Water is pretty amazing stuff. It’s true we all know that we need a good supply to stay alive from day to day, but did you know that just plain water can help alleviate your headaches or stress? It can help with sleep disorders and depression, too.
We’ve all come home from working hard all day or going to the gym to work out and our first thought is a hot, steamy shower. Turning on the water and letting the bathroom mirror fog up has a relaxing and calming effect. A hot shower can have a hand in relieving stress, easing aching muscles and alleviating some symptoms of a cold. Sometimes, it can even help you sleep better. It can be used to alleviate headaches or even to help rehabilitate injured joints.
The power of water is universal; no matter how sensitive you are to your surroundings, water on its own can’t hurt you. Though consulting with a physician or physical therapist first is recommended, hydrotherapy can be considered basically safe. Still not convinced?
How Does Hydrotherapy Help?
Sleeplessness
Can’t sleep at night, even after a workout routine that leaves you exhausted? Try some homemade hydrotherapy in the form of a warm bath or a dip in the pool before you go to bed. The warm water helps your blood flow, eases sore muscles and relieves stress — all things that can help you sleep better.
Stress
Water is known to have a calming, relaxing effect on people. There’s a reason that spas and luxury resorts have hot tubs and spa tubs. Warm water helps to mellow you from the stress of everyday life.
Support
Athletes, people with injuries or those dealing with arthritis often find swimming a good rehabilitative exercise. Why? Because in addition to its soothing effect on the body, water takes stress off of joints that are healing to keep them from causing too much pain while also providing resistance to strengthen the muscles that support the joints.
Selection
Water is a very versatile compound; all of its forms may be used in various types of therapy. Ice is used to reduce swelling and to ease pain. Water in its liquid form can be used to rehabilitate injuries or provide therapy for myriad illnesses and medical conditions including: headaches, depression and sleep problems. Even in its gas form, water is useful for therapies. Steam can relieve headaches and the symptoms of colds, and other medical conditions.
Of course, hydrotherapy isn’t just for the sick or injured. People utilize hydrotherapy to maintain their health, too!
Swimming is a low-impact form of exercise that has many health benefits of its own. Warm water and steam help your blood flow, which is good for your heart and circulatory system. Breathing the steam from your shower helps to keep your sinuses clear, reducing the causes of headaches and sinus infections. And all this is found in something as common and often undervalued as water.