How Soon Should You Shower After a Workout? - Vitabath®
A good workout can renew your outlook. But fitting in a workout around job commitments, family obligations and everything else in life often means your time at the gym is limited. That can translate to sprinting from the treadmill to the shower to the car — or skipping the shower altogether. Do you need to shower after every gym session? And how soon should you shower after a workout?
Read on for answers to these questions plus tips from Vitabath® on keeping your skin healthy both in the shower and out.
How Soon Is Too Soon?
What you do in the half hour after a hard, sweaty workout largely determines how you’ll feel later. Take time to cool down and stretch your muscles while they’re warm so they won’t feel so stiff and sore later. While it may be tempting to run for the showers as soon as your bootcamp class is over, letting your body temperature and heart rate normalize 10 to 30 minutes while you stretch makes your life better in the long run. If that means skipping the shower because you’ve got to pick up the kids or head to a meeting, see our tips for skipping the suds below — then give yourself a muscle-soothing soak in the tub at the end of the day.
Post-Workout Shower Tips
If you do shower after working out, keep it brief — five to 10 minutes max — and keep the water cool or alternate between hot and cold water. Very hot water will strip away your skin’s emollients while cold water aids in muscle recovery. The best post-workout shower gel to cut down on time is an all-in-one body wash and shampoo that also acts as shave cream.
Strategies for Skipping the Suds
If you simply don’t have the time to shower after working out, here are ways you can skip the suds and stay healthy:
- Wash your hands because mats and equipment harbor a lot of bacteria.
- Wash your face so sweat and bacteria don’t clog pores and cause blemishes.
- Change into dry clothes because wet, sweaty clothes allow viruses and fungi to thrive, raising the risk of rashes and some infections.
- Spritz your gym bag, car and body with an alcohol-free fragrance mist to feel fresher until you can get into the shower.