Brazil is one of the countries where people bathe the most. Whether due to the culture of our people or the tropical climate, this has become a practice of hygiene daily. But did you know that baths can help in many aspects of everyday life, such as muscle recovery, mood control and much more?
Read more: Know what happens if you take 2 or more showers a day
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First, let's highlight some positive points of the cold shower:
- Helps in the treatment of inflammations;
- Gives more life to the hair;
- Stimulates blood circulation;
- Provides a feeling of being more awake;
- Invigorates;
- Protects hair and skin.
Now, the advantages over the hot bath:
- Reduces stress and anxiety;
- Provides a deep cleaning of the skin;
- Relaxes the muscles;
- Provides a feeling of relaxation;
- Dilates blood vessels.
Now, let's deal more specifically with the practice of hot baths, since a study carried out at the University from Freiburg, Germany, reported that this practice can be as efficient in the fight against depression as practicing exercises.
Hot baths against depression
The research involved 45 volunteers with depression ranging from moderate to severe based on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D). Thus, some participants had to take hot baths – with water at 40°C – for 30 minutes and, after bathing, lie down with warm thermal bags and a blanket, for 20 minutes, twice a week.
Other participants had to practice some type of physical exercise for 45 minutes, also twice a week. At the end of the research, after eight weeks, the volunteers went through the test again to measure the degree of depression.
Those who exercised had a three-point drop on a scale that had an initial average of 21.7 points, ranging from 1 to 50. The participants who took the hot baths and did the relaxation afterwards had a greater drop, of six points.
However, it should be demonstrated that the study is not definitive, since it had few volunteers. Furthermore, 13 of the 23 people who would do physical exercise did not do it by the end of the experiment, and the study was not peer-reviewed. However, it is still a good indication of the benefits provided by hot and relaxing baths for people with depression.
Therefore, the researchers also reinforced that the bath, when taken in a bathtub, is even more effective, since immersion helps to normalize circadian rhythms and body temperature. This provides better nights sleep, helping with good mood and fighting depression.
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