The Physical and Psychological Benefits of Taking a Bath

17 يناير 2023

All human beings know what bathing is, but we can define it as complete washing with water, with or without certain detergents. There are several ways for bathing, including washing under the water sprinkler, soaking in the tub, or pouring heated water into special containers on the body through certain tools.

The bathing process usually lasts between 9-11 minutes, and it may decrease or increase according to the condition of the person themself, the amount of water available, and external weather factors, such as cold or heat.

Some diseases that affect the human skin may play a role in the duration of the bathing process. Some diseases, such as skin eczema or dehydration may be exacerbated by exposing the body to water for a long time; therefore, doctors advise in this case to reduce the duration of bathing. In this article, we will discuss the physical and psychological benefits of bathing, the many advantages of the healthy bathing process, and the many benefits related to it, and we will also see the importance of bathing for the mental health of all humans.

Physical benefits of bathing:

One of the most important physical benefits of bathing is that it maintains the personal hygiene of the individual, and it improves the smell emitted by the body, and this has an important impact on the individual's relationship with the surrounding environment.

Among the physical benefits of bathing, we also mention:

1. Balance of hormonal secretions:

Bathing helps regulate the secretions of many vital glands in the human body, such as the adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol, and helps increase serotonin secretions, increase fertility, whether in men or women, and relieve prolonged fatigue.

2. Maintaining the health of the heart muscle:

Bathing stimulates the heart muscle and helps it increase the pulse, which is one of the important things for the physical benefits of bathing. Increasing the heart rate helps improve and stimulate blood circulation throughout the body, especially the hands and feet. This, in turn, helps reduce arterial tension, treat bloating, especially bloating in the colon and abdomen, and stimulates the body to better excrete waste.

3. Facilitate the breathing process:

It is one of the most important physical benefits of bathing. Bathing improves the amount of oxygen that enters the body through the lungs during the breathing process, contributes to the activation of the lungs, and also helps prevent pulmonary embolisms and clots that may affect the blood vessels feeding the lungs.

Benefits of taking a cold bath:

In the context of talking about the physical and psychological benefits of bathing, we will discuss the benefits of taking a cold bath, including:

Beneficial for skin and hair: Doctors have confirmed that taking a bath in cold water is one of the main factors in maintaining bright skin and smooth hair. Bathing in cold water helps narrow the dermis layer, and then narrow the spaces in the skin. This contributes to reducing the amount of dirt that is likely to enter the skin. Taking a cold bath is useful in closing the hair follicles partially, thus reducing the dirt that accumulates in the head.
Accelerating recovery from skeletal muscle pain: Taking a cold bath helps relax muscles, especially after tiring work or exercise; therefore, we notice that most athletes resort to taking a cold bath after tiring matches.
Increasing the activity of the circulatory and immune systems: By raising the heart rate and improving blood flow, which in turn protects against arterial blockages. Also, it increases the ability of the immune system to protect the body from various diseases that it may be exposed to.
Bathing in cold water only without chemical detergents helps secrete natural oils originating from the deep layer of the skin. These oils help moisturize the skin, increase its freshness, and reduce the appearance of painful and unwanted pimples.
Bathing in cold water has a magical effect in reducing weight. This is because cold water increases the rate of metabolism in the body, and thus increases the burning of excess calories and fat accumulated under the layer of the skin. There is an American study that says that the weight that a person can lose in one year if they bathe in cold water regularly may reach 4 kilograms.
Among the benefits of bathing in cold water is a noticeable reduction in body temperature in the case of caloric elevation. A cold bath of 6-9 minutes is enough.

The benefits and harms of taking a hot bath:

Bathing in hot water has many benefits. It helps relax the muscles after a day of stressful work. British studies have shown that soaking in a tub of hot water for 50 minutes is enough to burn a large amount of calories, as if a person had exercised for 30 minutes .

Some doctors note that a hot water bath can lower blood sugar by as much as 10 percent, without doing any sports efforts. Some researchers confirmed that one of the benefits of taking a hot water bath is the protection from respiratory infections and the products of exposure to cold.

On the other hand, most doctors warned that taking a bath in very hot water has a significant negative effect on the outer skin layer of the human body, and such baths can have serious damage to a person's physical health. Bathing in hot water with a very high temperature may lead to the death of keratinocytes located in the outer layer of the skin, and also lead to the emergence of a type of fungus and eczema, and a feeling of irritation in the skin that generates an itch. This causes very unpleasant skin pain.

Benefits of a morning bath:

One of the most important benefits of a morning bath is the effective activation of blood circulation, mind activation, and improvement of psychology. The morning bath also helps create good ideas for the day, whether these ideas are social or economic.

Morning baths help people, who sweat excessively during sleep and who suffer from bad breath, have the confidence to go about their day actively without shame, and without fear that people will alienate their smell. A morning bath for them is the perfect solution.

Benefits of a night bath:

Bathing at night has several benefits. It leads to a quick feeling of fatigue after a long working day. This, in turn, helps a person fall asleep quickly, especially if they have a morning job interview or need to get up early to do some activity before going to work.

Bathing at night protects against high blood pressure. This is because it contributes to the expansion of the arteries, especially when bathing in hot water. Some doctors have confirmed that night baths contribute somewhat to the secretion of the hormone "melatonin", which is also called the sleep hormone. Night baths also help maintain the freshness of the skin. This is because the layers of the skin take the necessary moisture from the bathing process to renew themselves while sleeping.

Some recommendations for a perfect bath:

Here are some recommendations that will make the bathing process ideal and of a maximum benefit:

The duration of the bathing process should be short. This is because the skin layer will suffer from some itching and irritation if it is exposed to water for too long.
Doctors never recommend taking a very hot bath after strenuous exercise. This is because the body temperature will change suddenly and dramatically, and this in turn may cause some skin irritation.
Doctors do not advise people who suffer from chronic skin diseases such as fungus and psoriasis to take a hot bath. Rather, they assert that warm water closest to cold is optimal in this case.
Doctors advise not to make the skin red during the bathing process, monitor the body, and immediately lower the water temperature if the person notices redness in their skin. This is because the hot water pushes the blood to irritate the skin and move towards the outer layers of the skin.
Experts advise leaving the body after bathing processes to dry on its own, without drying with special towels, and this helps the skin to moisturize and reduce irritation and itching.
Beauty and skin care experts recommend the use of moisturizing products for skin care, at least once a day because one of the side effects of the bathing process is the rapid evaporation of water from the skin layer by heat. Therefore, the use of moisturizing products maintains the freshness and vitality of the skin and protects it from diseases.

Psychological benefits of bathing:

One of the most important benefits of bathing in general is that a person obtains the psychological benefits of bathing, which are reflected on the person’s mood and personality, and they are:

The person maintains self-confidence throughout the day. This is because bathing will give you a beautiful appearance, in addition to the refreshing smell that will be emitted from the hair and body.
Bathing helps in the regular generation of positive, creative thoughts, thanks to the moments of calm and serenity it gives, as being away from people always generates creative ideas.
Among the psychological benefits of bathing, especially taking a cold bath, is that it is one of the most important stimuli for deep and good sleep. This is because it significantly reduces the stress and pressure that a person may be exposed to on a daily basis.
Enhancing the levels of concentration and attention and immersing the person in constant vigilance and vitality.
Some psychiatrists say that the so-called hydrotherapy, which is synonymous with bathing in cold water, can be a viable solution in treating severe anxiety attacks that the patient is exposed to.
Bathing, especially in cold water, promotes the secretion of endorphins. This hormone is known to be responsible for improving mood and raising morale.
Bathing enhances a person's positive state, thanks to the chemical change of the cerebral cortex. Bathing increases the levels of the hormone "Noradrenaline", which is responsible for alertness, motivation and attention.
Some psychiatrists assert that the atmosphere accompanying the bathing process, if it is beautiful and calm, with light music and dim lights, will have a significant impact on improving the person's psyche and relieving the stress and psychological tension that they may suffer during the day. This atmosphere with soaking in a tub of warm water with fragrant smells is the ideal atmosphere for relaxation and psychological comfort.

Conclusion:

The benefits of bathing, both physical and psychological, are too many to list. The feeling of lightness, cleanliness, and comfort that bathing leaves in our souls after finishing can make the process of bathing one of the recreational moments after a hard and tiring day.