Contrast Shower: Weight Loss or Myth?

With so many people in the pursuit of weight loss and trying everything and anything they hear of, contrast showing is something that comes up – but is contrast shower weight loss real or a myth?

I’ve been taking contrast showers for a while, and although I didn’t do it to lose weight I can back up some of the other health claims that come with this showering technique.

Firstly, I have to say that I’m a firsthand believer. Contrast showers are great for stimulating circulation, strengthening your immune system, and leaving you feeling and looking refreshed.

I have read the science behind weight loss and contrast showering. There is some positive connection and it may work for you as I will explain in this article.

What Is a Contrast Shower?

First of all let’s make sure that you know exactly what a contrast shower is, as despite the health benefits of showering with this method, it’s not the most well-known form of therapy.

Contrast showing is when you alternate between hot and cold water while taking a shower.

While most of us have warm showers, and cold showers have been widely publicized for their health benefits, contrast showers give the best of both worlds.

The general rule of thumb is to shower in cold water for a minute, then switch to hot for 3 minutes, and back.

You do this 4-5 times depending on how long you want to be in the shower. The results are undeniable, I switched to contrast showers myself and know how much better I feel for it.

Contrast Shower: Weight Loss Through Showering?

I’ve always heard bits of information about cold showers helping to burn fat and speeding up the metabolism, so it’s no surprise that contrast showers would do the same.

It’s actually brown fat (BAT) that is involved in burning energy, not the white fat that you’re probably thinking of.

When you have the cold part of the shower your body turns brown fat into energy to generate heat to warm you up.

This is where the claims of showers burning fat come from. Not such a crazy claim when you think about it in these terms.

There is also the potential for contrast showing to speed up your metabolism. If you suffer from a slow metabolism you’ll notice the lbs sticking to you and being harder to shift than for some other people.

There are a few ways you can speed up your metabolism by making positive and healthy lifestyle choices.

Hitting your body with cold and hot water stimulates better blood flow, fat burning as already discussed, flushes more toxins and gives your metabolism a kick.

It sounds a lot just for a simple hot and cold shower, right?

On one hand it is, but on the other hand, it all makes logical sense. Plus, when you start taking contrast showers you will understand what I mean, you feel a difference almost immediately.