- What is better – swimming pool, bath, or shower?
- Home options
- Swimming pool options
- Charcot’s shower
- Underwater shower
- How does hydromassage affect your body?
- Nuances and contraindications
How do unnecessary kilograms and the desired silhouette go away? First and foremost, it’s because of dieting and exercises. A good addition to this cooperation is massage aimed at weight loss. Those who love water can choose suitable types of treatments.
What is better – swimming pool, bath, or shower?
How to massage problem areas of the body with water? Let’s consider several ways.
Home options
The most luxurious and expensive option is the shower cabin or bath with hydromassage in your own bathroom. Plumbing stores often offer a wide range of such equipment.
Perhaps, it’s high time for you to renovate your own bathroom? Think it over: maybe, it’s worth spending some extra money on the ability to perform hydromassage at home in order to lose weight (improve the tone, get rid of fatigue).
Such plumbing is good because it allows you to control not only the temperature of the water, but also the intensity of the water jets. This enables you to adjust the force of the water pressure on the body.
Piece of advice. The water pressure during abdomen massage should not exceed one atmosphere. It is allowed to apply the pressure of two or three atmospheres on the thighs. A higher pressure usually causes unpleasant feelings and/or pain.
Is your home bathroom minimalistic? Even in this case, performing water self-massage is possible. Especially if you buy a special shower head. It’s perfect if you can also switch between modes on it using a special lever.
Hydromassage bath for losing weight
Here are some rules of home hydromassage:
- water must be lukewarm or cool;
- the water temperature should be changed smoothly in both directions, without drastic drops;
- it is also recommended to change the water pressure, making it a bit weaker or stronger;
- the duration of the procedure is not more than 20 minutes.
Of course, home hydromassage, especially in the absence of a special bath or shower cabin, will be less effective for weight loss than in health resorts (clinics, salons).
Swimming pool options
If you have the opportunity to visit a good swimming pool, one of the best ways of losing weight – swimming – is available to you. This activity combines both physical exercises and massage.
Modern swimming pool with hydromassage equipment
Fact. Water is 800 times denser than air (that’s why we can stay on its surface, but moving in it is quite difficult). When swimming, resistance of the water creates a slight, but noticeable massaging effect.
Swimming pools in health resorts are often equipped with jets for hydromassage. This allows you to alternate between swimming and hydromassage in order to lose weight in the pool.
If you visit swimming and massage classes twice or three times a week during a month, visible positive results will appear very quickly. This option is the most effective for losing weight in the thighs and glutes (for fighting extra weight in these areas, you can apply simple but effective exercises that we’ve already written about earlier).
Charcot’s shower
This shower was invented by Jean-Martin Charcot, the father of neuropathology, in the century before last. Like many medical inventions, it was created for one purpose (treating nervous diseases), but nowadays it is used to solve different problems.
Charcot’s shower
Charcot’s shower is successfully used for weight loss, but it should be performed only in health resorts or similar institutions. The procedure takes place in a special room:
- the client is standing near the wall (usually, there are railings that help to stay in the right position);
- a medical specialist directs one or two streams of water onto the body and performs certain manipulations with them;
- after the procedure (it usually lasts for five to seven minutes), you need to dry the body with a towel and rest.
Charcot’s shower is a highly efficient method. Ten procedures with a one-day break are enough to confirm this statement. Strong water jets not only contribute to weight loss, but also fight cellulite. However, the procedure is not always useful and suitable for everyone. Even a relatively small pressure can cause discomfort, although there shouldn’t be any pain.
Underwater shower
Another professional type of hydromassage. To perform this procedure, the client lies in a large bath (usually 2 x 1 x 0.8 m) which is equipped with jets and showers with different nozzles. The water can be fresh, sea, or mineral (depending on the institution).
Professional hydromassage: underwater shower
The massage is performed by a specialist who uses showers to treat problem areas of the body. Everything happens similarly to a regular massage: intense water jets alternate with relaxing ones.
The duration of each procedure, as well as the number of classes, are discussed with a specialist from the massage room and/or the attending physician.
What to rely on when choosing a method? The best option is to consult a doctor.
How does hydromassage affect your body?
In general – the same as any other massage (for example, for losing weight in the belly and sides). Don’t let anyone fool you that water will be able to “knock out” subcutaneous fat from your body or wash extra lipids through pores. But the fact that it will improve blood flow, lymph flow, and metabolism is beyond any doubt. Besides, with sufficient water pressure (like when using Charcot’s shower), muscles tense up involuntarily, which also contributes to weight loss.
It is important to remember that hydromassage alone won’t help you lose a significant amount of extra weight. It is effective only in combination with diet and feasible physical exercises.
Nuances and contraindications
When performing any type of hydromassage, the breasts and armpits, groin, face, and genitals should not be affected. It is strictly forbidden to eat right before the procedure, but hunger is also not helpful. An hour or two is a suitable break between meals and visiting the health resort. You must completely give up alcohol before the course is finished, especially if the classes are held every day or every other day.
Contraindications to the procedure are standard:
- waiting for a baby (breastfeeding – after doctor’s approval);
- any acute diseases and conditions, such as even just a slight runny nose;
- skin diseases and damages;
- oncological diseases;
- cholelithiasis and urolithiasis;
- all diseases that are associated with heart, blood flow, or metabolism impairment (require mandatory doctor’s consultation).
Hydromassage for weight loss is an excellent additional procedure. Its proper and regular use will help you not
