The cooler the water and the shorter the time spent in the bath, the more it acts as a tonic, says Grant. Hot foot baths can help with colds and headaches as well as refreshing tired feet.

Steve’s study only looked at the acute effects and didn’t look at the long-term effects of taking a hot bath. So do the benefits hold up in the long-term? One small pilot study from 1999 had 8 ...

Other possible benefits include stress reduction and improved mood. A contrast bath is designed to alternate between hot and ...