"I don't believe in baptism, or the waters of the Jordan, or any of that, but I believe I have the same feelings for hot baths that believers have for holy water," wrote the American author. Sylvia Plath in her novel The Bell of Distress . Whether this is our case or not, it would seem that we should in any case review our opinion on the matter:the hot bath would have more positive effects than we think. According to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Freiburg and reported in the journal New Scientist , taking a hot bath at the end of the day would have a positive effect on the mood of depressed people, and this, more than physical activity!
To arrive at these results, the researchers asked 45 people suffering from depression to do an experiment two evenings a week:they had to either take a bath at 40°C for 30 minutes, then relax for 20 minutes in a blanket. by drinking hot water, or doing 40 to 45 minutes of physical exercise. After 8 weeks, they were asked to rate their well-being and the verdict was quite clear:people who had the bath option said they felt better than those who had exercised. The reason ? The circadian rhythm, or the biological rhythm of the body, tends to be disturbed in depressed people. By acting on body temperature, we can re-adjust it and improve the quality of sleep, which is known to have a strong effect on mood. So, if we feel a bit sluggish, we take a bath bomb, light a candle and... the good bath is ours!
