“Are hot tubs good for you?”
This is a common question people ask when they begin thinking about buying a hot tub. Just like anything, there are risks in using it if it’s misused, such as not keeping the water clean or having the water too hot. The good news is that these risks are easily avoided, with many models having safety features embedded in their systems to protect you.
Ultimately, the benefits far outweigh the risks of using a hot tub, and including one in your backyard will quickly make you wonder how you lived without one for so long!
Are Hot Tubs Good For You? 6 Life-Changing Benefits Of Hot Tubs
The answer is YES, the hot tubs are good for you because they offer many health benefits, including social and family bonding time, relaxation, and health improvements. While many think hot tubs are just for relaxing in hot, bubbly water (they’re not wrong), there are so many additional, life-changing benefits of having a hot tub.
Here are a few of our favorites!
1. Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy is one of the biggest benefits you’ll experience with your hot tub.
Essentially, hydrotherapy is the use of water to affect the body in a positive way. While hydrotherapy can be done with either hot or cold water, most of the time, it’s done with water that is heated to the optimal temperature. This supports the body in many ways, such as releasing tense muscles, relaxing the body, and improving circulation.
Pair that with high-powered jets that have precise targeting to include hydromassage, releasing those tight muscles with pulsing pressure for quick relief. You’ll have the perfect recipe for full body relaxation and optimal healing.
Ideally, water should be between 94° and 102°, with the optimal temperature being 102°. This temperature will slowly raise your body temperature, heating your muscles and providing the most enjoyable, relaxing release of stiffness possible.
2. Unique And Improved Fitness Potential
When you hear the word ‘fitness,’ a hot tub is certainly not the first thing that comes to mind. While fitness usually includes running, lifting weights, and popular HIIT workouts, a hot tub can be a powerful support for your fitness regime.
When you use a hot tub, either before or after a workout session, you will see better results long term. Using a hot tub before a workout session will help loosen up your muscles and prepare them to withstand the work they will be doing, as well as increase your range of motion, leading to fewer injuries.
Hot tubs are also a strong part of a fitness program because they help reduce the load on your joints following a workout. The buoyancy of the water will help reduce the pressure on your joints and give them time to rest during a post-workout spa session. During this time, you’ll also be repairing your muscles more effectively and efficiently due to the increased circulation and blood flow that occurs when you’re submerged in hot water.
Being able to warm up quickly, have an increased range of motion, and better repair following a hard workout all sound great. However, there is one other big fitness benefit you can experience by adding a hot tub into your fitness routine.
Increasing blood flow through heat therapy is a great way to promote weight loss. As blood is pumping through your system, it requires energy to move throughout your body. This burns additional calories while you’re wrapped in the steamy water and having a deep massage from the jets around you!
3. Stress Management
Stress has become a common factor in many Americans’ daily lives. Between demanding jobs, social media, and unparalleled access to information from around the globe, stress levels are rising more than ever. Being able to melt stress away is essential, and even better if it’s right in your backyard!
Hot tubs do far more than simply relax sore muscles. Stress causes people to hold their muscles tight throughout the day without realizing it, causing tension and pain that can last years if not treated.
Taking time to escape the stress and unwind in a hot tub can be life-changing, affecting more than just how your body feels. It can improve your mental state as well.
Spending time in a hot tub will naturally signal your body to release the tension it’s been under, letting your body soften and let go of the stress it’s been holding onto. The compression of the warm water hugs your body in a way that calms your fight or flight response, much like a weighted blanket would.
This also helps your body release endorphins, the same chemical that many people feel after working out or running. This release gives you that unmistakable ‘feel good’ feeling, which will last long after your spa session is over.
Soaking in a warm hot tub can also positively impact your mental health. A recent study completed by the University of Freiburg, Germany, has found that regular use of hydrothermal baths had significant positive effects on participants with depressive disorders after only two weeks.
This means that hot tubs can be a natural remedy for those people who need additional options to manage their mental health and can be strong support for everyone’s emotional resilience.
4. Better Quality Of Sleep
How often do you toss and turn in bed, desperately wishing to fall asleep before you have to get up for work the next morning? This is something that many people struggle with. The world is filled with endless access to entertainment, keeping us awake even after we’ve settled into bed for the evening.
Taking a dip in a hot tub an hour before you head to bed can be the perfect way to help combat those sleepless nights and help you get better sleep than you have in years!
The natural rise and fall of your body temperature after using a hot tub signals your body that it’s time to sleep, helping you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer!
Not only that, but having a full body massage to loosen up those stiff muscles will help you unwind from your busy day so you can also get a deeper sleep. Your body will finally be able to fully relax and drift to sleep with ease.
5. Lower Blood Pressure
Another reason hot tubs are good for you is the fact that hot tubs increase your body’s circulation by signaling the blood vessels throughout your body to expand. This helps your heart pump blood through your body easier and lets the blood access those muscles that need it most.
A study published in the Journal of Physiology found that people who bathed in warm water experienced a drop in blood pressure while also having positive changes in their cardiovascular health.
This study discovered that spending an extended period bathing in hot water would raise the participants’ heart rate while also putting less pressure on it as it pumped. This means that while you relax in a hot tub, your heart is getting a workout, keeping it strong and healthy!
6. Pain Relief
Being in pain every day shouldn’t be the norm. Yet somehow, 20% of our population, roughly 60 million people, are suffering from chronic pain every day, according to a 2019 report by the CDC, with ‘chronic’ being listed as any pain that’s lasted more than three months.
With pain affecting so many American lives, it’s important to find ways to manage it outside clinics. Pain management at home can be much more than stretching, ice packs, and expensive over-the-counter relief.
Investing in a hot tub can be a game-changer to your pain management regime. It has been shown to help people with chronic back pain, arthritis, and even fibromyalgia manage their daily pain.
Including warm hydrotherapy and massage in your daily routine can have profound effects on your pain in a wide range of ways. Spending even 20 minutes a day surrounded by warm water, letting your body temperature rise and your muscles relax, helps release the tension and inflammation causing your pain. Include a gentle massage from the jets precisely targeting your sore spots, and you’ll begin feeling your pain ease away.
As mentioned above, hot water helps open your blood vessels and promote better circulation, ensuring that the oxygen and nutrients in your blood can reach and support all your pain points.
When you pair that with the buoyancy of the water and naturally contoured seats, you’ll be removing all the weight that’s been causing pressure in your joints, allowing them to fully rest, releasing the pain they’ve been causing you.
Elevate Your Lifestyle With A Hot Tub From Lifestyle Outdoor
Including a home spa in your backyard can be a welcome relief from life’s daily stressors, provide natural support for your overall health, and give you a beautiful space to share with your loved ones.
We’ve been serving the Los Angeles area for over 30 years, and we take pride in offering high-quality, affordable spas.
Our team of professionals can answer any questions you may have and help you find the perfect hot tub for your family, or learn more from the FAQ page.
