How to Boost Recovery and Health with Salt Baths

Magnesium salt baths are one of the best ways to improve your rates of recovery and health. Salt bathing is not a new concept – the Ancient Greeks were fans – but recently it’s fallen out of fashion. It’s easy for you to have your own salty recovery experience in the comfort of your own home.

My first experience of salt as a healer was when I was at university. I’d had a verruca (a nasty type of wart) on my foot for ages.

One spring weekend, I spent two days at the beach drinking beer and playing frisbee. The salt and drying of the sea water and sand cleaned the wart.

It quickly cleared and disappeared. I’ve never had one since.

The next time I was to come into contact with salt as a healer was in Switzerland. I’d had a bad snowboarding injury but rather than flying home, I decided to make the most of my holiday.

I visited a spa in Wengen that had a saline (salt-water) pool heated to 37 degrees centigrade. Up until that point, I’d been depressed and in pain – stiff and low mentally.

The pool was like heaven. I drifted weightlessly while the warm water soothed and loosened my twisted and bruised ligaments. For hours afterwards I felt physically and mentally rejuvenated.

Salt Baths and Being an Active Dad

My Swiss spa feels like a while ago now. Because it is.

But I still use salt baths to boost recovery and mood. More recently I started taking salt baths again after being reminded of the concept in Gorilla Mindset.

I use Epsom salts which contain essential minerals including Magnesium. During bathing, these minerals are absorbed transdermally (through the skin).

Most people are deficient in Magnesium. Supplementing with transdermal magnesium can:

• Increase energy levels
• Improve sleep and sleep quality
• Reduce muscle pain, spasms and even night cramps

Source

You can get Epsom salts for bathing in most big supermarkets, pharmacies or online (see below for my recommendation).

As a busy and energetic Dad, you need time to recover and rest. Having a magnesium salt bath is a good way to do this without having to leave the house.

How to Get the Most out of Salt Bathing

Time is precious and few of us busy Dads have time to sit in the bath for 20-30 minutes. So you need to make sure that time is well used. It will take a bit more preparation and planning but is worth it for how you will feel afterwards.

I believe a soak in a salt bath should be relaxing. So wait until the kids are in bed or out of the house. Switch off all electric light in the bathroom and light some candles (optional but this will not turn you into a woman – I promise).

Draw a warm bath – a little warmer that body temperature is perfect.

I use a good cup of Epsom salts in a warm bath. Swirl them around until they’re fully dissolved.

You can listen to some calming music while you soak. Meditation music, water falls, ambient sounds are all perfect. Or if you’ve got waterproof headphones, binaural beats. Check out this article by Timo Fischer for more info on these.

To keep your mind rested, do some active meditation. I like to focus on how my body feels in the water. Or you could just focus on the music.

20 minutes is a good length of time. Much longer and you’ll need to top up the temperature. If you have more time, by all means stay in there longer!

How often you do this is up to you. I’ll often take this approach when I feel run down, stressed or especially sore after a workout. This works out at about once every two months. If you can do it more regularly, go for it.

Closing Thoughts on Magnesium Salt Baths

Since starting to take salt baths again I’ve convinced my wife of the benefits, particularly in relation to improved sleep and stress reduction.

If you’ve had similar experiences with magnesium salt baths or know other good tips for improved recovery/reduced stress, leave a comment or send me an email.

P.S. Westlab is the brand of Epsom salts I use – you can get it here (Amazon).

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