Correct Way to Take a Tub Bath

Correct way to take a tub bath

- by Yogendra Puranik ‘Yogi’, PhD, on March 21, 2016

A bathtub and ample water are a luxury in Japan. The tub becomes a necessity in the winter. Many Indians/foreigners enjoy a tub bath once settled in Japan. However, a tub bath could be fatal if not taken properly. We have had some serious cases in the past. Hence, here are some basic guidelines.

Before entering the tub

Drink water or some other drink before going into the bath. This is to avoid excess dehydration. You can carry a water, tea, or juice bottle into the bath. Do not carry an open glass as there could be bacteria in the bath. Avoid alcohol before the tub bath. After the tub bath is fine, though.

Take a little hot water shower or put some tub water on your body to clean your body, and slowly adjust the body temp. You may also rinse your body with shampoo and soap to keep the tub water possibly clean.

If you wash your body well before entering the tub, your whole family can use the same water for at least 2 to 3 days. Japanese tubs usually have a reheating function. So, you can reheat the water whenever you want to use it again.

You can buy mineral powder from a chemist's shop for your tub. There are different kinds of powders. These powders relax your muscles and reduce fatigue.

While in the tub

Go into the tub. Stay in the 40-degree Celsius hot tub for a maximum of 15 min or in the 42-degree Celsius tub for a maximum of 10 min. Sensitive people should set the temp to 39 degrees Celsius. Too much hot tub increase your heartbeat and dehydrates your body very fast. So be careful.

Once inside the tub, you may continue to have your drink in sips. Do not drink too much at a time. Many times, you feel sleepy in the tub. Be careful of getting drowned. You can also buy/use a tub pillow to keep your posture upright and comfortable.

After the tub, do not jump out of the tub directly. It is very dangerous. First, sit on your knees inside the tub for a couple of minutes. Then sit on the edge of the tub for a couple of minutes with your legs dipped inside the tub.

After the tub

Turn on the shower and step under it only once the water reaches a comfortable temperature. Around 40 degrees Celsius is good. Raise the shower temperature to a maximum of 43 degrees Celsius only when you want to come out of a sleepy feeling, normally in the mornings. Do not take cold water on your body. It disturbs the nerve signals. Avoid sudden increase or decrease in body temp.

You will have good, deep sleep if you sleep within 2 hours after the tub. The rise in body temperature after the tub bath numbs the body/brain to make you feel sleepy.

Ventilation and post-bath care

It is advisable to keep the exhaust fan on while in the bath. You can choose to keep it off while in the tub to create a sauna effect. After the shower, wipe dry your body inside the shower room itself. After coming out, immediately put on some warm clothes. Do not go into cold air.

If you feel unwell

If you feel unconscious due to a sudden change in body temperature or excessive dehydration, try to warm your body again. Sit under the shower again. Possibly have a carbohydrate drink like Coke. When this happens, it’s a very bad feeling inside. Try to stay conscious and fight out that feeling.

Onsen – the public tub

Tubs can be private ones in your home or public ones in the hot spring (onsen) spa. Public onsens have big separate halls for men and women with multiple tubs. The onsen might have some very hot tubs. Be careful of these very hot tubs, as they could cause giddiness as mentioned above.

The public onsens have different kinds of tubs, such as herbal tubs, sulphur tubs, and so on. You can enjoy all these different tubs one by one. Public onsen also have open-air tubs.

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