Bathing has been a big part of human health, and it is a tradition in every continent. Bathing is a very good way of maintaining good hygiene and protecting the body from infections, illnesses, and ailments. Cleanliness is an important way to maintain self-confidence and physical and emotional well being.
Frequency of bathing may be dependent on culture, priority, food, and water. Healthcare professionals recommend washing face, genitals, and underarms once in a day and not often to prevent washing away of the natural oils from the skin. Hands should be washed frequently as they come in contact with potentially harmful bacteria.
Bathing can actually be an excellent way of relaxing the body and enjoying some quiet time. Special oils added help in relaxation and improve the quality of the skin. Steam bath helps in opening pores and loosing and removing the dirt from the gland of the skin.
Benefits of Bathing
Along with hygiene and cleanliness bathing has a lot of other benefits. Few of them are listed below:
Improves Mood
Bathing relieves stress, promotes better sleep, relieve muscle pain and improves mood.
A study showed that bathing at the end of the day improved optimism and mood of the participants.(1)
If prone to depression, cold water bath can help tremendously as it results in activation of the nervous system. It increases the level of noradrenalin in the blood which reduces depression.
A Bath Helps With Muscle Pain
Have you ever observed taking a warm bath relaxes the muscles and relieves the pain? A warm bath increases the temperature of the aching muscles, blocking pain sensors and producing pain relief.
During intense exercise lactic acid builds up in the bloodstream. Taking a cold bath constricts the blood vessels and drains lactic acid. By the time you get out of the bath, the blood free from acid build-up replaces and the recovery time improves. This is why athletes love ice baths.(2)
Improves Sleep
A good sleep bears a lot of health benefits from strengthening the immune system to better pain recovery. There are a lot of ways you can get good sleep, and taking a hot bath is one of them.
A study shows that our body temperature drops 2 hours before sleep and lasts till about 4 am. Soaking in hot water tub increases the temperature and then cools you down and relaxes you.(3)
Make sure that you do not massively overheat yourself as the results might be the opposite.
Steam Bath Helps Relieve The Symptoms Of A Cold
Stem bath reduces the cold and flu symptoms. Inhalation of steam clears out the nasal passages, reducing inflammation.
Also, a study showed that elevated body temperature helps certain elements of the immune system to function properly, which helps in fighting off infections.(4)
Hot baths help the immune system to function better.
Calms Arthritis Pain
Saltwater bath helps in relieving the symptoms of arthritis.(5) Salt dehydrates the cells reducing swelling and also acts as an inhibitor of inflammation which causes pain.
Relieves Skin Condition
If suffering from psoriasis or any other skin condition taking bath with medicated oil provides moisture to the skin. It also removes dead skin which is a potential cause of infection.
Research showed that a bath containing. 005% of bleach helped eczema sufferers by killing bacteria on the skin and reducing the signs of inflammation such as redness, pain, and swelling.(6)
Whether with warm or cold water, bathing is a natural beautifying process. How much ever scents or perfumes you apply, nothing can match the effect of a fresh shower. Bathing removes toxins from the body and prevents the occurrence of many illnesses due to it. It helps keep the skin smooth and soft.
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