Water – be it from a shower, a sauna, a Jacuzzi or a
swimming pool is the ideal treatment for body therapy.
Water has many benefits: it is highly relaxing; it can tone
the skin and the muscles; and, in the form of steam, it can cleanse the pores
and rid the skin of impurities. One particular use of water for health and
beauty that has been employed since Greek and Roman times is hydrotherapy. This
entails using the pressure of water to break down the fatty deposits called
cellulite that form in the body’s connective tissue. Cellulite causes unsightly
puckering and lumpiness on the surface of the skin, usually around the upper
arms, buttocks and thighs.
Many health farms and solaria have special tubs called Jacuzzi designed for hydrotherapy, which work on simple principle of water
pressure. Jets situated around the side of the tub create a whirlpool effect,
forcing pressurized water against the body, which tones and stimulates. Some
swimming pools and saunas have a less sophisticated version - a machine fixed
to the poolside that pumps fixed jets of water. You attach yourself by a loose
belt and move those parts of the body that require treatment against the jets.
For more regular and cheaper treatment, you can make your
own home version of hydrotherapy by investing in a shower attachment for you
bath taps. Turn the taps on as full as possible - using warm water rather than
hot – and aim the shower at the areas you want to tone for about three minutes
at a time. Never spend more than 20 minutes giving yourself this water
treatment, to avoid drying out your skin, and always moisturize your body
thoroughly afterwards.
With a home shower, you can also create the ‘sauna effect’ of
a rapid change of temperature from hot to cold.
All you do is to run the hot shower over yourself, moving
from the feet upwards then switch the taps to icy coldness. This in turn
expands and contracts the skin’s capillaries, stimulating circulation.
Exercises
Your local swimming pool may be less glamorous than a health
farm, but is just as good a place to practice another type of water therapy
involving exercise. Any form of exercise in water is highly beneficial because
your muscles are forced to work against the pressure of the water. You can use
your sessions at the pool both for swimming and for exercise routines. Swimming
is an ideal way of firming up loose muscles, and is an excellent form of
aerobic exercise – it forces the heart to work faster, giving a boost to the cardiovascular system. The crawl is especially good for improving breathing,
while the breaststroke is a good remedy for flabby upper arms and thighs.
Isometrics in the bath is another effective form of water
therapy. Get into the habit of a bath exercise routine at least three times a
week. Start by breathing deeply while lying on your back, and push your abdomen
up and out against the water. Then slowly sit up, arms at your sides, pushing
against the water; this exercise is good for firming the waist and toning
flabby stomach muscles.
To strengthen your upper body and firm up you breasts, lie
back, arms at your sides. Then, slowly push your arms up, palms upwards, as if
you were trying to raise a weight. Now lie back and slowly lift your legs, with
your toes pointed, until they are at right angles to your body, holding onto
your feet as you do so. Repeat each exercise three times. In addition, you can
modify other sitting and lying exercises from any keep-fit routine to do in the
bath.
Massage
You can complete your water therapy programme with
underwater massage, which some beauty experts advocate as highly effective for
dissolving fat deposits. Lie in warm water, and first give your body a hard
all-over rubbing with the palms of your hands. A few drops of bath oil in the
water will make this easier. Then pay specific attention to flabby areas,
rolling and twisting the loose skin between fingers and thumbs, pinching as
hard as you can. Follow by massaging with your fingertips in a circular motion.
Finish with a cool shower and a brisk rub with a soft towel.
