So perhaps you’re considering purchasing a hot tub, but you’re wondering if it’s genuinely worth the investment. There is so much that you need to think about before you do so. But the fact of the matter is, there are so many ways in which a hot tub will be able to improve your life.
It can strengthen your relationships with family and friends, prove the main entertainment piece at parties and gatherings, and more. But in addition to all of that, hot tubs have many health benefits, too.
Some people need water therapy, but even if you don’t, it’s guaranteed that your hot tub will be helpful to you and your family in many different ways. Here is a list of some of the most significant ways hot tubs can help improve your health.
Pain Relief
1. It helps to relieve sore muscles.
Perhaps one of the main reasons people purchase hot tubs for health reasons is to relieve pain caused by sore muscles. We all tend to get sore from time to time since we put so much pressure on our muscles and joints.
We are constantly walking, standing, and sitting, which can cause pain when done for long periods. This is especially the case for those who play sports, do strenuous exercise, or work in jobs that demand physical labor. This all takes a toll on our bodies, which requires some time for relaxation if we don’t want to overwork ourselves to the point of exhaustion and suffer from more severe conditions. This is where the use of a hot tub comes in.
Before you choose to get a hot tub for this purpose, it is recommended that you see a doctor make sure that there is no underlying condition affecting you that would require additional treatment. But when you get into your hot tub after a long day of work, you will find yourself relaxing immediately, thanks to the warm temperature.
If you choose to get massage jets in your tub, then that will be even better. With the combination of the working jets and the hot water, you will relieve a lot of the tension placed on your muscles every day. In addition to that, when you get in the water, you are naturally more buoyant, which will allow your body to relax even more. Of course, taking a hot shower will also have a similar effect, but it’s the buoyancy of your hot tub that will allow you to feel entirely relaxed.
2. They’re an excellent way to provide some arthritis relief.
Many people who have different forms of arthritis claim that sitting in a hot tub for a few minutes helps relieve the symptoms of their illness. Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by the immune system’s compromised ability to function, which attacks the joints to cause pain and swelling. If you have osteoarthritis, this means that you will experience a loss in the cartilage between your bones, which will also cause severe pain. However, just because you have a form of arthritis doesn’t mean that you have to suffer in pain forever.
Many studies have shown that those who have arthritis have experienced a significant reduction in pain from hydrotherapy. Of course, there is not much exercise or swimming that you can do in a hot tub, but the water’s warmth will help relieve the pain in your joints and allow you to relax.
Water will decrease the amount of pressure your body puts on your joints, further allowing you to experience some relief. If you spend just a few minutes a day in your hot tub, likely, your arthritis won’t be as painful.
3. Hot tubs can provide headache relief.
Most of us suffer from headaches due to lack of sleep, hunger, stress, and many other issues. But some suffer from chronic migraines, which is a more complicated issue to deal with. Unfortunately, some medicines will do absolutely nothing to relieve headaches as they claim to, so you might feel as though you’re bound to suffer forever. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
Once again, consult with your doctor first to see if an underlying condition will require additional treatment. But if you find that your chronic headaches simply aren’t going away no matter what, perhaps it is time to try getting in the hot tub.
When you get in the water, the pressure placed on your head will decrease since your blood vessels will dilate. And the fact that the rest of your body will relax can also help provide some relief for your head.
4. It can help to control back pain.
The majority of us have or will suffer from back pain at some point. For some of us, it is chronic, but for others, we might experience back pain when we pull a muscle, sleep in the wrong position, or any other cause.
This is certainly not pleasant and can significantly hinder us from participating in many of our daily activities. And unfortunately, it tends to be the leading cause of disability for younger Americans. But that doesn’t mean you have to lose hope if this condition affects you.
It has been proven that one of the best ways to relieve lower back pain is through hydrotherapy or water therapy. You can opt to get this by a specialist, and it is recommended that you speak to a doctor first before doing anything that could impact your health. But your doctor may recommend that you try at-home treatments, which a hot tub will be perfect for.
We mentioned several times that warm water would help ease some of the pain and pressure in your body. Many people who suffered from lower back pain claimed that soaking in warm water helped significantly reduce their symptoms. So, it might be something that you can talk to your doctor about.
5. It can help to provide some relief for your fibromyalgia.
Those who have fibromyalgia know how difficult it can be to deal with it. This is a disorder that causes people to feel constantly tired and in pain all the time. It causes people not to be able to sleep properly, focus, or work well.
Some people’s doctors recommended that they try using hot tubs for relief of their fibromyalgia symptoms. And those who did try this method said that they experienced a lot of relief and could perform their daily activities as usual. So, if you suffer from this disorder, it might be worth talking to your doctor to see if hydrotherapy will help you.
Deeper Relaxation
6. Hot tubs are the best way to de-stress.
And perhaps the most crucial reason you should consider getting a hot tub is that they are proven to reduce stress levels. Of course, everyone deals with stress from time to time, and everyday events such as traffic, work, school, and more could cause stress levels to rise. But staying away from more extreme stress as much as possible is essential due to the negative impact that stress has on our bodies.
It is even said that stress is the cause of many illnesses, even more, serious ones. While stress is certainly unavoidable for almost all of us, the fact remains that we should try to monitor our stress as much as possible. For example, soaking in the hot tub for several minutes every day is proven to reduce stress.
It might not solve all of the problems you’re facing, but your body is bound to feel more relaxed when you get out, which will help you to meet your issues with a clearer mind. You can either choose to use the hot tub in the morning or the evening. Doing so at night will help you to sleep better, too, so there’s that bonus. And if you turn on the massage jets, your experience will be much more relaxing.
7. Hot tubs provide you with better sleep.
If you have insomnia or restless nights, it might do you some good to spend time in the hot tub. There have been several studies to prove that hot tubs can help to improve sleep. All it takes is several minutes a day to notice a difference.
The water temperature will allow your muscles to relax, and when you get out of the hot tub, the change in temperature from hot to cooler will allow you to feel tired. And especially since soaking in a hot tub will allow you to feel more relaxed and less stressed, this means that you will be able to sleep with a sounder mind.
Many people who have problems getting to sleep regularly have found that soaking in the hot tub for several minutes every evening allowed them to get the rest they needed at night. As a result, you are more likely to fall asleep sooner and stay asleep all night. And, you are also more likely to have a deeper sleep.
So, if you find that you have difficulty sleeping, and especially staying asleep, getting a hot tub will undoubtedly help you out.
8. You will build better relationships with those around you.
You might not necessarily see this as a health benefit, but being social and spending time with other people is a guaranteed way to improve your mood, feel better, and stay healthier.
Hot tubs themselves do not necessarily cause you to be social, but since having a hot tub will prove to be a leading source of entertainment in your home, it will be a catalyst for you to improve your relationships with others. So, whether you want to spend time in your hot tub with your family or friends, you will find that it has become a significant source of your happiness.
You most likely will not be taking electronics such as your smartphone in the hot tub with you, which means that you can spend time with your loved ones in a more personal manner. And combined with some of the other benefits that the hot tub will provide, such as a decrease in stress, you aren’t as likely to be thinking about some of the things that make you upset. In turn, having a hot tub as your primary source of entertainment or relaxation at home will certainly improve your relationships with those around you.
Cardiovascular Health
9. Water can help to improve your heart health.
It is crucial to make a quick disclaimer that soaking in the hot tub will not necessarily heal you if you have any cardiovascular diseases or issues. You should speak to your doctor about different treatment options if you are facing these kinds of problems. But to get relief, it is possible to try getting in the hot tub.
According to many doctors, getting in the water will help give your heart a workout of sorts. This is because water has pressure, which will increase the pressure that is placed on your body. This means that your heart needs to work harder to pump blood, and in doing so, your heart is essentially exercising.
This will help your heart to stay healthy. And in addition to this, water will help to lower your blood pressure. It might not be the only treatment you can utilize if you have hypertension, but it is guaranteed to provide some relief. When your heart rate increases, it causes your blood pressure to decrease, which means that you will stay healthy, and your cardiovascular system can stay healthy, too.
Additional Health Benefits
10. Hot tubs can improve weight loss effects.
Of course, soaking in a hot tub will not provide the same effects that proper diet and exercise will. Nor should it replace your routine. But studies have shown that a long soak in the hot tub will allow you to lose more weight than you usually would have.
For example, in one such study, people who got in the hot tub six days a week for 30 minutes ended up losing 4 pounds. This is likely since it not only relaxes you, but your blood sugar levels decrease. Plus, the warmth of the water is good for your body.
Once again, if you eat junk food all month long and don’t do any exercise other than getting in the hot tub, you might not notice any difference. But combining regular hot tub sessions with your routine will allow you to have better results.
11. You can get more exposure to sunlight.
This is, of course, if you choose to get a hot tub outside your house. Some people might get theirs in the basement or another convenient part of their home. But if you get your hot tub installed outdoors, you certainly will be able to reap the benefits that getting the additional sunlight will provide you with.
You must get an appropriate amount of vitamin D in your body to make sure that you can stay strong and active. A deficiency in vitamin D leads to extreme fatigue, depressive moods, a more compromised immune system, and more.
Since it’s challenging to get a proper amount of vitamin D in our diets, the best way is to take supplements or spend time in the sun. But if you live in an area that is cold or that experiences winter, then your ability to go out in the sun might be limited.
So, having a hot tub will allow you to spend time outside even when it’s colder, as you can use hot tubs all year long. And doing so will help to increase your body’s production of vitamin D.
12. You will have a better range of motion.
This might not seem like that big of a deal, but their range of motion also deteriorates when people get older. How quickly this takes place will depend on several circumstances, including genes, possible medical conditions, and your lifestyle. But if you get into a hot tub regularly, you might notice that the loss in your range of motion is not as fast. This is because it relieves the pressure placed on your joints that comes with everyday use and arthritis.
As we mentioned earlier, the buoyancy that you get in the hot tub will allow all of your muscles to relax, and you can restore the flexibility that you once had. But, of course, it is also possible for you to practice your flexibility while in the hot tub too, and there are plenty of safe exercises you can do.
Regardless of what you may be dealing with, getting in the hot tub has been proven to have many health benefits. So it’s a good idea to consider installing one at home to help you feel calm and relaxed as much as possible.