Yumi Yamamoto, research director of LongeviQuest, an organization that verifies the ages of the world's oldest people, cites four secrets to the longevity of Japanese people: eating until 80% full, working moderately, and exercising diligently.
Many elderly Japanese people go to the gym every day, where they can practice tai chi, jog, or soak in hot springs. Hot spring baths, called onsen, are a traditional health therapy that dates back centuries.
Scientists have studied the therapeutic benefits of bathing in mineral-rich waters. Bathing, especially in Japan and Europe, has been used as a natural medicine and preventive therapy for centuries.
For example, the "healing" waters of the Dead Sea, researchers believe there is a link between treatment with Dead Sea water and improvements in skin and joint diseases. Natural hot springs in Japan are good for treating arthritis, fibromyalgia, skin diseases such as psoriasis, eczema, high blood pressure, improving sleep, reducing pain...
A hot spring bath in Japan. Photo: Chōrakuen
The Japanese often stay at hot spring resorts for at least a week or longer, bathing multiple times a day as a treatment for various ailments. Today, health trips to onsen are still popular, but most people only spend a day or two soaking in the natural mineral waters, as few people have the time for long trips.
However, experts say you can recreate the Japanese hot spring experience at home, to improve your physical and mental health. This is also a trend that many rich people around the world have been pursuing in recent years, when they look for places to live with hot springs or build giant hot spring baths right at home.
Using hot mineral water at home has many advantages and conveniences. People can regularly bathe in hot mineral water at home without having to travel to faraway resorts. Using artificial mineral water at home can handle problems such as removing harmful impurities, and can adjust the temperature and ingredients to suit each person's therapeutic needs.
Hot mineral baths help improve skin, bone and joint diseases and cardiovascular diseases. Photo: Shutterstock
Cleanse the body
When you go to a hot spring in Japan, it is a communal experience. You will almost always be bathing with others of the same sex. Therefore, it is important that each person cleans themselves before entering the hot spring to keep the communal water clean.
Begin your bathing ritual at home as you would at a hot spring by washing yourself thoroughly. Consider purchasing a simple wooden stool, like those you would find in the bathing areas of Japanese bathhouses, to sit on while you cleanse. You can also use a natural exfoliant to remove dead skin cells and prepare your skin to absorb all the nutrients from the bath.
A hot spring bath in Japan. Photo: VISIT KINOSAKI
Fill the bathtub with hot water
After you’ve cleansed yourself, fill your tub with hot, hot water. Hot springs are hot enough to boil an egg. Most bathhouses regulate the water temperature to around 108 degrees Fahrenheit. You can turn the water temperature up a little higher than you’re used to (but be careful not to burn yourself) for a more authentic experience.
Dissolve bath salt in water
Hot springs in Japan are high in minerals, which are beneficial for your skin and health. Meanwhile, your local tap water may not have the same effect.
“Minerals are an essential part of hot spring baths,” says mineral bath expert Colin Fukai. “Small packets of bath salts can be purchased online and used in each bath to recreate the natural spring water in Japan.”
Burn incense
Going to a hot spring is a special experience. To recreate it at home, you need to pay attention to the details of the space, and burning incense can create the right atmosphere, Fukai says. Choose delicate Japanese incense rather than the smoky sticks at your local store. Choose a scent that helps you relax completely.
Hot mineral baths provide many physical and mental health benefits. Photo: Shimofujiya.
Soak
There’s nothing left to do but sink into the tub and soak. Spend about 15 to 20 minutes relaxing in the mineral water—enough to relax your muscles, but not so long that you feel fatigued from the heat. Fukai suggests using a yuoke (traditional Japanese wooden bath bucket) to pour water over your head and shoulders, which will release a light cypress scent as it gets wet.
Rinse and wrap towel around body.
After bathing, rinse your body with water. No soap is needed if you want to keep most of the minerals on your skin. At a Japanese hot spring, you will dry yourself off with a traditional cotton hand towel called a tenugui.
“When in a public hot spring, a handkerchief can be used for modesty, or to dry off between baths. At home, it can be used to create a comfortable support for the neck,” says Fukai.
Since you’re in your own home, dry yourself off with a soft, natural-fiber towel. Complete the experience by slipping into a yukata (light cotton kimono) and relaxing for the evening.
Source: https://diaoc.nld.com.vn/tam-khoang-nong-tai-nha-de-khoe-manh-song-tho-nhu-nguoi-dan-nhat-196240911174342036.htm
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