The real heat packs

The medical fraternity can't decide whether warmth is good for you. Does it matter?

Is exercising, or just being, outdoors in the sun good for you? ( Jaime Puebla / The National)

Doctors are divided on the issue of whether recuperating from an illness or injury in a warm climate is actually beneficial or whether there is simply a placebo effect at work. With the UAE aiming to become a major hub for medical tourism, you may think this is important. But is it?

Even though we have entered a time of year when time spent outside needs to be limited, few would quibble that the near-constant clear blue skies of this country help set one in a positive frame of mind. The boom in bikram yoga – where traditional hatha poses are done in a room heated to 40°C– suggests there are health benefits that flow from warmth. Just from a practical point of view, there is no chance of slipping on snow or ice here.

Ultimately does it really matter if the therapeutic effects are real or imagined, so long as you feel that the warmth and sunshine are doing you good?