20 Amazing Facts To Justify Your Hour-Long Hot Showers

20 Amazing Facts To Justify Your Hour-Long Hot Showers

If you're like me, your go-to stress reliever after a really long day is a nice, long, hot shower! Even in the morning if you can spare the time! Nothing really gets the day going or ends it peacefully like a nice, long, hot shower! The wonderfully soothing warm-to-hot water is so relaxing and can really help clear your mind! Also like me, you probably get lots of static from friends and family telling you what a waste of hot water it is! I did some digging to help justify our little stress-relieving oasis from the comforts of home! Did you know that aside from being so relaxing, taking hot showers can greatly benefit your health? Read on, and I'll tell you what I am talking about!

1. Taking Hot Showers Will Improve Your Circulation!

Warm-to-Hot water stimulates healthy blood circulation and blood flow. This helps newly pumped blood to get to different parts of the body easier and more effectively! Warm water also relieves muscle tensions and loosens the joints! If you have arthritis, some type of muscle related issue like a pulled, sore, or torn muscle, or experience circulations problems, a hot shower would be excellent for you! Taking hot showers also significantly decreases inflammation! 

2. Taking Hot Showers Can Cure Your Insomnia!

I used to struggle with insomnia a lot at times! It's no fun wanting to desperately go to sleep after a long day and just not being able to get an inkling of rest no matter how many sheep you count! I hate sleeping pills or any pills at all for that matter! A natural solution was the only option for me but I was having trouble finding one One night, I was having one of those nights where I simply could not get to sleep!! I decided to go ahead and take my shower so that I could just start the day first thing in the morning. I took one of my 20-30 minute hot showers to relieve the stress from the day and try to relax. As soon as I got to bed I went to sleep in twenty minutes and felt so much better in the morning! Turns out, hot showers are also proven to really help you get some rest when you're dealing with insomnia or simply can't sleep! 

3. Taking A Hot Shower Can Relieve A Stiff Neck!

Oh My Goodness! I HATE it when this happens! You sleep in a slightly different position than you normally do, accidentally hold your head in your hand for too long while looking on the computer, or accidentally sit with your neck a certain way while watching a movie and BOOM! A stiff neck! HATE those! They are unspeakably uncomfortable and can take forever to go away! But Fear Not! Along with improving circulation, relieving muscle tension, and curing insomnia, hot showers can also relieve you of that terrible stiff neck! Just let the hot water run on the trouble spot for about 10 minutes and do a few neck and shoulder rolls and that stiff neck can be gone in no time! 

4. Taking A Hot Shower Can Take Away That Annoying Cough!

I hate having colds! Having a cold is bad enough, but when you have a cold and it's allergy season, things can go from bad to wanting to track down and find the kid who gave it to you to make him pay for what he has done. It is literally the reason I am a no-chances germaphobe! However, the last time I got a cold I discovered that not only can taking a warm-to-hot shower help you to breathe a lot easier and clearer, it can also help get rid of that annoying cough! The steam from the hot water can break down the phlegm in your throat,  (I know, ew.....) and get rid of any mucus that may be clogging your airways! Bye bye, bad cough! 

5. Taking A Hot Shower Can Help You Warm Up For That Early Morning Cardio! 

When you first wake up in the morning your muscles can be stiff. Basically, they are still "waking up". This can make exercising difficult or even painful! A great way to "wake them up" is to take a nice hot shower before exercising. Not only to get them good and ready but also to get them warm and loose. This ensures a much better and a much more effective exercise routine! 

6. Taking Hot Showers Really Cleans Your Skin! 

Taking hot showers really helps get the dirt and sweat off after a long day! (ew again Leila!!!...) It does! (No, this is not from experience......) Hot-to-warm water clears your pores of any dirt or impurities by opening up the pores and flushing all the bad stuff away! Which is not only good for your skin health but really great for your overall health as well! 

7. Taking Hot Showers Can Help Get Rid Of Migraines and Headaches! 

Hot showers help with migraines and headaches for two reasons. One, the relaxation and stress relieving factor. Two, hot showers can help relieve some of the tension that causes migraines headaches. Let me explain, according to John Hopkins, it is theorized that one of the main factors that cause migraines is the narrowing of the blood vessels. Hot showers can help relax these vessels and relieve the tension and as a result, take away that pesky headache! Also, if the cause of your headache is purely stress, taking some time off to stop and relax can make you feel a lot better!

8. Taking Hot Showers Can Help You Lose Weight!

According to a Daily Mail article back in 2016, on top of all of the other amazing benefits taking a hot soak will even help you lose weight! Burning approximately 126 calories per hour! That's the same as taking a twenty-five to thirty-minute walk, or approximately one twinkie an hour! Judging by how many I ate yesterday, I'm going to be in there for a while!

9. Taking Hot Showers Can Heal Wounds Faster!

Whenever my brother gets a small cut or wound he always runs it under warm water in the shower or from the faucet. I thought he was insane but it turns out he's actually quite genius! According to, Doctor Stephen Daniels, the two most important factors of healing a wound are increasing blood flow to the wound and controlling the infection. He mentions that one of the best ways to increase blood flow is to immerse the wounded area in warm water. This not only increases blood flow which is essential to healing but also helps with a healthy and much quicker recovery. Warm water with soap also ensures that the wound is cleaned properly. Which is also very, very important! 

10. Taking A Hot Shower Can Relieve Menstrual Cramps!

If you happen to be one of those girls (like me) who experience really, really bad menstrual cramps this is definitely the life hack for you! Whenever it's my period and I get really bad cramps I practically fly to the shower! It relieves the pain so well and efficiently and keeps it away for hours if not the whole day! It absolutely HAS to be a warm or hot shower though as room temperature to cool water always makes it feel A LOT worse! I am not the only one. This is a life-changing natural trick that really helps out a lot of women! Give it a try!

11. Taking Hot Showers Can Lower Your Blood Pressure!

If you are someone who is struggling with high blood pressure, you should definitely talk to your doctor about taking more hot showers as they are proven to help lower high blood pressure! However, if you are someone who suffers from hypertension make sure that you do NOT get into any old water after coming out of any hot or warm water as this can be seriously dangerous and bad for your health! 

12. Taking Hot Showers Can Help Your Hair Grow!

When you take a hot shower the shower room or bathroom fills up with steam from the water. Steam and hot water are great for naturally opening the pores in order for you to clean away any dirt that may have been lingering there. This is great for cleaning your scalp! Just make sure the water is not too hot so that it will not cause damage to your hair! You are best going for a more warm water temperature! When your scalp is clean, this helps your hair to grow faster, longer and stronger because your scalp is not clogged with dirt, sweat, and old hairspray! 

13. Taking A Hot Shower Can Remove Dangerous Toxins From Your Body!

When you take a hot shower, not only is the water hot but the room heats up causing you to sweat. (I know, I know it sounds gross! but!) When sweat is released from the body, harmful toxins are also released from the body! So, basically, sweating actually improves your health! The good thing is you are in the middle of taking a shower, so you get to enjoy all the sweat benefits without smelling terrible! (sorry....)

14. Taking A Hot Shower Can Help You Be Rid Of Acne!

Whenever I get a breakout, I immediately wash my face thoroughly with warm-to-hot water and apply aloe vera overnight. By morning, my face will be almost completely clear! By the second day, I am completely acne free! One of the reasons this emergency routine works so well is because warm-to-hot water, as mentioned before, removes dirt and impurities from the skin!Thus, helping you clear away the dirt and impurities that cause acne and achieve clearer skin! 

15. Taking A Hot Shower Can Help Clear Your Airways!

Other than if you have a cold, the steam from hot showers can also open up your lungs and airways. Allowing you to breathe clearer and easier. This is especially helpful to people who suffer from breathing and lung conditions like asthma. 

16. Taking A Hot Shower Floods Your Body With Heat Stress/Shock Proteins! 

First of all, what are heat stress/shock proteins? Heat stress proteins or heat shock proteins are a certain type of protein that occurs naturally in our cells but when you take a shower your body is flooded with them! What do they do? Heat Stress Proteins not only help repair and rebuild your muscles when you exercise, but they also shield your muscles by sending the specific types of amino acids that are specifically designed to repair any damaged fibers to the fibers that are damaged! Studies have also shown that "HSPs" may also help with improving how long it takes for your muscles to recover as well as boosting your muscle development! 

17.  Taking A Hot Shower Makes You Happy!

Several studies have shown that taking hot showers actually makes you happier! The studies say that when you take a hot shower it releases oxytocin into your body. Which not only relieves stress and anxiety but is basically your body's natural "happy drug".

18. Taking A Hot Shower Is The Perfect Cold Weather Remedy!

If you've been out in the cold all day, especially if you were out working, there are few things that will feel better in this world than taking a nice, long, hot, shower to defrost! Usually what I do after that is grab my favorite book or pick out my favorite movie and sit by the fireplace with a nice warm blanket! Along with my favorite tea, apple cider, or hot chocolate!

So what do you think? Think you have enough to convince your friends and family that your long, hot showers are actually beneficial? Give it a try and see what happens! You just might convince them and maybe even get them to take more hot showers too!

I hope this article has benefitted you and taught you something new!

Thank you for reading!

- Leila ♡