To shower or not to shower that is the question...

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Replies

  • Louisianababy93
    Louisianababy93 Posts: 1,709 Member
    i think you should take a shower before you leave the gym..

    and change clothes too! but, make sure to put your other clothes on in the correct order! it'll raise your blood pressure!
  • MissDeAnn
    MissDeAnn Posts: 47 Member
    I always shower after a workout and the only thing it does is relax my muscles....
    agreed.
  • NYactor1
    NYactor1 Posts: 9,642 Member
    That must be the reason I can't lose that last 10lbs... Going to have to take 'recovery' time before showering. Lol
  • liesevanlingen
    liesevanlingen Posts: 508 Member
    Busy moms who also work part or full time have too many other things to do to just sit at home and smell bad for two hours. There is no way I am running all my errands without having had a shower and no way I have time to wait. After working out, I shower and GO! Nonstop, most days. I have four kids and a part time job.
  • suzzann666
    suzzann666 Posts: 334 Member
    that is absurd!
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
    What the....?! I've never heard that before!
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
    What nonsense. Shower if you're sweaty or smelly, and right away. Period.
  • wikitbikit
    wikitbikit Posts: 518 Member
    "Dear Mom, I love you, but you may be completely batsht insane."
  • AngelsInThighHighs
    AngelsInThighHighs Posts: 247 Member
    "Dear Mom, I love you, but you may be completely batsht insane."

    Hahahahahah this was my thought the entire time!
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,658 Member
    So i was talking to my step mother about the gym she just started recently attending, shes been going for about two weeks now, i was asking her various questions about the equipment they have, how busy they are, ect. Amongst these many questions i asked if they had a shower and locker room.

    She replied she didnt know and that she tans then heads home and showers, she then said it doesnt matter because you have to wait two hours to shower. I told her i didnt believe that and i continued with i usually shower right away after my workouts, she looked at me like i had just slapped her in the face with a wet fish.

    She said i was hurting myself by showering so quickly because it raises your blood pressure, i responded with "Only if its hotter then The fires in hell, i take luke warm showers." She then continued to spout off about how i didnt know what i was doing blah, blah, blah.

    So heres the question i have: Is it SAFE to shower after a heavy workout, OR do you need to wait for two or so hours before you wash your sweaty stinky self?

    No, you don't need to wait and to be honest, that is a ridiculous notion that it is bad for you to have a shower immediately after working out.

    It is completely unhygienic to lounge around for a couple of hours sweaty. To do so creates superb surroundings for germs and bacteria and if you are on a slightly low ebb, you may find you will pick up colds and viruses that you would normally be able to fight off.
  • alevett
    alevett Posts: 79 Member
    1) If you slap her in the face with a wet fish... SHE NEEDS to take a shower ASAP!

    2) What a crock of **** lol... That's like saying you should wait a minimum of 2 hours to brush your teeth after eating chicken curry, so that your breath can smell up the kitchen until your farts start to form -_-

    Funny
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    I don't understand where she got her information from.

    It makes no difference when you shower. I'm not sure why she would be concerned with it raising your blood pressure unless she already has a high blood pressure issue.

    When I'm done working out I drink my water and than take a shower.
  • alevett
    alevett Posts: 79 Member
    If I don't survive it, it's been nice knowing you all!

    :laugh:

    Funny too!
  • n_unocero
    n_unocero Posts: 445 Member
    I don't see her logic....

    she says don't shower because the heat will raise your blood pressure....yet she tans right after working out???

    that makes a hell of a lot of sense!!
  • sofielein
    sofielein Posts: 539 Member
    1. she lies in the tanning bed that others use all sweaty - eek!
    2. she puts on her normal clothes all sweaty - eek!
    3. she spends her way home probably sitting in the car covered in cold sweat which really a good road to pneumonia - very clever...
  • DaniH826
    DaniH826 Posts: 1,335 Member
    I'd ask her where she got that information from. I've never heard of such a thing.

    And then maybe tell her you'll take the couple minutes of raised blood pressure over skin cancer any day. Tanning bed ... yikes! They're so bad for your skin!

    Maybe I should stop jumping in the pool after mowing the grass, although if I had to wait 2 hours to cool off and get all the sweaty funk off myself, I would not be a happy camper!
  • alevett
    alevett Posts: 79 Member
    After my workout, I stretch for about 5-10 mins, then right in the shower. I usually have a warm shower and my body has already started to cool down with the stretching. I have never heard about waiting to have a shower. I know I can't wait to get out of the sweaty, smelly clothes as soon as possible and wash off the grossness and become fresh once again. Not sure where she got here info from and not sure about the tanning info either. Not a tanner. Good luck with your step-mother on this one. (Bear in mind that because she is older than you, she will want to think she is wiser). I know at my age (47), I have to accept that younger people can actually be right and I'm wrong - hard to swallow (ha).
    Good luck!
  • Loudmom01
    Loudmom01 Posts: 131 Member
    I was a personal trainer and not once were we instructed to tell clients they must wait to shower. It was not in any of my books, on tests or in any articles i ever read. I have actually never heard of that before. Is she confusing eating and swimming? (which is also a myth). I agree with the previous comment that maybe she is thinking of tanning n showering NOT working out and showering. It just doesnt make sense.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    So heres the question i have: Is it SAFE to shower after a heavy workout, OR do you need to wait for two or so hours before you wash your sweaty stinky self?
    mr-t-lol_zpsbdc7e5d7.gif
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    Ugh... Workout... Get sweaty... Then use sun beds whilst all sweaty (Ick!) then no shower! Wouldn't like to go to the gym where people are doing that. Just me being totally honest. Not hear of anyone dropping dead in the shower at the gym yet, and no signs at the gym to say it's dangerous! I reckon you'll be ok! Lol. ;-)

    ETA: Love my MIL to death, but she comes out with some real crazy stuff to!
  • jus_in_bello
    jus_in_bello Posts: 326 Member
    I used to work with a woman who believed that drinking cold water after a meal would give you cancer, also, eating bread and fruit at the same time would cause the fruit to ferment in your stomach. She even had "proof."

    People believe some whacked out things, use common sense, a shower ain't gonna kill you.
  • Flixie00
    Flixie00 Posts: 1,195 Member
    I have had high blood pressure for years and take meds for it and my doctor has never warned me against hot showers.

    I use a central London gym, and it amazes me the amount of women that do fairly intense and sweat inducing work outs, but just stick their coats on over their sweaty kit and go home. They don't live locally (not residential), don't drive, and so must be using public transport - yuck!
  • NeverGivesUp
    NeverGivesUp Posts: 960 Member
    I wait to get home to shower because I live in Denmark and these ladies are very open here. They sit and chat naked, bend over so you can see everything, and it is extremely uncomfortable for me since I wasn't raised like that. I have nothing against it, I just can't get used to it. So I drive home and take a hot and quiet shower alone. Not to mention there are no shower stalls in my gym and you have to keep pressing the water spout in order for the water to keep running and I know a lot of people in my little town and wouldn't want all of them being able to picture me naked lol. Yes, my private, and very hot shower is much much nicer. :)
  • sofielein
    sofielein Posts: 539 Member
    I wait to get home to shower because I live in Denmark and these ladies are very open here. They sit and chat naked, bend over so you can see everything, and it is extremely uncomfortable for me since I wasn't raised like that.

    This is the same in Germany and typically North-West Europe, it happens here in Switzerland as well. The reason being nudity and bodily acceptance is very normal and people don't judge, shame or get anxious about bodies at all. If you had a huge ugly hairy birthmark the size of a pillow on you they still would not stare or judge you or think "eww she needs to cover this up".

    I know it is uncomfortable for you for cultural reasons but try to think of their neutrality as a good thing.
  • Sqeekyjojo
    Sqeekyjojo Posts: 704 Member
    Normally, I get showered in the morning, then go to the gym, then go from the gym to the pool, where I will briefly shower (in hot water), go swimming, get out, shower properly in hot water and then go home. My only concessions to the weather are that, after I get dressed, I dry my hair this time of year and pull on a beanie before walking out the gym door. I am yet to keel over from going from the aircon gym at the start, to being warm, to being hot, to cooling down, to warming up in the shower, to cooling down in the water, to warming up as I swim, to cooling down as I get out, to warming up.........

    It is absolutely normal for the human body to cope with variations in temperature.



    Having said that, as this week the schools are off, the pool and changing areas are swarming with screaming children, stressed mums, runaway toddlers and the floors are littered with sweet wrappers, bits of hair from brushing and all the other detrius that you associate with children. The staff can't keep up with it.

    So there is no way right now that I will be spending any longer in those areas than strictly necessary.

    I am therefore coming home after the gym and showering in peace, quiet and litter free surroundings. The world has not imploded by my doing so, and I haven't stunk out the bus as far as I can tell. After all, I was clean going there, my kit was clean, I've taken it off and put this morning's clean clothes back on.


    I am looking forward to the kids going back to school on Monday. :D



    ETA: I wouldn't be bothered by people being naked, though. Never have been, which was just as well at my last gym, as they didn't have any changing cubicles. In this one, they do.
  • homemademama
    homemademama Posts: 199 Member
    lol I guess I'm in trouble. I take ridiculously long (15-20 minutes) super-hot showers. Often within 30 minutes of finishing my workout. I just walked 7 miles and am about to go shower. If I don't survive it, it's been nice knowing you all!

    :laugh:

    lol if you go over 15 minutes we"ll send out a search party -

    on another note 15 minute super hot showers is totally reasonable :)
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    Hmm. That's kind of gross. I'm glad I don't go tanning and even more so, glad that I don't tan where she does. That is nasty to not shower before, eww.
    I have high blood pressure and my Dr. told me to make sure I cool down longer than usual after a heavy workout, by walking an extra 10 minutes, 20 minutes total. By the time I'm done with that cool down, I'm freezing. I know that it would cause health issues if I jumped right in the shower after a workout, but not because of the water, it's because of stopping the workout suddenly.
    Also, I have problems with skin yeast infections so I can't waste time sitting around in wet clothes. I'm also one of those gym freaks who has to stand in the locker room and blow dry between my toes, under my boobs and other 'places' I wont mention. Dr.'s orders. Ugh. So please don't be so harsh on us old folks with other health issues. I know some people hate seeing it but, oh well. It's my problem to deal with and trust me I hate doing it. Look the other way please. lol
    About the wet clothing issues, I live 30 minutes from my gym and there is no way I will get into my car when its 10 degrees out, with wet clothing on. I shower and go home in a completely different set of dry clothes.
  • tlsegar
    tlsegar Posts: 185 Member
    I think the whole thing about blood pressure and hot showers after workout might be a bunch of hooey. But I wait until I get home to shower because I don't like showering in at the gym. I never feel like I get as clean as I could if I used my own shower. I always feel the need to go home and shower again anyway.
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    Hmm. That's kind of gross. I'm glad I don't go tanning and even more so, glad that I don't tan where she does. That is nasty to not shower before, eww.
    I have high blood pressure and my Dr. told me to make sure I cool down longer than usual after a heavy workout, by walking an extra 10 minutes, 20 minutes total. By the time I'm done with that cool down, I'm freezing. I know that it would cause health issues if I jumped right in the shower after a workout, but not because of the water, it's because of stopping the workout suddenly.
    Also, I have problems with skin yeast infections so I can't waste time sitting around in wet clothes. I'm also one of those gym freaks who has to stand in the locker room and blow dry between my toes, under my boobs and other 'places' I wont mention. Dr.'s orders. Ugh. So please don't be so harsh on us old folks with other health issues. I know some people hate seeing it but, oh well. It's my problem to deal with and trust me I hate doing it. Look the other way please. lol
    About the wet clothing issues, I live 30 minutes from my gym and there is no way I will get into my car when its 10 degrees out, with wet clothing on. I shower and go home in a completely different set of dry clothes.
    ETA: I should mention that my whirlpool tub states right on it that if you have high blood pressure, you should consult your Dr. before use and limit your time in the water to 10 minutes. Heat DOES raise your blood pressure, but taking a shower after a workout is not the same as getting in a tub. Maybe she thinks it is. Who knows.

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