A home spa is the perfect place to relax after a long day, let the stress of the week wash away, or entertain guests. However, did you know that there are tons of amazing physical and mental benefits to using a hot tub? Make hot tub hydrotherapy a regular part of your lifestyle and these are the health benefits you can expect to enjoy:
1. Hot tub benefits for cardiovascular health
- Improves circulation
According to Bruce Becker, M.D., immersing yourself in water in general up to your neck gives you a cardiac workout. This is because water puts more pressure on your body which increases your cardiac volume. In other words, when you’re soaking in water, your heart works harder and that helps it stay healthy.
- Lower blood pressure
Hot tubs sometimes get a bad rap for people with heart disease and hypertension. (You'll usually see signs posted by public spas telling patrons to check with their doctors first if they have these conditions).
But according to a study conducted by a group of Canadian physicians, there is very little data to back that up.
And in fact, of the 21 patients they tested, everyone experienced a significant drop in blood pressure, putting hypertensive patients back into normal range.
2. Hot tub benefits for emotional health
- It can help you sleep
Hot water promotes relaxation which helps you sleep. This is easy enough to explain. When you put your tense body is a tub of hot water, the heat raises your body temperature and relaxes your muscles. This makes you tired and relaxed which can help you sleep better. However, you should not attempt to fall asleep in a spa bath. That’s a terrible idea.
- Stress relief
The warm water. The soothing jets. The white noise.
Your hot tub can become your own sanctuary away from the turmoil of daily life, either as a solo soak or as a way to squeeze some quality time with family and friends into your hectic schedule.
In a world where it can feel impossible to escape the hustle and bustle of modern life, a spa session can help you relax, unwind, and destress.
And studies have even shown that the use of hydrotherapy can provide a psychological and emotional boost, making it a powerful way to improve your wellbeing.
Whenever you’re feeling overwhelmed or anxious, a soak in a hot tub is a proven way to relieve your stress.
- It can improve your self esteem and confidence
When you feel good, you have good thoughts. Since spa baths can do all these amazing things for you, the mental benefit is pretty tangible. When you get into a spa bath feeling bad and the bath makes you feel better, it’ll make you feel better about yourself and when you feel good, you feel more confident. A good soak before a big event can help you relax, have more confidence in yourself, and help you be more prepared mentally.
- Quality time with friends and family
Dozens of studies have shown that people with strong social ties are happier, have fewer health problems, and live longer, according to Harvard Medical School.
Enjoying a soak in the hot tub with your nearest and dearest not only gives you all the benefits associated with spas themselves, but also those that come from socialising.
And it’s one of the few places that you’ll get to enjoy people’s company away from the distractions of devices, making it a great place to catch up with friends and family.
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3. It can help alleviate aches and pains
- Headaches
Between the dilated blood vessels, relaxation, and warmth, spa baths can also help reduce headaches. By dilating the blood vessels, it can decrease pressure in your head which helps get rid of headaches while general relaxation and warmth continue the process. If you suffer from headaches then some good spa baths can help you fix it.
- Arthritis
The most common symptoms of arthritis are pain, inflammation and stiffness of the joints, ligaments or tendons. The controlled temperature and pressure of hot tubs offer a natural option to minimize those symptoms and relax muscles without the side effects of medication.
- Fibromyalgia
Hot tub jets stimulate circulation. As blood flow increases, the muscles begin to loosen, which makes it much less painful to move around.
- Back pain
According to one estimate, 80% of all Americans will suffer from lower back pain at some point. Lower back pain, whether chronic or acute, can severely impact the quality of life. It can make performing everyday activities—going to work, driving, shopping, doing household chores—a difficult and painful challenge. It can also cause sleep loss.
In multiple studies, people living with chronic back pain who underwent hydrotherapy treatment, either on its own or in combination with other treatments, saw a reduction in their symptoms. While these studies do indicate that hydrotherapy may positively impact people suffering from lower back pain, they do not replace the advice of a doctor or qualified medical professional. To see if hot tub usage may help ease your symptoms, consult your physician.
- Muscle pain
America was built on hard work, and there are a lot of us out here still working hard today. Even if you’re not playing for the NFL, building houses, or climbing mountains, you may find yourself suffering from sore or aching muscles at the end of a long day. The daily routines of our jam-packed lives are more than enough to wear our muscles down. Outside of our day jobs, the strenuous physical labor continues: We work our muscles when we’re hitting the gym, hitting the bag, shooting hoops, or hiking trails. All that physical exertion, whether done for work or for recreation, takes its toll on the body.
Hot tubs can help you take that pain away. The hot water and massage jets release tension and knead the toxins from your muscle fibers. Buoyancy takes the pressure off your legs, feet, and back, helping you work out the kinks and knots. Soaking in a hot tub after a hard exercise session or a long day at work is the perfect way to help your muscles recover for the next day. However, before deciding on a spa as therapy or a replacement for your prescription, you should seek the medical advice of a qualified physician.
- PMS cramps
Heat has long been known as a great cure for the cramps that women tend to get before the big “P”.
According to New York ob-gyn and V Is for Vagina author, Alyssa Dweck, “heat brings blood flow to your pelvic area, and that helps relax the muscles causing cramps in the first place.”
Not only that, but raising your body temperature and causing yourself to sweat can cause your body to release feel-good endorphins that are better than any pain medication!
4. Hot tub benefits for beauty
- It may help diabetes and weight loss
A small study that was conducted has shown that people with diabetes who take regular spa baths can reduce their blood sugar and blood glucose levels. It also showed that taking a spa bath for 30 minutes, six days a week lost four pounds in a month without making a single change to their diet or exercise. It’s not the next big diet but every little bit helps!
- It can help clean your body
Heat opens up your pores and this can be a good thing when you’re in a clean environment like a spa bath. By opening the pores, you give the water a chance to work its way in there and clean out the various dirt and toxins from your skin. The result is a refreshed feeling with potentially clearer skin. The detoxification process can make you feel better too!
- Better bone health
Blood flow is absolutely vital to bone health and repair and regular hot tub usage can help with that.
According to medical studies, “Blood vessels lost due to trauma are regenerated, and new bone tissue formed in response to injury is vascularized.”
This is what delivers nutrients to the bones to speed recovery and build new bone tissue.
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