

• Increases oxytocin levels
  • Warm showers have been proven to act as a natural sedative and can reduce stress levels
  • In an laboratory experiment, warm temperatures helped reverse some of the harmful effects of stress reactions
  • Insomniacs who have trouble falling asleep are recommended to take a warm, 10 minute shower before going to sleep in order to release some of these relaxing chemicals
• Relieve tension in muscles
  • Using a combination of hot/cold showers to relax muscles and encourage their recovery
  • Muscles are built by increasing the number of myosin and actin filaments, and these filaments flourish when there is a fluctuation between temperatures
• Relieve stress
  • Connecting to my previous point, many hold their stress in their neck, head, and shoulders.
  • Allowing the warm water to lightly massage these areas, it can help loosen the muscles and release some of those stressful toxins!
  • Recently, I have been experiencing an increased amount of migraines. My doctor suggested that while they can only be cured with lifestyle changes, taking a small amount of caffeine (such as tea, coffee, etc.), shielding my eyes from harsh light, and taking a warm shower can all help either prevent or temper one of these headaches!
• Improve circulation
  • Joint pain, muscle tears, and muscle pulls (sometimes seen when exercising), need an increased amount of blood supply to heal
  • Those who experience pain from arthritis have found that a quick shower, or even just running the affected area under a warm current can relieve their symptoms temporarily.

Cold

• Increased alertness
  • It is not news that cold water can be a shocking surprise. However, the effects of taking a cold shower can extend much longer beyond the initial feeling. The rapid change in temperature redirects blood flow so quickly that it results in a body-wide flush! This will help clean out old blood, and wake the body up for the rest of the day.
• Hair and skin maintenance
  • Hot showers are known to dry out hair, nails, and skin.  Oils that help nourish these areas can be depleted from excessive high-temperature exposure.
  • Cold showers help tighten up your cuticles and pores, which will not only keep them hydrated, but will also prevent them from becoming clogged with dirt and other bacteria which can act as an irritant.
  • Cold showers can promote hair and nail growth (and who doesn’t want that?) and will stave off split ends!
• Reduce in depression
  • When the nerves in your skin feel the initial shock of something cold on your body (especially if you are being showered by chilly water..), those nerves send tons of impulses to the brain.
  • Your entire body lights up with electrical impulses and this acts as a natural antidepressant.
  • The entire study of hydrotherapy is still emerging as a legitimate psychological exercise, but it doesn’t hurt to try it out.
• Weight loss
  • I am not writing this so that anyone reading this is going to jump into a frozen lake in order to drop 15 lb.  There are a few studies, though that have shown that a cold shower may activate fat cells.

So go ahead – close your eyes during your next dorm shower, remember these extra benefits, and feel a new level of luxury as you wash, rinse, and repeat!