While today the word “spa” conjures up visions of mani-pedis and lush body treatments, it’s long been the term applied to towns where people would go to “take the waters.” For hundreds of years, spa goers have sought out the healing benefits of water by “taking the waters” in towns that offered mineral springs and thermal baths. Today the tradition continues at popular nordic spas across Canada, and destinations like Spa Eastman in Quebec.
“Hydrotherapy is the use of water to revitalize, maintain and restore health,” says Jocelyna Dubuc, president and director general of Spa Eastman in Quebec. Cold plunges stimulate and cause blood vessels to constrict, shunting the blood to internal organs, she explains, while hot baths relax, causing blood vessels to dilate, and remove waste from body tissues. “Alternating hot and cold water stimulates circulation, improves elimination and decreases inflammation,” Dubuc adds.
As part of its Eastman-les-Bains program and facilities, Spa Eastman also combines hydrotherapy with massage, to help with stress, sleep, the immune system and circulation. As Dubuc says, “All it takes is a bath or shower at home to enjoy a daily session of thermotherapy and understand the obvious health benefits.” We couldn’t agree more.
