I Took a 20-Minute Bath Each Day for 41 Days
Here’s what happened to my body
This year I planned to build tiny sustainable habits by taking 50+ 30-day challenges. If I enjoy the challenge, I will continue the habit; if I did not enjoy the 4-week challenge, I will simply quit and move on to the next challenge.
So far, I have completed eleven 30-day challenges, including a 20-minute bath in the past three months.
Bathing has a long history, from Ancient Rome as a social activity to your own homes. The main purpose of taking a bath is personal hygiene and cleanliness. But nowadays, it's also known as a way to relax after a long day.
People take baths for health, leisure, and/or simply personal hygiene. I am a huge fan of taking bath before bed.
However, I wasn’t consistent. In the past 4+ weeks, I literally immersed my body for a minimum of 20 minutes to get the maximum benefits.
Why bath experiment?
Study shows that a bath can help significantly boost your mood and optimism. It helps you relax in a quiet, isolated, and comfortable position.
I wanted to improve my sleep quality. Study shows that taking a hot bath 1–2 hours before bedtime will help to improve your sleep.
What is the maximum bath time to get great results?
According to dermatologists, the hot bath time should not be longer than 30 minutes. On average, people immerse themselves in the hot water tub for 15–30 minutes.
More than 30 minutes in the hot water tub can cause dry skin, which can lead to multiple skin issues.
What is the best bath time?
It’s hard to say what is the best bath time, there is no right answer to this question. Many people start their day to take a bath.
The best time for me to take a bath is 1–2 hours before bed. I usually take Kindle (waterproof) with me and relax for 20 minutes.
There is no rule-be felixble!
How to take the perfect bath?
There is no ideal way to take a perfect bath. You can customize it according to your needs.
- According to dermatologists, the comfortable water temp is 100 Fahrenheit (37.78 C)
- Melissa Piliang MD (dermatologist), the optimal temperature to clean yourself is 112 Fahrenheit or less.
- I did not do any one of this, I literally filled the tub, which I felt is the right temperature for me. I was taking a bath to relax and I think that worked out pretty well.
- Some people say the best water temperature is pretty close to your body temperature which is roughly 94–98 Fahrenheit.
- Some people prefer to take a bath at room temperature or even a cold bath, I did do anyone of that.
- I will experiment with taking a cold shower and/or bath in the next couple of months.
According to science, here are some benefits of taking a bath
- Submerging your body in hot water will help to improve your nervous system, especially after a long stressful day.
- A hot bath can help to improve your skin, eyes, and hair health.
- Bath will help to boost your mood naturally
- Bath can also help to improve your immune system
I also wrote a detailed article on the top 10 health benefits of taking a bath. If you would like, you can read it here.
Did I see any results after 4-week?
There must be quite a few things a hot bath won’t cure. But I don’t know many of them. — Sylvia Plath
Short answer: Yes
Everyone accepts that baths are a great way to boost health and personal hygiene. As I mentioned in the title, try to keep your bath under 20 minutes.
- I significantly saw a massive difference in my sleep quality. I am not saying only a bath can help you to give the best sleep ever. It's like an add-on or a supplement to boost your gains.
- Bath can help to boost your immune system to fight sicknesses like sore throat, cough, etc
- The bath helped me relieve my muscle pain, especially after a long hike.
- Study shows that taking frequent baths might help to lower blood pressure which can boost your heart health.
- I felt a hot bath also helped me to relieve my flu symptoms.
- The study also shows that a hot bath can help you to boost your brainpower. I did not observe anything except usual.
- Research shows that exercise in warm water can decrease pain and improve cognitive functions.
- I also added Epsom salts (amazon affiliate link) to soothe my skin. My partner prefers to add some kind of bath bomb or organic oils.
The key takeaways
I think a lot of contemplation happens in bathtubs. It does for me. Nothing like a hot bath to ease the tension and think about what’s going to happen next. — Sarah McLachlan
- Taking a hot bath is an excellent way to boost your health.
- Hot baths can improve your cardiovascular health
- Research shows that baths can help to boost brain power
- Baths can help to improve better blood flow to joints and muscles
- Baths can help to reduce fatigue and muscle soreness
- Baths definitely helped me to improve my quality of sleep.
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