The Bath Cure

The restorative effects of bathing shouldn’t be underestimated. We show you how to reap the mind and body benefits of a good soak.

- Eve Boggenpoel

Whether you’ve had a tough week at the office, just come in from a chilly evening run or simply feel the need for a little TLC, sinking into a warm bath at the end of the day is the perfect way to revive your spirits. It calms the mind, soothes aching muscles and leaves you feeling relaxed, content and rejuvenated.

Of course, the therapeutic powers of bathing aren’t new. The oldest bath dates back to the third millennium BC, when bathing was a public affair. Used for spiritual purposes, the Great Bath of Mohenjo in the Indus Valley in Pakistan was believed to purify and renew the wellbeing of those who entered. The Greeks, meanwhile, installed indoor plumbing so athletes could bathe after they exercised.

But it was the Roman civilisation we have to thank for therapeutic bathing. The Roman Baths in Bath, Avon, for example, expertly channelled warm thermal springs with 43 different minerals to a network of warm and cold pools, and included areas for massage, exercise, relaxation, eating and drinking. Nowadays, with everything from hot tubs to plunge pools, plus spa treatments such as hydro massage, seaweed soaks and mineral-rich floatation tanks, when it comes to harnessing the power of water, we’re spoilt for choice. But just how can bathing help you heal?

‘Immersing yourself in warm water increases the efficiency of your heart, improves blood flow through your body, and enhances circulatory efficiency in big and small arteries,’ says Dr Bruce Becker, director of the National Aquatics and Sports Medicine Institute at Washington State University. ‘It also increases blood vessel elasticity and blood flow to peripheral musculature and central nervous system and brain.’ This means a hot dip helps nourish every cell in your body.