The top 5 medicinal benefits of taking a bath are:
-
Improves circulation and heart health – Laying in a tub of warm water can provide the heart with just the type of light exercise it needs to stay healthy. When in the water, an extra bit of pressure is placed on the body due to the presence of the water, so your circulatory system works a bit harder to deliver oxygen and nutrients to all of your organs. Studies have shown that taking a few baths a week can provide just the kind of exercise the heart needs to help it to keep healthy and strong.
-
Improved sleep – Sleep does the body a lot of good, and it can help the body to rejuvenate and repair itself to get ready for the following day. Unfortunately with today’s commonly busy lives, sleep isn’t always the priority it should be, but taking a bath can really help to put yourself in that place for great sleep. Taking a dip in a warm or hot bath can relax all of the muscle systems of the body, and therefore help to relax the mind as well, as your core temperature is raised by a few degrees. When you step out of the bath, your core temperature will drop a bit as it would naturally while you’re going to sleep, thereby helping you to set your body’s inner clock to bedtime!
-
Lowering blood pressure – Those who struggle with high blood pressure can also benefit from taking a hot bath, as the total body relaxation helps greatly to lower blood pressure and alleviate the stresses which are known to cause blood pressure spikes. Of course, those with heart conditions should always seek a doctor’s advice before trying any blood pressure lowering techniques.
-
Relieving headaches – Headaches can be quite debilitating, and a hot bath can be just what you need to relieve headaches due to tension, stress, or a busy day. These types of headaches are typically caused by the narrowing of blood vessels within the head, hence why you can sometimes feel a pulse “pound” while you have one, and a hot bath can help to open up these blood vessels and relieve some of the pressure.
- Assist in relieving cold and flu symtpoms – If you’re struck with a cold or the flu, you’re probably going to feel pretty lousy in the respiratory department. A sore throat coupled with a cough and placed on top of blocked sinuses and a headache will drag anyone down, but a bath can help to make you feel much better. The relaxation of blood vessels and muscles can take aches and pains away, the steam can loosen and clear mucus while relieving a sore throat, and you’ll find your cough becomes more productive simply from a hot soak in the tub.
