Are cold or hot showers better for cooling you down?
On a hot, muggy summer day, all you want to do is find some relief from the heat. For many people living in the UK - where air conditioning is rarely an option to cool down in - the first port of call is the shower.
Most of us might think that a cold, refreshing shower is the best way to cool off when the mercury rises. After all, it seems like the quickest way to bring your body temperature down.
But you may be surprised to know that experts have a different opinion.
Some say that a hot shower is actually the way to go when the high summer heat is getting to you. This sounds counterintuitive, but some experts swear by it.
However, others yet say neither a cold nor hot shower are the best options if you need to cool off. Instead, there’s a third option that could have longer-lasting results.
Some like it hot
Having a hot shower on a hot day might sound like a silly thing to do. But some experts advocate this method, including James Roberts, director of Sanctuary Bathrooms.
According to Roberts, having a hot shower "can effectively regulate body temperature without the sudden shock associated with cold water immersion". He added: "It’s a simple yet effective way to stay comfortable during the summer heat."
Abbas Kanani, superintendent pharmacist at Chemist Click, elaborates further: "A hot shower makes your skin warmer and increases your core body temperature. It may not offer an immediate cooling effect; however, as water evaporates from your skin, it creates a cooling effect after you've finished having a hot shower.
"Hot water also opens up pores and increases blood circulation and sweating which naturally cools the body."
However, not everyone agrees that having a steamy shower is beneficial in hot weather. Carl Smith, qualified personal trainer at Active Careers, tells Yahoo UK: "A hot shower will simply make you hotter and as soon as you step out of the shower you will continue to sweat arguably even more than you were previously as you have raised the body's core temperature.
"You might logically conclude that a cold shower would therefore be the answer, but actually this also comes with complications as you're vastly changing the body's environment from one extreme to another."
Some like it cold
Taking a freezing cold shower on a very hot day might sound like bliss, but Smith quickly pours cold water on the notion.
"Having a cold shower will inevitably make you feel instantly cooler and remove sweat from your body. Your body sweats as a cooling mechanism and should be viewed as a good thing as it's your body reacting to the heat and it is attempting to thermoregulate itself effectively," he explains.
"Once you jump in a freezing cold shower, you're telling your body that you don't need to sweat anymore as the cold water from the shower is cooling you down and as soon as you start drying off, you will find yourself even hotter than when you first stepped in as your body is no longer sweating to help cool you down.
"Your body will also try to retain as much core body heat as possible when subjected to a quick change in cold temperature, like a freezing shower as it thinks it now needs to keep this heat in order to function."
He also warns that going from one extreme environment to another can be dangerous for certain people who may be more vulnerable, as "it can cause the body to go into shock and has resulted in people suffering heart attacks".
How to get it just right
So if we can’t have a hot shower and a cold shower is out of the question, what on earth can we do to cool off?
Dealing with British summer heat can cause plenty of discomfort, particularly when it comes to getting to sleep at night. Lisa Artis, deputy CEO of Simba’s charity partner, The Sleep Charity, said: "In contrast to other nations where household air conditioning is commonplace, many Brits experience tossing and turning, unable to find comfort, and waking up frequently throughout the night."
"This restlessness prevents REM sleep, which is a crucial stage within our sleep cycle that allows our body to revitalise and heal itself."
The solution? A warm shower that’s neither hot nor cold is the way to go.
"It might seem counterintuitive, but rather than having a cold shower before bed, take a warm shower before you put on your pyjamas and get ready for bed," Artis advised. "The warm water makes our body heat up, and then, when we get out of the shower, a rapid drop in temperature cools our body down."
Smith agrees that a lukewarm shower is the perfect way to cool down. "By showering at Lukewarm temperatures you're cooling your body gradually and allowing it to adapt to the change in temperature at a more relaxed pace and reduce the sweating slowly.
"This is why it is recommended to also shower for longer after exercise to make the process more gradual. My tip would be to start the shower warm and then every 30 seconds or so, drop the temperature slightly and repeat this for 10 minutes or so."
Watch: How to stop a heatwave from ruining your sleep
Read more about health and wellness:
How and when to replenish electrolytes as UK weather heats up (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
How to stay safe in high heat and dry weather (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
How to choose the right summer dress for your body shape, according to experts (Yahoo Life UK, 7-min read)
