Everyone knows soaking in a hot tub can be a relaxing experience. However, you may not know relaxing in a hot tub can be beneficial for your health and fitness. Researchers like Bruce Becker have studied warm water rehabilitation and found positive effects. Which means that when it comes to hot tubs, there are a number of benefits that can be reaped, with something worthwhile for individuals of every level of physical activity. So whether you’re training for a half marathon or a Netflix marathon, after reading this, hot tub ownership is something you should consider.
For Athletes
Let’s face it, getting in shape and staying in shape can be hard on the body. Running, despite its many positives, can be rough on the joints—ankles, knees, and hips take a lot of force from the repetitive ground-pounding, and after a while, you start to feel it. Weight lifting, meanwhile, can be hard on the muscles. Pushing hard to get those extra reps and do a little more than you did before can damage muscle tissue, which takes time for your body to repair. Most exercises and activities are like this. They strain and exert a force on the body.
Hot tubs can help in this regard. Hydrotherapy can help soothe aching muscles and joints, easing pain and inflammation and improving blood circulation. What’s more, soaking in hot water prior to a workout can loosen muscles similar to stretching and warming up, meaning you’ll be less likely to injure yourself during activity.
For Injuries and Medical Conditions
Not everyone is in a position to train for a triathlon. Some people struggle under the weight of medical conditions, injuries, or even just a body that’s not as durable as it used to be. Hot tubs are great for this, as the hot water and massaging jets can loosen injured and aching joints and muscles, improving mobility and flexibility. The decrease in inflammation that hot tubs produce is great for arthritis sufferers, and the improved circulation helps speed healing.
For those who want to start getting active again, but can’t handle the strain of normal fitness activities, the buoyancy of the water in a spa can turn simple stretches and exercises into low-impact workouts.
For Everyone Else
For a lot of us, there’s not even a need for rigorous physical activity to accumulate aches and pains; we accrue them well enough just from the stress and difficulty of normal life. Emotional stress can have a psychosomatic effect, causing everything from stiff necks to a seized digestive track. The warm water and massage jets help relieve stress, improve blood flow, and ease discomfort—whether it comes from a stressful boss or a bad office chair.
The added relaxation can help with problems like insomnia, as well. The warm soak helps calm both body and mind, and prepares you to fall asleep faster, and stay asleep longer.
About the Author:
Danielle Adams is a freelance writer who works with Bullfrog Spas. When she’s not writing, Danielle enjoys practicing yoga, meditation for stress relief, and learning more about hydrotherapy.
