Hot Tub Health Benefits

In the 1940s hot tubs started to become available in America. As far back as 737 AD Japan, the practice of ‘ofuro’ involved people soaking in saltwater heated by hot stones. This practice was found to be integrated even earlier throughout the globe simply because it made people feel so good, with long lasting results. 

Now, science has documented the many advantages of soaking in hot water which may be one of the best remedies that surpasses any conventional medicine to date. If you are fortunate enough to have access to a hot tub, these hot tub health benefits could have you soaking more frequently. If you don’t have a hot tub, you may want to find a way to get to one for the most natural way to enhance your body and mind for optimal functioning. Check out these hot tub health benefits to see if soaking is the new smoking.

Sleep Like A Baby

When a baby is swaddled in its blanket, the warmth from bodily circulation can keep an infant stress-free and sound asleep. The same goes for soaking in a hot tub.

Research out of the Sleep Disorders Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, which was published in the Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology reported that,

“Significant improvement in sleep continuity and a trend toward an increase in SWS occurred after hot baths. Results of subjective measures showed that subjects experienced significantly “deeper” and more restful sleep after hot baths.”

Another study looked at the effects of hydrotherapy on sleep in people suffering from the connective tissue autoimmune disease called fibromyalgia. The study showed improvement in sleep as well as several other benefits due to in water exercise routines. Even though this is not a hot tub soaking it does show how simply being in water could benefit sleep.

“Hydrotherapy improves sleep quality, physical function, professional status, psychological disorders and physical symptoms in patients with fibromyalgia.”

Try a hot tub session before bed. This can be a traditional hot tub setup, simple tub bath at home, or even a hot shower. 

Heart Health Helper

When you immerse yourself in a hot tub (or similar like a Jacuzzi), a rapid opening of the blood vessels can occur. This is called vaso (vay-zoh) dilation. An opening of the blood vessels means more optimal blood flow and possible cardiovascular improvement. When this response was studied on small cohorts exposed to heat therapy (hot tubs), some significant results occurred. 

Published in the Journal of Physiology, researchers from the Department of Human Physiology, University of Oregon showed that,

• A recent 30 year prospective study showed that lifelong sauna use reduces cardiovascular‐related and all‐cause mortality
• We showed that, relative to a sham group which participated in thermoneutral water immersion, heat therapy increased flow‐mediated dilatation, reduced arterial stiffness, reduced mean arterial and diastolic blood pressure, and reduced carotid intima media thickness, with changes all on par or greater than what is typically observed in sedentary subjects with exercise training.
• Our results show for the first time that heat therapy has widespread and robust effects on vascular function, and as such, could be a viable treatment option for improving cardiovascular health in a variety of patient populations, particularly those with limited exercise tolerance and/or capabilities.

If you don’t get to work out your heart enough at least eat right and try hot tub therapy, it could save your ticker. However, if you struggle with heart complications hot tub therapy can be contraindicative. Talk to your doctor before using a hot tub if there is a cardiovascular compromise. 

Drop Some Pounds

If you are on a weight management program to shed some unwanted weight, you may be able to drop some pounds by soaking in a hot tub a few days per week. The heat creates that vasodilation and when that happens not only your heart can benefit but fat molecules just may be zapped. 

Healthline reported that, 

“In a small 2016 study, participants soaked in a waist-high hot bath for an hour and burned about the same number of calories as a 30-minute walk.”

It is still imperative to adhere to a daily exercise program but adding in hot tub therapy could help, especially for those unable to exercise due to physical restraints. 

Mood Enhancer

Sometimes, soaking in a hot tub or even taking a sauna can improve mood and even relieve depression. It turns out that your brain may release serotonin, a mood enhancing hormone.

News Scientist reported that,

“Heating might have other benefits, says Christopher Lowry of the University of Colorado at Boulder. He has identified a group of serotonin-releasing neurons in a region of the brain called the dorsal raphe nucleus, which fire in response to increases in body temperature. They seem to initiate cooling, but these neurons also project into a region of the brain that regulates mood, which may account for the pleasure of a sauna.”

These hot tub health benefits are a small example of the many processes your body goes through when exposed to controlled heat. If you have a chance get to a hot tub, jacuzzi, sauna, or steam room to benefit your overall health today.

Sources:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8736588/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23223696/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5023696/

https://www.healthline.com/health/hot-tub-benefits#how-to-maximize-benefits

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21206-saunas-could-heal-your-mood-and-your-heart/