Have you ever solved a problem or come up with a great idea while you’re in the shower? Have you ever felt like you rebooted your head and body after a bath, a dip in the pool or a walk on the beach?
The underlying influence in all these cases is water.
We know water is an integral part of our body and how we function. Learn how water affects us through different uses:
Water-based activity
Swimming and aquatic exercise have many physiological benefits, in part due to water’s unique properties of buoyancy, pressure and resistance. Aquatic exercise is effective in reducing feelings of anxiety. It also can boost your mood. The sensation of water flowing over the skin when moving in water reduces the load on the spine, knees and other joints. And water-based activity can also help us feel grounded by connecting to and conveying a sense of nature.2
Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy (water therapy) has been used for centuries. It can be as simple as taking a warm bath with Epsom salts. It also can include things like pressurized whirlpool jets or a steam sauna. It can be used for the relief of symptoms like muscle and joint pain, stiffness and swelling. Many people with diseases like osteoarthritis, back pain, fibromyalgia and more find relief with hydrotherapy.3
Cold water immersion
Post-exercise cold plunges are a hot fitness and recovery topic. However, in northern climates, year-round swimming in local bodies of water has been a common practice for centuries.
When your body’s core temperature drops post-workout through brief cold immersion, many positive things might begin to happen like:4
- Firing up your immune system
- Increasing your metabolism
- Reducing inflammatory response
- Reducing stress responses
- Improving your mood and well-being
Before you start any new exercise routine or treatment, talk to your doctor or physical therapist to make sure it’s safe.
Calming waters
Water triggers the parasympathetic nervous system to release hormones telling your body to calm down.4 A popular theory among surfing enthusiasts is that hearing water—crashing waves, bubbling brooks, waterfalls—creates “pink noise.” The belief is that pink noise combines all frequencies the human ear can hear. This would support why napping at the beach is so restful. Finally, when water molecules collide—in a rainstorm, waterfall, shower spray or when a wave breaks—they release negative air ions.5 These boost our mood and energy.6
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Published June 18, 2025
1https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555956/
2https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9714032/
3https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9114041/
4https://www.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.neuropsych.20240053
5https://womenandwavessociety.com/8-reasons-why-being-in-on-or-around-water-makes-you-feel-so-good/
6https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10175061/#Sec3
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