Hot and cold: The healing effect of alternating between warm and cold water goes back to the theologian Sebastian Kneipp. He himself suffered from a lung disease and discovered information about so-called cold water therapy in a book. Because no doctor could help him, he took short baths in the ice-cold Danube in a kind of self-experiment - and got well again. Don't worry, we're not trying to tell you that you have to jump into ice water right now (unless you want to, of course ;). With contrast showers in your four walls, you can achieve a positive effect for yourself, your health and your skin.
What happens to our body during contrast showers
The alternation of warm and cold temperatures stimulates blood circulation. The warm water expands the vessels, and the subsequent cooling causes them to reflexively contract again. This activates the circulation and improves blood circulation. Good blood circulation strengthens the immune system because it allows immune cells to reach the nose and throat more easily. It makes it more difficult for potential pathogens to attach themselves to our mucous membranes and trigger colds. And surprise: contrast showers reduce the feeling of cold. By “training” the vessels to expand and contract again, we tend to feel less cold. But switching from hot to cold also has numerous benefits for the skin. Well-supplied skin looks fresher and rosier and can be tightened by combining exercise and a healthy diet. The procedure also stimulates your metabolism. Another benefit is that sore muscles heal more quickly thanks to better blood circulation.
How to do it
For some people it may take some effort to rinse off with cold water after a warm shower. In this case, you can slowly approach your target temperature step by step. It starts with a warm to hot shower. Then comes the point where you have to scramble and change the water from cool to cold. Huuuhhh! Start on the outside of your right foot, the area furthest from your heart, and then shower from the outside of your right foot down to your hips. Then switch from there to the inside of the thigh and rush back down to the foot. After that, exactly the same procedure is performed on the left leg. Bravo! Now it's time for the arms: Start on the back of the right hand and shower up to the shoulder, then down the inner arm again to the palm and off to the other side. Well done, now you can treat yourself to a warming break as a reward before you start the second cool round. Your contrast shower ends with cold water so that the blood vessels constrict again. Then dry off quickly so that you can warm up again.