Lots of Americans prefer to take a shower rather than “waste” precious time soaking in a tub. If you’re one of them, you might be persuaded to take a warm, relaxing bath at least once a week after you learn about its surprising health benefits. Not only does bathing provide an antidote to stress and tension, it can also detoxify, stimulate circulation and boost your immune system. Here’s what you get when you bathe:
A Release of Muscle Tension A warm bath helps to get deep into your muscles, offering real relaxation and increasing elasticity, especially when followed with gentle stretching. The benefits of bathing to the musculoskeletal system may even reduce trips to the chiropractor by helping to maintain muscle position and equalizing tension on the skeletal system. In addition, a good soak can relieve tension headaches.
A De-Stressing Effect A long soak in a tub can help anxiety and worries float away. A study conducted in Osaka, Japan, confirmed the stress-relief effects of bathing. Two sensitive salivary stress markers, cortisol and chromogranin, were measured before and after subjects bathed for 60 minutes.The researchers found a marked reduction in these stress markers. You can bathe for less than sixty minutes, but plan to soak in your bath without interruption.
