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You are here: Home: Blog Posts: Health Benefits of a Bath
Relax muscles, calm your mind, detoxify, moisturize, stimulate circulation and clear your lymph system - all with a simple bath.
A lot of people say they aren't interested in sitting in a tub of water. However, there are many health benefits to a good, long, hot bath. The following article and bath recipe provide plenty of incentive to fill the tub and drop in for a good long, relaxing, moisturizing, detoxifying, lymph node clearing, circulation-stimulating and immune system boosting soak.
The deep muscle relaxation associated with a good hot bath helps to reduce cramps, tension headaches and improves muscle elasticity. The process is similar to a massage and beneficial for everyone from athletes to those who sit at a desk all day. When a hot bath is followed with gentle stretching, the benefits to the musculoskeletal system may even reduce the number of trips many people take to the chiropractor by helping to maintain muscle position and equal tension on the skeletal system.
The psychological benefits from the time to relax and unwind are numerous. A good book or magazine while relaxing in the bath can take your mind off financial and emotional worries and give you a clearer head when you need to address these problems at a later time. Keep your bath time a time without interruption to help give you a break from your hectic life. Be sure to relax your mind as well as your muscles.
Make your bath hot enough to induce a sweat. The process of perspiration removes toxins from the body. You may even notice that a regular bath routine reduces perspiration odor so you have less of a need for deodorants to control body odor. The heat of the water also kills many strains of bacteria and viruses decreasing the number of colds and infections you may get throughout the year.
Increased circulation of the lymph system required for the sweating process helps to clear the system of toxins and create a free-flowing system to remove toxins, bacteria and viruses from the body. The lymph system is the system responsible for stimulating immune response. Hot baths help increase lymph drainage and improve health.
Increased blood circulation improves all bodily systems by increasing the rate of nourishing blood cells to damaged tissue. In addition, dead cells are removed from the body more quickly, increasing the ability to stay healthy and energetic.
Add oils to moisturize and shed dead skin cells. Natural oils, such as coconut oil or olive oil, help to moisturize your skin and prevent future dryness. The use of a loofa or sea sponge will remove dead skin cells to improve the appearance of radiant glowing skin without harsh chemicals. A regular hot bath with a good dermal scrubbing will put an end to dry, flaky skin and the itchiness they cause.
Improve your immune system to help fight infection and colds. The vascular and lymph system stimulation decrease your risk of colds and infection by stimulating the immune system to improve the ability of your body to destroy the bacteria and virus cells that can make you sick. Overall, a hot bath is extremely beneficial to improving your health, naturally.
If you have high, or low, blood pressure, a bath that is too hot may cause problems. Always cool down slowly after a hot bath. Allow the water to cool or add cold water slowly to return your body temperature and circulation to normal before getting out of the tub. If you have any questions about the safety of a hot bath based on your medical conditions, talk to your doctor.
Avoid synthetic fragrances which interfere with the endocrine system and increase your risk of bresat cancer - stick to natural fagrances such as essential oils (one or two drops) or extracts, such as vanilla (found in the grocery store) to add a relaxing, and non-toxic, aroma to your bath.
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