Using a cold shower to remove fat may seem a little bit strange, but this form of hydrotherapy has enjoyed increased attention as a way to remove fat cells and manage cellulite. While the benefits of cold water swimming or general cold showers have been known to us for a long time, it's only recently that their effects on fat burning have been studied.
So should you take a cold shower to manage your cellulite? The evidence that we have says that you should. Not only does it have benefits for your blood circulation that are comparable to getting an essential oil massage or a session in an infrared sauna, there are various wellness benefits that you can also reap from the process. But if you're looking for a more effective method of getting rid of fat, you may be better off looking elsewhere.
While you may be familiar with the comforting effects of a hot shower on dry skin, cold showers also have their fair share of benefits, especially for reducing the subcutaneous fat that can form cellulite. This happens because cold water increases your blood circulation and lymph drainage, which improves how your body filters and removes toxins from your system.
This toxin removal doesn't just boost your body's resilience against infection: fatty deposits are also less likely to form if your lymph vessels are working properly. By boosting the activity of your blood vessels, you're able to invigorate your body to be more active - and more activity means more fat cells being burned away. It's particularly effective at burning away brown fat (also known as adipose tissue) since they keep your body warm in cold conditions.
However, the benefits of an ice bath shouldn't be overstated. While getting one can give you plenty of wellness benefits, it's generally substandard compared to anti cellulite cream or other fat removal and management products. It's also not as effective for people who have sensitive skin, since they may have adverse reactions to cold temperatures.
One alternative that some experts have recommended for cold showers is a contrast shower:a shower that uses hot and cold water alternatively. While most people use a hot and cold shower as a way to wake up or invigorate themselves, there are also significant benefits for your blood circulation.
The primary reason for using hot and cold water at the same time is that it promotes a pumping action with your blood circulation, which causes your blood flow to increase. Increased blood flow means higher metabolism and more efficient toxin removal.
Hot and cold showers also prevent your body from being acclimatized to the effects of consistent cold showers. Since your body can adapt to outside conditions (especially if they're every day), the effects of a cold shower alone can lessen over time. By using hot and cold showers together, your body can be conditioned in a better way.
Cold showers can be beneficial with consistent application, but there are some things you can do to make the experience more effective and enjoyable:
A scrub, moisturizer, or lotion can be an excellent addition to your cold baths since they can make the experience more pleasant. Products that contain coconut oil, green tea extract, or olive oil can be nourishing to your skin, allowing you to retain the benefits of a cold shower without straining it.
This benefit is even more prominent when combined with showers since the hot and cold water can interact with different products that you bring in the bath with you. For best results, use a product that's been designed for use on cold and hot showers.
Using a dry body brush before your cold shower can promote additional circulation in your blood vessels, which makes it an excellent routine to follow for better results. Keep in mind that a dry body brush needs to be designed specifically for dry brushing - while it's possible to get the benefits of using any brush, the results will be less effective.
Patients with sensitive skin or other similar skin conditions should avoid dry brushing since it's possible for the skin to experience redne ss or become inflamed. You can look into a cellulite massager for an alternative way of boosting blood circulation or use other products that have the same effect.
Hot and cold baths can be an excellent way to cool down after exercise or intense physical activity - so integrating exercise before your baths can remove even more fat. Since your body is already in a fat-burning state, cold showers can further its effects and increase its benefits.
For even better results, combine your baths with simple exercises and stretches that you can do in the shower. These can be done even by patients who can't move around much due to age or pre-existing conditions, since these exercises can make blood flow much quicker even during the bath itself.
Cellulite aside, there’s plenty of evidence that shows you can get a lot of benefits from a cold shower, as long as it’s applied properly. Here are just a few of them:
Because cold showers cause your body to heat up from the inside, it’s an excellent method for managing issues like chronic cold hands and feet. By taking a cold shower, you condition your body to raise its own internal temperature in response, which may help manage these conditions.
Contrast showers can also help by allowing your body to acclimatize to rapid changes in temperature, which can boost your resilience against unexpected shocks in your environment. This may be helpful for people who live in areas that experience rapid swings in temperature.
When your body tries to warm itself in response to a cold shower, one of the first things it tries to do is to boost its oxygen levels. Consistent cold showers can help your body much like breathing exercises – by taking deeper breaths, you’re able to stretch your lungs and take in more air.
This can have plenty of benefits for your body’s general endurance, but it’s particularly effective for people who participate in activities like sports. By improving your breathing, you’re less likely to get exhausted while doing intense physical activities.
Since the primary method that a cold shower uses to burn fat is by improving your blood circulation, this also boosts the efficacy of how your body distributes nutrients throughout your body. By giving your body better access to nutrients from the food that you eat, you’re less likely to get sick or suffer nutritional deficiency.
Because the blood also transports oxygen to different parts of your body, the additional access to oxygen means that your muscles will be stronger and have more energy. This can prevent you from being fatigued early and makes you less tired when engaging with physical tasks.
Cold water constricts your blood vessels, which can reduce swelling and decrease pain. This is the same principle behind applying ice to an injury – but with a cold shower, your entire body can benefit from this treatment. For people who experience chronic pain and inflammation, a cold shower can be effective in alleviating the symptoms until the medication is applied.
This is even more effective when combined with contrast showers since the body’s blood vessels effectively pump more oxygen and nutrients to injured spots in the body. While you will need to be careful to ensure that you don’t change your blood flow too much, contrast showers can definitely help with chronic and acute pain.
While methods like cold showers, cold exposure, and even dry brushing can increase blood circulation and lymphatic drainage, you'll need a better way to remove fat and treat cellulite. If you're looking for a method to shave off your fat deposits without relying on hydrotherapy, the QWO cellulite injectable can be your best option.
The only FDA-approved injectable for treating cellulite, this method targets the collagen deposits in your body that are responsible for dimpling and fat accumulation beneath your connective tissue. You can see visible results after just three treatments, with longer effects compared to cellulite cream or other fat-burning treatments.
Stubborn fatty deposits can be targeted with cold temperature therapy or mixing a cold bath with douses of warm water. But for real skin elasticity, you need more than increased blood flow to get rid of the toxins that cause cellulite. However, you can still get a lot of benefits from getting an ice bath every now and then - just don't expect it to be the only thing that can reduce your cellulite.
Cellulite Treatment NJ uses the latest innovations in fat removal technology to help treat cellulite, tighten the skin, and contour the body. We combine traditional therapies with our treatments for more comprehensive improvements to your body. For more information about us and our services, schedule a consultation with us today.
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