How to warm up the body to face the cold and stimulate the defenses

We are homeothermic animals, that is, we maintain a constant temperature, and this warmth is one of the distinctions of our life, which accompanies us from conception and the warmth of the home until the end of life, in which the loss of temperature will be one of the signs of death.

In general, heat sources close to our body temperature are very pleasant to us and, not only that, but they will help us in every way to improve our bodily functions.

therapeutic sources of heat

The hot bath, the sauna, the application of sachets of honey paste, hot seeds or occasionally moxas (lit mugwort sticks) on the acupuncture points transmit a warmth that we will receive in a pleasant way. Even the therapeutic touch or in the massage also transmit a comforting warmth.

Also bodily exercise, which increases our temperature, and the movement produced by shivering, help us increase our temperature and favor metabolic processes that will help us improve our state of health.

Improve the adaptation of the body to cold and heat

Although these sources of heat are important, the most beneficial thing is that our body is trained to adapt to both cold and heat, so it reacts to rebalance our temperature.

Sometimes, in this search for balance, our body can increase the temperature itself, producing fever, almost always with a positive purpose, to improve the process of adaptation to new microbes or environmental situations.

How to take a hot bath

One heat application technique that is within the reach of many people today is the hot tub bath. For your regulated practice, follow the following steps:

Wait at least one hour after eating. Heat the water to 35-36 ºC. Use a thermometer to calculate the temperature accurately Immerse the body almost completely (including the neck) in a large bathtub. Add hot water every minute to increase the temperature by 1 ºC until reaching 40 ºC. It is highly recommended to control the heart rate: it should not exceed 140 pulsations at 40ºC. If that heart rate is reached at 38 or 39 ºC, it is necessary to decrease the water temperature by 1 or 2 º and give cold water irrigations to the arms, legs, neck and neck. If at any time a feeling of weakness, tightness in the chest or cyanosis (blue skin) appears, the bath must be interrupted and cold water applied to the neck and chest. The minimum duration of the bath should be 10-15 minutes. Finish the bath, lower the temperature to 37 or 38ºC and irrigate your arms, neck and heart area with cold water. Get out of the bathtub slowly. Dry off quickly and cover yourself in bed to promote sweating and rest.

hot bath effects

The hot bath and other forms of heat application produce a series of effects on the body:

Hyperthermia accelerates metabolism (more calories are burned). It favors the transfer of oxygen from hemoglobin to cells. It decreases the elimination of water and sodium by the kidneys. It produces leukocytosis and activates immune defenses, inhibiting growth and favoring self-destruction of tumor cells. Increases heart rate and blood volume per cardiac minute. Increases elasticity of connective tissue and muscle.

hot bath instructions

It is used to activate the defenses in chronic inflammatory states and in rheumatic diseases (sciatica, lumbago, gout, ankylosing spondylitis). It also helps in diseases of the central nervous system (poliomyelitis, ALS, tabes…) and in cancer (always under medical supervision). ).

Contraindications of the hot bath

However, it is contraindicated in the heart failure, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, severe arteriosclerosis and varicose veins. In these cases, the application of heat can go well, but it must be done more locally and punctually.