Bath

Relaxing in warm bath is one of the best things in life. The Roman Emperor, Gordian had four or five baths a day.

Napoleon Bonaparte used to take very hot baths in the middle of the night, which horrified his doctor. But many people are bath-lovers, lying in the bath long after the washing is finished. When they get out of the bath, they feel relaxed and very much better.

One reasons why that is your body ‘floats’ in water, so your muscles can relax. A hot bath can lower the blood pressure too. But very hot water isn’t so relaxing; in fact, it makes your heart beat faster, and it can take thirty minutes for the body to get back to normal.

Craig Sharp, of the British Olympic Medical Center, says that baths and showers are good for tired muscles, and they make athletes recover from fatigue more quickly.

Sharp did an experiment to see how athletes feel in the different circumstances. He did three different tests:

1. Some athletes went for a run, and then had a cool shower.
2. Some athletes went for a run, but had no shower afterwards.
3. Some athletes had no run, but had a shower.

The best feeling was clearly created by the run followed by a cool shower. But to everyone’s surprise, a shower alone was superior to a run without a shower. The feeling of cool water on the skin is enough; it seems, to create a gentle feeling of euphoria.

But, it seems, the ritual of bathing is important in our territorial instincts. People like to bathe when they move into a new house, or even a hotel room. Or is it just that we are tired, and need the bath to relax us?

(sources : True to Life Personal Workbook for Intermediate Cambridge Press)