Create More Energy by Using Hot & Cold Hydrotherapies
Hydrotherapy (using water for healing) has been practiced for thousands of years.
Traditional healers have utilized hot springs and cold plunges to detoxify the body, relieve pain, and increase health since the beginning of mankind.
Ancient Greeks and Romans regularly soaked in sea pools for hydrotherapy benefits.
Hydrotherapy is still practiced, and it’s so easy to use to enhance your health and create energy.
How Does Hydrotherapy Work
Hydrotherapy works by increasing circulation, and stimulating natural detoxification through the liver, colon, lymphatic system, and skin. Hydrotherapy can relax or energize depending on your needs.
1. Hot hydrotherapy choices like saunas, hot baths, and hot compresses help to relax the body.
They increase sweating to release toxins through the skin and relax muscle stress.
Research shows hot hydrotherapies improve sleep, relieve anxiety, and ease inflammation caused by arthritis.
Research finds hydrotherapies like hot tubs or saunas may also help decrease blood sugar in type 2 diabetics.
2. Cold hydrotherapies like ice baths, cold showers, and cold compresses have a stimulating effect.
Cold therapies rev up body energy. Most of us have taken a cold shower to help wake up.
Cold therapy promotes body shivering, which increases thermogenesis (fat burning) and energy production.
Some research finds cold therapies boost immune defenses by increasing production of norepinephrine in the body.
Hydrotherapy for Pain Relief
Today, hot and cold hydrotherapies are widely used to ease pain caused by injuries, nerve problems, or arthritis.
Cold hydrotherapy helps numb pain and decrease inflammation by constricting the blood vessels.
Hot hydrotherapy relaxes muscle spasms, and prepares the body for additional treatments like chiropractic adjustments or massage.
For the best results for chronic pain, use hot and cold hydrotherapies with help from a skilled physical therapist.
A Few Hydrotherapy Choices To Create More Energy
Alternating Hot and Cold Showers
This is so easy to do it home! Simply, begin with a hot shower for three minutes. Then, change to cold water for two minutes.
Repeat this three times, ending with cold. This is a fast way to get your heart rate up, increase your energy and sharpen your concentration if you’re feeling tired.
Afterwards, try dry skin brushing with a natural bristle brush for more energy enhancing.
Start brushing your skin at your feet and work up to your arms using long upward strokes, avoiding sensitive areas.
Sauna (Wet, Dry)
Sauna techniques were developed in Finland, but are now used all over the world.
A dry sauna speeds up metabolism, increases sweating, and helps release toxins like heavy metals or pesticides through the skin.
A dry sauna stimulates vasodilation of blood vessels to relieve pain and speed healing.
A wet steam sauna offers similar benefits, but is better for skin texture and tone (dry heat tends to aggravate redness).
A wet steam sauna is also a great delivery system for aromatherapy oils like lemon and eucalyptus which support body energy and respiratory health.
Note: After a sauna, drink plenty of water to replenish fluids lost through sweating.
Hot Seaweed Baths
A hot seaweed bath is another hydrotherapy technique you can try at home.
Taking a 20-minute hot seaweed bath once a week stimulates lymphatic cleansing, fat burning, and helps clear out toxins.
A hot seaweed bath is like a sauna, only the seaweeds help to balance body chemistry instead of dehydrating it.
You can gather your own seaweed in ocean waters (not the shoreline) in some areas. Or, you can purchase dry, organic seaweeds at the health food store.
Place two handfuls in a medium sized muslin bag and then add to a very hot bath. If you prefer, you can add your seaweeds directly to the bath, but be prepared for extra clean up.
Hot/Cold Packs
Hot and cold water bottle packs help to manage pain and improve your energy.
Hot packs are best used to help relax your muscles after a long day, while a cold pack is better to boost your energy or manage acute pain.
Simply wrap a hot or cold water bottle with a towel and apply to the area where your need is greatest.
I find applying a cold pack at the base of the skull is great choice to ease headache pain and perk up my energy.
Get Wet!
Hydrotherapies are a great choice to support detoxification, release stress, and rebalance the body’s energy.
There are so many hydrotherapy choices today. A quick cold shower or cold pack works fast to increase energy. For stress relief, try a hot bath or applying a hot pack to an area where muscle stress has built up.
If you’re feeling adventurous and want to create more energy, try a cold plunge in safe waters or a cool pool.
You will find this can change your entire outlook and re-energize you for a few days.
References:
7 Health benefits of soaking in a hot tub. (2016). Retrieved from Swim University,
https://www.swimuniversity.com/7-health-benefits-of-soaking-in-a-hottub/
Brenner, I.K., Castellani, J.W., Gabaree, C., Young, A.J., Zamecnik, .J, Shephard, R..J, et al. (1985). Immune changes in humans during cold exposure: effects of prior heating and exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology. (2):699-710. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10444630/
Marcheggiana, Talia (2013, March). Detoxify naturally with hydrotherapies. Retrieved from Gaia,
https://www.gaia.com/article/detoxify-naturally-hydrotherapy
Page, Li. & Abernathy, S. (2011). Healthy healing 14th Edition. Healthy Healing Publications
Rubman, A. (2009, August). Use at-home hydrotherapy to heal from illness or injury. Retrieved from Bottomline,
http://bottomlineinc.com/cold-water-therapy-for-strength-energy-and-healing/
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