60. The Bathhouse
Deios 4:15
If a person is sedentary and does not exercise, or if he doesn’t move his bowels when necessary, or if he is constipated, then even if he eats the right foods and follows medical advice, he will nevertheless experience pain. Such a person’s strength will diminish.
Overeating is the primary source of all health problems. Most diseases that afflict a person are caused by unhealthy foods or by overeating even healthy foods. This is suggested by Proverbs 21:23, “One who guards his mouth and tongue guards his soul from distress.” This refers to one who guards his mouth from unhealthy food and overeating, and his tongue from speaking about unnecessary things.
Deios 4:16
A person should go to the bathhouse once every seven days. He should not go too soon after a meal, nor when he is hungry. Rather, one should go while his food is being digested. A person should bathe his body in hot water and just his head in very hot water. One should then bathe his body in lukewarm water, followed by successively cooler water until he bathes in cold water. One should not use lukewarm or cold water on his head, nor should one bathe in cold water in the winter.
One should not bathe until after he has achieved a sweat and his body has been massaged. One should not linger in the bathhouse; as soon as he has achieved his sweat and massage, he should rinse off and depart. One should make sure he doesn’t need to use the rest room before entering the bathhouse and after leaving it. One should do likewise before and after eating, marital relations, exercise, and sleeping.
Editor’s note: The Rambam lived in the 12th century and his medical advice incorporates the best knowledge of his day. Consult your rabbi with any questions involving practical application of these halachos.