Are you always confused about whether to take a bath with hot water or opt for a cold water bath? How do you decide which one to choose?

As per Ayurveda, hot water should be used for cleaning the body and cold water for the head as hot water is harmful for the eyes and hair. It also depends upon the temperature of one’s body. A person with excessive heat in the body should bathe with water at temperatures lower than their body’s and vice versa.

Here are benefits of both hot and cold water baths for you to decide better:

Benefits of a hot water bath:

Hot water baths are excellent to cleanse your body as the warmer temperatures tend to kill all the germs that you are exposed to throughout the day. It is also helpful in maintaining better personal hygiene.

They are extremely beneficial to relieve cold and cough as the hot water and steam tend to clear your airways and help in decongesting your nose and throats.

They are also known to beat insomnia and sleep disorders and are excellent to induce sleep.

Hot water baths are also known to relieve stress and fatigue and also help relax sore muscles. It has also been shown to improve the flexibility of muscles giving you a supple body.

Studies have also shown that hot water showers reduce sugar levels in the body making them ideal for diabetics. This study showed that sugar levels of diabetics who immersed themselves in hot water tubs for 20 – 30 minutes for three weeks, had reduced by 13 %.

Benefits of a cold water bath:

Cold water showers give you a push start in the morning. They tend to stimulate your nerve endings and help getting rid of the laziness and sleepiness.

They help you treat depression. Cold water baths have shown to increase the release of depression-beating chemicals like nor-adrenaline and beta-endorphins making you feel fresh.

Helps improve reproductive health in men. Studies have shown that cold water showers stimulate the release of testosterone which helps in increasing your libido.

Cold water baths have shown to stimulate the lymphatic and immune system, which helps in boosting the production of infection-fighting cells thereby increasing your immunity.

Your lung function improves tremendously with cold water showers. That feeling of breathlessness you get when you pour cold water over your head is the reason behind this property of cold water. You tend to hold your breath with each mug of water and slowly release your breath, thus improving your lung function.

Note: Both cold water bath and hot water bath have their own benefits and it all depends on various factors that decide which type of water you should use for bathing. According to Ayurveda, if you take a bath in a hurry, you will never gain the benefits. You should always take the bath slowly, in order to stay fresh and active. Ayurveda also suggests that you must use cold water for the head and hot water for the body.

Are you always confused about whether to take a bath with hot water or opt for a cold water bath? How do you decide which one to choose?

As per Ayurveda, hot water should be used for cleaning the body and cold water for the head as hot water is harmful for the eyes and hair. It also depends upon the temperature of one’s body. A person with excessive heat in the body should bathe with water at temperatures lower than their body’s and vice versa.

Here are benefits of both hot and cold water baths for you to decide better:

Benefits of a hot water bath:

Hot water baths are excellent to cleanse your body as the warmer temperatures tend to kill all the germs that you are exposed to throughout the day. It is also helpful in maintaining better personal hygiene.

They are extremely beneficial to relieve cold and cough as the hot water and steam tend to clear your airways and help in decongesting your nose and throats.

They are also known to beat insomnia and sleep disorders and are excellent to induce sleep.

Hot water baths are also known to relieve stress and fatigue and also help relax sore muscles. It has also been shown to improve the flexibility of muscles giving you a supple body.

Studies have also shown that hot water showers reduce sugar levels in the body making them ideal for diabetics. This study showed that sugar levels of diabetics who immersed themselves in hot water tubs for 20 – 30 minutes for three weeks, had reduced by 13 %.

Benefits of a cold water bath:

Cold water showers give you a push start in the morning. They tend to stimulate your nerve endings and help getting rid of the laziness and sleepiness.

They help you treat depression. Cold water baths have shown to increase the release of depression-beating chemicals like nor-adrenaline and beta-endorphins making you feel fresh.

Helps improve reproductive health in men. Studies have shown that cold water showers stimulate the release of testosterone which helps in increasing your libido.

Cold water baths have shown to stimulate the lymphatic and immune system, which helps in boosting the production of infection-fighting cells thereby increasing your immunity.

Your lung function improves tremendously with cold water showers. That feeling of breathlessness you get when you pour cold water over your head is the reason behind this property of cold water. You tend to hold your breath with each mug of water and slowly release your breath, thus improving your lung function.

Note: Both cold water bath and hot water bath have their own benefits and it all depends on various factors that decide which type of water you should use for bathing. According to Ayurveda, if you take a bath in a hurry, you will never gain the benefits. You should always take the bath slowly, in order to stay fresh and active. Ayurveda also suggests that you must use cold water for the head and hot water for the body.