You don’t need to have a sprawling, clawfoot tub to get the benefits of a bath. The bathers had better outcomes than those who showered. They then swapped the groups so that the showerers became bathers and vice versa. The researchers compared two groups, one who showered regularly and one who bathed regularly, over a period of two weeks. If you've plunged yourself into any body of water, you likely know the effects it has on your body and brain, but science has shown that there can be significant benefits, both physical and psychological, to regularly submerging yourself in warm water.Ī 2018 study out of Japan reported that regular submersion in 100-degree Fahrenheit (40-degree Celsius) water had significant benefits for reducing stress, fatigue, and pain, as well as improved skin condition and reported feelings of health. The Physical and Psychological Effects of Baths Bathing has been proven to ease stress, help tired muscles recover, and even reduce the chance of heart disease. As technology improved, bathing became more popular, and according to a research paper published in 1986, the first private bathtub was installed in a private home around 1842 in the U.S.įast forward to the more modern era and the “self-care” boom, and bathing has taken on new levels of significance in our private lives. Sentiment around bathing began to change in the mid-19th century both in Europe and in the Americas as concerns about cholera became a threat, and better water treatment, sewage management, and indoor plumbing became more common. At the time, the colonists believed submerging one's body in water weakened the immune system. There's evidence that the Native American people attempted to convince the settlers otherwise, but they did not listen. Turkish baths are typically full of beautiful geometric mosaics.īathing fell out of fashion in European countries as a result of the spread of diseases, and by the time the first European settlers arrived on the shores of the Americas, they believed that merely changing their undergarments on a regular basis was sufficient. Only the very wealthy elite had private bathing facilities in their homes or palaces. It wasn't until the 15th century that women and men were separated in public baths. Bath culture was a source of cleanliness, disease prevention (at least until syphilis became a problem in the Renaissance period), social connection, and rejuvenation. Word of the healing aspects of bathing (as well as the prevention of disease and illness) spread slowly, and bathing became a worldwide phenomenon. The famed Hungarian baths began this way and continue to be a public bathing venue today. Many baths sprouted up around thermal hot springs that bubbled up from the earth. Turkish baths removed the cold water room and only had warm and hot bathing rooms. Baths became more private and elaborate with intricate mosaics on the walls, often showing nude women bathing. Thanks to the Crusades, the popularity of bathing spread all over the ancient world.Īs the Roman Empire declined and public bathing went out of vogue in the West, the Byzantine empire picked up the tradition and modified the experience. Bathers would move from one to the next, and in some rooms, they were encouraged to exercise. Roman baths had a reception room, which led to three different bath rooms that had waters that were hot, warm, and cold. was as much a way to socialize as it was to rinse off the week's work, and women and men bathed together. Szechenyi is the most popular thermal bath in Budapest.īathing in 300 B.C. Archeologists believe that bathing and cleanliness was associated with godliness in the ancient civilization. The Great Bath, as it is known, occupied the highest mound in the 250-acre city. According to National Geographic, it sat on a great mound and was a sacred site and the closest thing that Mohenjo Daro had to a temple. The oldest known bath was discovered in the early 1900s in the Indus Valley in Pakistan and dates back to 2500 B.C. Here's how you can make the most of your bath ritual. Eventually bathing evolved into a private, personal ritual that can have a wide variety of psychological and physical benefits. In fact, up until the mid 19th century, most bathing was public, reserved for religious leaders, political leaders, or the very rich. Warm water, essential oils, candles, and a relaxing soundtrack make the perfect recipe for the modern-day bath, which provides the ultimate stress relief for many people.
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