For anyone looking to add to their self-care routine or improve their ability to relax every day, look no further than your bathtub or shower. Most Americans take a bath or shower almost daily, so for many of us it's already something we're partaking in frequently.
Prime Baths and Home Solutions is a bathroom remodeling company operating in the Chicago suburbs and surrounding regions that knows all about the ways baths and showers can help us relax. And while relaxing might not sound necessary, it can actually have dramatic effects on both our physical and mental health.
Physical Health Benefits of Showering or Bathing
Some of the ways showering and bathing affect us physically are obvious, such as a healthier skin barrier. But spending time in warm (or sometimes even cold) water can actually do a whole lot more for us as well. For starters, the warm water can encourage the process of vasodilation, which is the expansion of blood vessels to allow for stronger circulation.
When all parts of your body receive ample blood flow, your physical health benefits in many more ways too, such as:
- Your cells receive more oxygen, leading to more energy and enhanced cell production.
- More nutrients get delivered to each cell as well, via your bloodstream.
- Carbon dioxide and other waste is removed more effectively from your body due to better blood flow.
Your muscles also benefit greatly from showering or bathing. Tense muscles get much-needed alleviation when you stand or soak in the warm water, and even cold showers have anti-inflammatory side effects for inflamed muscles, leading to less soreness and stiffness.
Bathtubs and Showers Can Affect Our Mental Health
It's not just your physical body that receives all this goodness from a self-care routine involving showering or bathing—you may have already noticed the difference it has on your mental health, too. Warm water showers or baths have been known to decrease the body's production of cortisol, the main hormone that causes stress. This can aid in reducing anxiety, depression, and other similar mental health conditions.
On the other hand, even cold water exposure leads to improved mental health. The shock of a cold shower can jumpstart endorphins, the hormones responsible for mood enhancement and pain and stress relief.
If you wait until 1 or 2 hours before bed to shower or bathe, you can also look forward to a better night's sleep. Warm water will raise your body's core temperature, only for it to rapidly drop once you turn off the faucet and step out of the bathroom. This temperature drop alerts your body's circadian rhythm to begin winding down and preparing for sleep.
Tips for Bathtub or Shower Installations for More Relaxation
If your current bathtub or shower is outdated, you may want to consider a bathroom remodel in order to receive more of these benefits and improve your overall self-care routine. A new shower installation or bathtub replacement can result in better water pressure, a fresher environment, and lessened day-to-day stress levels.
If you currently don't identify with any of the physical or mental health benefits listed above, there's a chance you need to invest in a specialized kind of bathroom remodel to boost your personal relaxation, like:
- Tub-to-Shower Conversion: If you prefer cold water therapy, you may want to get a shower installed in place of your current bathtub for easier exposure.
- Shower-to-Tub Conversion: If you suspect a bath would aid your relaxation process better than a shower, consider a shower-to-tub conversion.
- Walk-In Tub Replacement: For those with concerns around mobility, a walk-in tub installation will greatly improve your self-care routine through easier access and features like hydrotherapy jets.
At Prime Baths and Home Solutions, we carry industry-leading products from brands like BCI that come with manufacturer warranties, but as a bathroom remodeler confident in our own craftsmanship, we offer our own lifetime labor warranties as well. This way, our customers receive an even better night of sleep knowing their investment in a new shower or bathtub replacement is completely protected.
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