The Benefits of Bathing

One of life’s simple pleasures is taking a long hot soak. It’s a complete escape from the stresses and strains of daily life.

I wrote about the benefits of bathing in Dead Sea salts a while ago and it got me thinking about the benefits of bathing in general.

The art of bathing was first introduced to us by the Greeks and Romans and it’s not something we generally make time for in our hectic modern lives. A quick shower is not quite the same indulgence as unwinding in the bath tub.  

Baths and showers in our homes are actually relatively new. Water supplies to individual homes was rare before the 19th century. And it wasn’t until the early 20th century that a weekly Saturday night bath became a common custom in most homes. Bath water was usually shared by family members to save water. Not very pleasant if you were the last in line!

The main purpose of bathing is of course for personal hygiene but bathing has many additional benefits such as relaxation, healing and easing aches and pains. It’s quite often the only place you can have some ‘me time’ which is so important for our well-being.  

In fact, Neil Morris a psychologist at the University of Wolverhampton, carried out a study of 80 people who took a bath every day for a fortnight.

Morris found that “bathing improved general psychological wellness radically.”

A hot bath can also improve sleep significantly. It’s not just an old wives’ tale. Our body temperature naturally dips at night to prepare us for rest. Take a warm bath to increase temperature by one or two degrees and in turn the steeper temperature drop at bed time is more likely to induce a deep sleep.

Soaking in a warm tub can relieve muscle pain too. The warm water stimulates blood flow and circulation to soothe stiff muscles and joints. In addition, it expels lactic acid more easily.

With so many benefits of bathing why not treat yourself to a bath today. Rubber duck optional!