10 Reasons Baths Are Good for You

The majority of people take showers because they’re quick, and when you have to go to work, a shower can wake you up immediately in the morning. What about baths, though? Before the modern shower was invented, baths emerged in the early 3rd century in Ancient Rome as a form of cleansing and socializing. Fast forward to the 21st century, and baths are commonly known for their health benefits.

If you’re prone to taking showers and are curious about what a bath can do for your health and wellness, our professional plumbing services in Mississauga can help with installing the bathtub of your dreams! In the meantime, let’s take a closer look at the ten reasons why baths are good for you!

1. Baths are relaxing

Let’s face it, nothing is more relaxing than winding down after a long week in a warm bath. You can even make it into a special ritual and add a few drops of essential oils like lavender, rose, or jasmine. While you relax in a 30-minute bath, treat yourself to a mini-facial by applying an exfoliating mask and cucumbers over your eyes. To add to the ambiance, light some candles and put on some soft music in the background. Dim the lights and relax!

2. Baths improve mental and emotional health

Once you’ve relaxed from a bath, you’ll feel that you have better mental and emotional clarity. Some people claim that taking a bath makes them think better and find solutions to their problems. If you’ve been suffering from anxiety or depression, taking a bath every week or whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed can help greatly with alleviating your symptoms of depression and anxiety.

3. Relieves cold and flu symptoms

Feeling stuffy? Got a cold or flu? Instead of taking several over-the-counter medications, taking a 30-minute bath can provide temporary relief from cold and flu symptoms. The warm steam that evaporates from the bathwater assists with calming the inflamed blood vessels and loosens the congestion in your nasal passages.

To make the bath even more effective for reducing your sinus congestion, add a few drops of tea tree oil or eucalyptus, as these essential oils act as a decongestant and are beneficial for reducing or relieving respiratory issues related to the common cold and flu.

4. Baths can help relieve muscle pain

Worked out too hard at the gym? Are you feeling back or leg pain? If so, then take a warm bath with Epsom salt. Epsom salt’s properties contain magnesium and sulfate. When these two minerals get absorbed into your skin, it helps to relax your muscles and reduce pain from arthritis.

Just add one or two cups of Epsom salt to warm bath water and soak in it for 30 minutes. Since Epsom salt is known to draw out toxins, be sure to drink a lot of water afterwards to keep your muscles hydrated.

5. Baths can assist in heart health

Based on research findings published in a 2015 Finnish study, taking warm baths can help reduce blood pressure and decrease your chances of a heart attack or stroke. It’s mostly due to the heat from the steam and bath water, which induces better circulation and blood flow in your body.

Think of it as giving your body a mini-workout. With all this talk about the benefits of taking a bath, are you interested in upgrading your bathtub to something more modern? Our professional plumbing services in Mississauga can make your bath dreams a reality.

6. Helps you sleep better

Do you suffer from sleepless nights caused by insomnia? If so, then taking a warm bath could help you catch up on sleep. It’s known that our body temperatures naturally drop at nightfall, which promotes the production of the sleeping hormone called melatonin. When the evening arrives, soaking in a warm bath will increase your body temperature, thus giving your body a boost of melatonin and preparing you for a good night’s sleep.

7. Baths burn calories

Feeling a bit bloated after a big meal? Taking a hot soak in your bathtub induces sweat and can burn up to 140 calories, which is about the same as taking a 30-minute walk. This is tied in with how baths can reduce blood pressure and improve your heart health. The theory is that your body’s core temperature and metabolic rate reduce while sitting in a hot bath, thus producing sweat and burning calories.

8. Baths provide relief from menstrual cramps

The time of the month for women can be a gruelling experience, especially when you suffer from menstrual cramps. A fast and non-medicated solution is to take a hot bath, as it eases cramps by relaxing the muscles surrounding the uterus and improving blood flow. Some women like to place a heating pad on their pelvic region to relieve menstrual cramps. Taking a warm bath, however, increases a woman’s core body temperature and improves circulation in the pelvic area.

9. Baths can soothe irritated skin

For those who suffer from irritated skin or infected sores like eczema, boils, and skin abscesses, taking a warm bath can alleviate the pain and itchiness caused by skin problems. The key is to keep them warm (not scalding hot) and add some essential oils like tea tree oil for anti-inflammatory effects. Once you’re done bathing, moisturize your skin immediately with a prescribed ointment (if your doctor prescribed you one for eczema or boils) for maximum treatment.

10. Baths may ease constipation

Taking a warm Epsom salt bath increases blood flow to the anal tissues, which in turn may ease constipation by relaxing the rectum area. To relieve constipation, fill your bathtub with warm water, add one to two cups of Epsom salt, and soak in it for 15 to 20 minutes. If you still haven’t had a bowel movement after the first bath, drink a lot of water, wait four to five hours, and soak in another bath before you go to sleep. Hopefully, your constipation will be relieved the next day.

Contact Brothers Plumbing

Thinking of getting a new bathtub in your bathroom? If you would like a free quote on our professional plumbing services in Mississauga, our team at Brothers Plumbing can help with a bathtub installation. You can call us at 800-741-8471 or contact us here.