Bathing for Beauty' Sake

Ladies' Mirror, Volume 4, Issue 8, 1 February 1926, Page 58

Bathing for Beauty' Sake

'Ey A WOMAN PHYSICIAN

AMONG all the health-giving pastimes that summer has to offer, open-air bathing is perhaps the most pleasurable and the most popular. In fact, as evidence of the esteem in which it is held, it may be mentioned that tens of thousands of people bathe in the lakes and ponds of the public parks in London in summer, some starting as early as four in the morning. There are some, of course, who take their daily dip in all weathers and all the year round; but surely they are few who can find any real pleasure in breaking the ice in order to plunge into bitterly cold water, or in turning out on a grey winter morning to bathe in the sea from a desolate beach. For most of us, summer is the time for bathing; and it is therefore to bathing in summer that my few words will refer. It may be said at the outset that probably no exercise can compare with swimming in giving scope for the use of the different groups of muscles in the body; and the fresh air and stimulating effects of cool water all make for health. Nothing more delightful can be imagined than a holiday by the sea, each day’s programme including one or two dips into the water, sufficient vigour and energy being still reserved to make the remainder of the day a source of interest and enjoyment. ‘Why £wimining is Cjood SWIMMING, like all active exercise, diverts a large quantity of blood to the limbs, and for this reason it is unwise to bathe too soon after a meal, when the blood required to aid in the absorption of food would thus be taken away to nourish the muscles. About two hours after a meal is a good time to bathe. If you have been very long without food, as in the morning before breakfast, you will be less able to resist the tendency to take a chill. Some people, however, find that the pre-breakfast dip is both enjoyable and stimulating, and in this case it can be nothing but beneficial. Bathers should choose the earlier half of the day in which to enjoy the water, before tiring themselves with other occupations. We must remember that the body is always losing heat by conduction, and especially when in the water. This wonderful machine produces heat partly through the contraction of its muscles. If, therefore, we remain in the water without keeping on the move, more heat is being lost than produced, and we begin to feel cold. Obviously, then, activity is necessary while bathing. Even for those who cannot swim, a great deal of exercise and pleasure can be derived in other ways. ‘Do not fa y i ?l to ° THIS admonition holds good wiffi every kind of bathing, and in some swimming baths wisdom has been shown by the displaying of notices to the effect that to remain in long is injurious to the health.

There is an inducement to linger too long inactive both in calm seas and in swimming baths. To yield to the temptation may bring about serious results. Never stay in the water until you feel cold. Fifteen minutes, or at most half an hour, is long enough for anyone. Sometimes we have the choice of bathing in the open air or in a covered bath. In the latter, the water is still and often artificially heated, and the air is warm. On cool or cloudy days these baths are frequently crowded, and it is a mistake to prefer them to the fresh air and to the constantly moving water of the open sea. Swimming baths are, of course, useful to those who have no other opportunity of bathing. But some of the beneficial effects of a bathe, and surely the greater part of its pleasure, are lost by its being taken under cover. ( §ea- , Water Better than ffiesh-'Water SEA-WATER is better than freshwater for bathing, partly on account of its movement, and partly on account of the tonic effect of the brine. Swimmers should wear a bathing dress which is light and simple in design and which does not impede their movements. If a more elaborate garment is preferred, voluminous folds should be avoided, for they are cumbersome when wet, and hamper the limbs. Soft material should be chosen, for a coarse one will chafe the skin of the limbs as they engage in vigorous movements. In all kinds of bathing there is a slight danger of infection of the nose, ears, and throat. If you have already any trouble with these organs, as little water as possible should be allowed to enter the nose and ears. Having had a good rub down with a rough towel on leaving the water, you should feel distinctly warmer than when you went in. If you do not, either you have stayed in too long, or you have chosen a time to bathe when your vitality is low. If by any chance you find bathing does not agree with you on a hot day, a good sun bath, with the delightful sensation it produces, is ideal, and you can obtain most of the beautifying benefits of the seaside on dry land.