Can you take a shower immediately after exercising?

After exercising, the body will sweat more than usual. You may feel sweaty, smelly, and sticky. Well, usually after that you might immediately want to quickly take a shower. But there is a myth that says that immediately taking a shower after exercise is not recommended. So, is it true that bathing after exercise is bad for health?

It's okay to take a shower after exercise, as long as…

Bathing after exercise can help you to relieve muscle and joint pain. Apart from that, bathing also helps to clean sweat and bacteria on your skin. Then is it okay to take a shower immediately after exercising? Apparently the answer is no.

Yes, if you want to shower after exercise, you have to give a break between exercise and shower. Do not just finish exercising immediately and take a shower, this is precisely what can cause health problems.

When you exercise, your heart pumps oxygen-rich blood to your muscles more than usual. This makes your body temperature rise and your heart beat faster. If you take a shower right away, your blood vessels will widen and make you vulnerable to various diseases that can suddenly strike such as a heart attack.

Therefore, the most important thing you should do right after exercising is cool down. Cooling is mandatory to make the heart rate and body temperature return to normal. Experts recommend cooling down for at least 20 minutes before you decide to take a shower.

Should you take a cold shower or warm water?

Warm and cold baths are both beneficial for the body. Dr. Kristin Maynes, a physical therapy specialist in California states that a warm bath promotes blood flow throughout the body, helps calm muscles, and recovers muscles and joints. In addition, taking a warm bath will also make you more relaxed after feeling tired.

Meanwhile, a cold shower can help the body to protect the internal organs by encouraging blood to flow deep into the skin. When you exercise, your heart rate will increase. At that time, the need for oxygen increases and the body will naturally produce lactic acid in the muscles.

This condition is normal when you are doing a fairly intense exercise, because the body relies on existing energy reserves. Well. when the amount of lactic acid increases, it will cause a burning feeling during exercise. So a cold shower can relieve this heat.

In addition, taking a cold shower also reduces the risk of muscle inflammation and pain caused by intense exercise. Overall, taking a cold shower after a workout helps constrict dilated blood vessels and reduces metabolic activity which can be a cause of tissue damage and inflammation.

Bathing after exercise does not threaten your health as long as it provides a break between exercise and shower time. You can try taking a shower with cold or warm water to your liking. Try to clean your body completely from head to toe so that your body is free from germs that stick and makes you feel refreshed for the next activity.