Science says: A warm bath is exceptionally good for you

My mother, in a few days she will turn 79 winters, I can picture her in the bath. Every evening, when I was done with my homework and came to wish her goodnight, she was sitting in the warm water. Chin on her chest, having dozed off by now, a cup of tea on the edge of the tub and a book with ribbed pages (due to several unexpected dives) resting on her décolletage.

She doesn't need scientific proof that a bath is beneficial. But people like me, who often don't take the time for a bath moment, need some hard facts. Here they come:

1. Taking a bath regularly lowers your blood sugar levels.
2. It reduces the risk of heart disease.
3. Taking a warm bath an hour and a half before you go to sleep helps you fall asleep more easily and also ensures a better night's rest.
4. This falling asleep is caused by melatonin, which is produced as soon as your body temperature drops after you step out of the warm bath.
5. And then there's the psychological effect. When you are literally in a warm bath, you relax more quickly. You are momentarily isolated from the world, you don't have your phone with you (at least, I hope so), and you are briefly one with body and mind.
6. You can make your bath session even more intense by dimming the lights (I always put down a few candles), playing some calming music, and possibly adding some lovely lavender oil to the bathwater.

So if you, like me, sometimes struggle with being lazy, see the bath as an investment in body and mind.

Source: Just One Thing – Michael Mosley | Image: @chey_maya