Hot tubs/spas might be the miracle you've been waiting for if you want to relieve chronic pain, aid weight loss, or improve mental health. And you can enjoy many other hot tub benefits.
People have been enjoying a relaxing soak in a hot tub for centuries. For many people, it's simply a fun thing to do that feels very luxurious. Spend regular time in your own hot tub, and you'll soon appreciate that it can have many positive effects.
If you'd like to add some relaxing time in your home spa to your daily schedule, let's fill you in on the many hot tub benefits you can expect to enjoy.
Are Hot Tubs Healthy?
Yes! A hot tub helps overall well-being with incredible health benefits such as better cardiovascular health and more. A hot tub is a bath filled with hot water with powerful hydrotherapy jets that massage your body while you soak.
People purchase hot tubs for various reasons. Some want a hot tub purely for recreational use but others for its health benefits, for relaxation, or for hot tub hydrotherapy.
Hydrotherapy uses water to relieve pain and discomfort and promote physical well-being. The combination of powerful hot tub jets and warm water massage your body. You can try various types of hydrotherapy at home in your hot tub/spa.
Exercise: The buoyancy of water reduces the stress of gravity, so you get better motion, and there is less joint pain than in traditional exercise. Stretching in your spa can also warm your muscles up before more strenuous exercise routines.
Contrast hydrotherapy: Contrast therapy involves a series of carefully controlled temperature changes.
Watsu: Watsu is a form of water therapy that involves getting a massage while submerged in water. Hot water jets in a spa provide muscle stimulation and gently stretch your muscles. In addition, massage relieves tension.
What are the Health Benefits of Using a Hot Tub?
There are multiple hot tub health benefits. The degree of health benefits varies from person to person, depending on your general health and spa use.
One or more of the following health benefits could be beneficial for you.
1. Overcome Stress and Anxiety
Number one on the list of hot tub health benefits is relief from stress and anxiety. A hot bath is a well-known stress tonic, as it eases the tension of the day. The warm water is soothing, and the massaging action can help relieve mental, emotional, and physical stress.
Random and controlled studies have shown hydrotherapy improves emotional and psychological states and reduces stress.
2. Relax Sore Muscles
The massaging action of the hot tub jets combined with the hot water is very effective at soothing and relaxing tense and tight muscles. When your muscles are more relaxed, it helps to ease aches and pains, and sore muscles recover quicker.
3. Improved Sleep
Research shows the relaxation you feel after a soak in a hot tub may be just what you need to help you fall asleep quicker. It also helps you enjoy continuous sleep and cures insomnia or other sleep disorders.
For example, a study evaluated passive body heating and how it affected older adults with insomnia. Hot baths were found to promote more restful and deeper sleep.
Another study examined the effects of hydrotherapy on sleep quality and physical function among a group of people with fibromyalgia. It was concluded that it did help improve sleep quality and other fibromyalgia symptoms. A good night's sleep is essential for overall well-being.
4. Pain Relief
Pain relief is another appealing benefit of soaking in a hot tub. The warm water relaxes your aching muscles, tendons, and joints. Do you have arthritis? Soaking in a hot tub can help encourage muscle relaxation and ease inflammation that causes pain.
Soaking in a hot tub supports your body, reducing the weight on your joints, which improves flexibility and range of motion.
Several studies on hydrotherapy treatments and chronic back pain showed a reduction of symptoms.
5. Enhanced Insulin Sensitivity
Insulin sensitivity is a measure of how responsive cells are to insulin. Enhanced insulin sensitivity can help to reduce insulin resistance.
It is the opinion of some researchers that regular thermal therapy using a hot tub or sauna could be beneficial in the management of diabetes.
A review in 2015 also found that hot tub and sauna therapy might benefit people suffering from diabetes and obesity.
6. Better Cardiovascular Health
When you relax in a hot tub, the heat will raise your heart rate and lower your blood pressure.
A study conducted in 2016 found that hot water immersion could have robust effects on blood pressure and vascular function.
Research in 2003 also found that 10 minutes of hot tub immersion could lower blood pressure and be safe for most people suffering from high blood pressure.
7. May Help Manage Heart Disease and Type-2 Diabetes
Some studies indicate that regular hot tub hydrotherapy treatment, up to thirty minutes per day, can help with type-2 diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels. Such hot tub/spa therapy can also normalise blood pressure, which helps manage heart disease.
8. Relief from Fibromyalgia Symptoms
Spending time in a hot tub can reduce some fibromyalgia symptoms. A study of the effects of hydrotherapy on fibromyalgia symptoms showed considerable benefits.
9. Migraine, Sinus, and Headache Relief
Do you suffer from regular migraines, headaches, or sinus issues? Soaking in a hot tub could help because it dilates your blood vessels, which in turn, encourages blood flow and helps to reduce pressure buildup. Excess pressure is often the cause of this type of pain.
10. Relief from Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms
Arthritis is a condition characterised by swelling, joint pain, and a decreased range of motion. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that can lead to widespread pain. Both conditions can leave sufferers with chronic pain and reduce their quality of life.
A controlled study found that spending time in a hot tub resulted in temporary relief from arthritic joint pain after just two weeks of taking regular hot baths. Another study indicated that hydrotherapy could reduce pain, joint tenderness, and tension in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
11. Respiratory Benefits
Soaking in a hot tub is very similar to immersion therapy. The positive effects of the pressure exerted by the water in this therapy encourage blood flow and lead to beneficial effects on breathing.
The increased blood flow means your lungs can deliver high levels of oxygen around your body better.
The pressure also affects blood distribution throughout your chest cavity and slightly compresses the chest wall. The combined elements lead to powerful respiratory therapy and improved breathing.
12. Improved Bone Health
Increased blood flow from soaking in a hot tub means the body can deliver critical nutrients to bones. Relaxing in a hot tub is, therefore, excellent for bone health.
13. Clearer Skin
It is believed that relaxing in a hot tub/spa could stimulate collagen production. Increased collagen production helps reduce wrinkles and leaves you with a fresh new look.
14. Healthier Hair
A soak in a hot tub increases blood flow throughout your body, including the hair follicles and scalp. Better blood flow delivers more nutrients to the scalp, resulting in healthier hair.
15. Helps Weight Loss
A small study in 2016 found that people spending sixty minutes in hot tubs lost weight and burned a similar number of calories as someone taking a thirty-minute walk.
It doesn't mean a soak in a hot tub should replace exercise, but it can help you lose weight. Even soaking for thirty minutes in a hot tub could help boost your metabolism and burn more calories, particularly if you find exercise difficult.
16. Hours of Entertainment
The number one reason most people rush out and invest in a hot tub is its entertainment value. Maybe they want to enjoy drinks with their partner or friends, have a pool party, or have a relaxing soak on a cold day. The ways to enjoy soaking in a hot tub are only limited by your imagination!
17. Full-Body Detox
Warm water in a hot tub stimulates detoxification throughout the body via the liver, kidneys, lungs, and colon because they induce lymphatic flow, improving circulation and calming inflammation.
18. Stronger Immune System
The warm water in a hot tub opens blood vessels and decreases blood pressure. In turn, this improves blood flow and circulation. The result - nerves are stimulated to boost your immune system.
19. Improves Circulation
For cells and organs to function efficiently, they need oxygen and vital nutrients. Good circulation is vital to carry these around the body.
Relaxing in a hot spa increases your core body temperature, which dilates your blood vessels, allowing better circulation. Improved circulation leads to less chronic pain and muscle tension and can speed up the healing process.
20. Relief From PMS Cramps
A soak in a warm bath helps relax the muscles, relieve cramps, and alleviate PMS anxiety. A relaxing soak releases endorphins, the body's natural painkiller.
21. Enhanced Kidney Functioning
There is some evidence that immersion in a bath can positively affect kidney function. This is because renal function becomes more efficient during warm water immersion. Edemas can also be reduced if they are present.
How to Get the Most Benefit From Each Hot Tub Session
If you want to maximise your hot tub experience and its benefits, here are some tips:
Make sure the water temperature isn't excessive. The maximum should be 104°F (40°C)
Reduce the risk of dehydration by drinking plenty of liquids
Make sure the tub is clean and properly maintained
Clean and test the water regularly
Don't stay in the hot tub for too long. Soaking for between ten and fifteen minutes is optimal.
Wash with soap and lukewarm water before and after using the tub
Conclusion
The many health benefits of hot tubs include more peaceful sleep, relaxed muscles, reduction in pain, and more. However, research is still ongoing into the benefits of hot tubs and hydrotherapy.
For optimal health and safety, keep your tub/spa well maintained and don't use very hot water. If you've got any health issues, consult your doctor before using one. If you've got injured skin or are pregnant, you should avoid spending time in a hot tub.
Provided a hot tub is used carefully, it is safe for most people.
FAQs
Will a hot bath help hip pain?
A soak in a hot spa can relieve all kinds of pain because the hot water relaxes your joints and increases circulation.
Are hot tubs good for muscle recovery?
Hot tubs can help speed up healing in your muscles because the hot water relaxes blood vessels and improves blood flow. In turn, better blood flow eases soreness because the blood carries protein, oxygen, and other essential nutrients needed for muscle repair.
Are hot tubs good for acne?
Yes, they are because the warm water opens up skin pores and allows them to release toxins and cleanse the skin.
Is a hot tub good for cellulite?
Warm water and massage stimulate blood flow, tone the body tissues, reduce fluid retention, and relieve swelling. All of these can rescue the appearance of cellulite.
Does a hot tub lower blood sugar?
Recent research found that hot tub therapy could lower blood glucose levels because it increases blood flow.
Does a hot tub help nasal congestion?
Yes. Hot steam can break up congestion because it shrinks the swollen nasal passage membranes.
Do hot tubs detox your body?
Hot tubs help detox your body via a deep and invigorating sweat. Spend time inside your spa, and your core body temperature will rise. Ultimately, this means you're going to sweat.
Does a hot tub burn belly fat?
You're not going to burn too many calories when soaking in your spa. However, it's estimated that a one-hour soak burns the same calories as a thirty-minute walk.
Does a hot tub reduce inflammation?
Yes, regular hot baths can reduce inflammation.
Does a hot tub affect muscle growth?
Recent research has shown that hot tub therapy can enhance muscle growth and fat loss due to increased growth hormone levels.
