To compare and identify the effects of taking regular hot baths with regular exercise, the research team selected a group of patients who were suffering from severe to moderate depression and divided them into two groups.
In the first group, people with depression were instructed to
take a bath in hot water at 40 degrees for 30 minutes, then wrap themselves in blankets and
relax with hot water bottles for another 20 minutes.
In the second group, another set of people with depression were instructed to
perform a 40 to 45 minutes session of moderate-to-light aerobic exercises, such as running, dancing, swimming
twice a week.
They found both sets of participants showed reduced signs of depression, the group that took
hot water baths showed significantly fewer signs of depression compared to the exercise group, over a period of eight weeks.
Hot baths can help normalize and strengthen the body's normal
circadian rhythm (24-hour cycle) or body clock. An imbalance in this natural rhythm will hamper your mental state of being.
The circadian rhythm is a 24-hour internal clock which may involve fluctuations of a person's body temperature which rises in the morning and falls during the night.
In people with depression their body temperature may not regulate itself properly, and taking hot baths may help correct this.
Therefore, the
regular hot water bath was proven to be more effective in reducing the symptoms of depression than exercising.
Source: Medindia
