Stress, tension, injuries, and exercise can all cause muscle pain — as can certain conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus that are also associated with painful muscle and joint inflammation.
Warm water can help soothe joint and muscle pain thanks to the temperatures and the gentle water pressure on your skin. “The buoyancy of water reduces gravitational pressure on joints and muscles, decreasing physical tension,” says Kristine Profeta, MD, an integrative physician in Morristown, New Jersey.
Hot baths are an example of thermotherapy (or passive heating), which some research suggests offers some of the same benefits as exercise, including improvements to cardiorespiratory fitness, vascular health, and chronic low-grade inflammation.
A quick ice bath can also help ease sore muscles and decrease inflammation. Check with your doctor before trying it — especially if you’re managing a chronic condition like heart disease or diabetes — and aim to keep your dip around five minutes. Cold-water shock can lower heart rate and raise blood pressure.
4. Taking Baths May Help Lower Blood Pressure and Support Heart Health
Passive heat therapy and hot water immersion shouldn’t replace exercise, but (as mentioned above) they can have some of the same cardiovascular benefits for those who may not be able to exercise, such as certain elderly men and women. According to another study, Japanese men who bathed in a tub more frequently (daily or almost daily) had a lower risk of heart disease compared with those who bathed less frequently (once a week).
But take note: Warm baths and saunas cause blood vessels to dilate, making it easier for blood to flow. For people with low blood pressure, this may be dangerous because the effect can lower blood further, which can lead to dizziness and lightheadedness. This effect may be helpful for those with high blood pressure, on the other hand, because of the blood pressure–lowering effect.
5. Being Immersed in Bath Water Helps Reduce Stress and Anxiety
“Warm water stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, often referred to as the ‘rest and digest’ system, which promotes a state of calm and reduces stress responses,” says Dr. Profeta. “This occurs as warm water dilates blood vessels, improving circulation and reducing blood pressure, which signals the body to relax,” she explains.
Warm baths also help release endorphins to improve mood, Profeta adds. So, yes, there is some science behind why a warm bath feels like mental self-care.
And there’s some evidence, too. Two weeks of hot water immersion bathing has been associated with an improvement in the severity of depression symptoms, according to one study. The boost in body temperature from the bath may help improve your circadian rhythm and sleep and act on the brain to improve mood, according to the researchers.
