Contrast Showers - Weight Loss

RTricia
RTricia Posts: 720
edited September 26 in Fitness and Exercise
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/cold-water-therapy/

I've heard some good things about finishing a warm shower with 30 seconds of pure cold water. A friend of mine told me about it for toning purposes... reading more about it learn of more benefits - including reducing muscle soreness.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/154168-how-to-lose-weight-with-cold-showers/

Awesome to see it in print on the Livestrong page also.

Best of luck to everyone - we can do this!!

Replies

  • AdamATGATT
    AdamATGATT Posts: 573 Member
    Also good for relieving some migraines....though, I slowly drop the water temp to freezing, not all at once.
  • xaintes
    xaintes Posts: 129
    And this actually works?? Has anyone tried it?
  • donicagalek
    donicagalek Posts: 526
    I'd rather die. *BRRR* X-D

    Sometimes my MS relapses make hot and cold sensations (more often cold) actually painful - like rubbing alcohol on an open wound. :-/
  • laddyboy
    laddyboy Posts: 1,565 Member
    When I did Insanity my first time I alway took a cold shower after. I lost 3 lbs per week in my 1st 3 weeks. At that point I had already lost over 70 lbs and I was shocked I lost that much more that fast.
  • bigmommy2011
    bigmommy2011 Posts: 47
    Wow never thought a cold shower would help u lose weight .Got to try this.Thanks for the post.GOD BLESS:bigsmile:
  • syates83
    syates83 Posts: 87
    I've actually heard really good things about this...there was an episode on The Doctors/Dr. Oz...one of those kind of shows that featured someone talking about "Thermal Therapy for Weight Loss".

    Here are some of the ideas...drinking ice cold water all day long, resting an ice pack on the back of your neck for 30 minutes in the evening and taking a cold shower...eventually if you can tolerate and ice soak its supposed to help but that is NOT RECOMMENDED for beginners.

    Anyway, they said the reason it works is because when you lower your core temperature your body has to work harder to do everything it does...So working harder = burning more calories. The example they used was climbing a ladder. For a person not doing thermal therapy they're body isn't working as hard as someone doing thermal therapy so the person doing the cold will not only use up more calories but will also increase their metabolism.

    They also said there wasn't really a science to it but that after testing, testing and more testing it just was TRUE.
  • girlruns
    girlruns Posts: 344
    Okay, I think we need to read into this a little more closely. The first article quoted was much better written than the Livestrong article. It explained that cold water therapy does help with inflammation, and other bodily functions, and was a good way for people to be more adaptive to changes in temperature. However, there was also a caution about submersion being better than a shower. The first article DID state that it could increase metabolism, which was the biggest focus of the Livestrong article. I find it more than a little decieving that Livestrong thought "Lose weight with cold showers" was a good title. The article itself said they weren't sure how much of an increase in metabolism is generated, AND they said to do this multiple times a day. It might not hurt, but for most people flipping the water to cold for 30 seconds is going to be more miserable than helpful.

    Something to consider--after long and strenuous exercise, using ice baths to lower core temperature is considered a sound practice and it does help with muscle soreness. This is also why a cold shower feels so good in the summer. You are instinctively looking to get your body temp back to normal.

    Finally, some of the internal benefits touted by cold showers are really related to the body's reaction to stress--some of which is good. This is a great article about why:

    http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/stress-management/good-stress.htm
  • JesaGrace
    JesaGrace Posts: 799 Member
    Never heard about that....
  • Woodman725
    Woodman725 Posts: 288 Member
    Okay, I think we need to read into this a little more closely. The first article quoted was much better written than the Livestrong article. It explained that cold water therapy does help with inflammation, and other bodily functions, and was a good way for people to be more adaptive to changes in temperature. However, there was also a caution about submersion being better than a shower. The first article DID state that it could increase metabolism, which was the biggest focus of the Livestrong article. I find it more than a little decieving that Livestrong thought "Lose weight with cold showers" was a good title. The article itself said they weren't sure how much of an increase in metabolism is generated, AND they said to do this multiple times a day. It might not hurt, but for most people flipping the water to cold for 30 seconds is going to be more miserable than helpful.

    Something to consider--after long and strenuous exercise, using ice baths to lower core temperature is considered a sound practice and it does help with muscle soreness. This is also why a cold shower feels so good in the summer. You are instinctively looking to get your body temp back to normal.

    Finally, some of the internal benefits touted by cold showers are really related to the body's reaction to stress--some of which is good. This is a great article about why:

    http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/stress-management/good-stress.htm

    Well said. I have done this for years, but mostly in the summer. A cold shower just doesn't feel quite the same when it's 15° outside.
  • AnneGenevieveS
    AnneGenevieveS Posts: 441 Member
    Yes, you do burn more calories if you are cold, but I don't think you are going to lose 100 pounds by being cold.
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