When people decide to start shopping for a hot tub, it’s usually because they want a taste of the “good life”, a place to entertain family and friends, or an oasis to get away from it all. Other reasons that run through their minds might be adding to the beauty of their backyard, increasing their property value, or to simply reward themselves after years of hard work.

All of these are good reasons to invest in a hot tub, but many folks aren’t aware of the many health benefits hot tubs actually bring. In fact, hot water hydrotherapy is so beneficial to your health that you could almost consider your hot tub a health and wellness product!

What is Hot Water Hydrotherapy?

In addition to the calming, soothing effect we feel when we immerse ourselves in warm water, the physical nature and pressure of water plays a large role in hot water hydrotherapy.

For example, in water we weigh approximately 10% of our actual body weight, so we’re relieved of the normal pressures exerted upon us by gravity. This state helps alleviate pain and pressure on our joints and muscles, which don’t have to work as hard to keep our body in position thanks to our body’s buoyancy in water.

Since water is denser than air, it can support your body weight. This makes it more difficult for fluids to accumulate under the skin or the extremities, and provides added support for body joints. As you move your limbs or whole body through water, the water pressure helps blood move through the veins and back towards the heart, improving circulation.

Hot tubs are typically kept at the optimum temperature for hot water hydrotherapy, making them perfect for experiencing its healing effects. 

7 Health Benefits of Hot Tub Therapy

Hot tub therapy doesn’t have to follow any sort of rehabilitative regimen – just turn on your hot tub and climb in!

Not only is hot tub therapy great for our overall health and well-being, it can also help treat certain chronic conditions by offering these specific benefits:

• Stress Buster: People soak in baths and hot tubs for a reason – they’re relaxing! Studies have shown that immersing in warm water reduces the hormones associated with stress, producing changes parallel to relaxation, anxiety reduction, and lower levels of stress. Not to mention that stress is reduced when you have a hot tub party, because they’re so much fun!
• You Sharpen Up: When you’re relaxed and your stress is reduced, cognitive skills such as decision-making, problem solving, memory, attention and judgement tend to improve. Try taking a soak before your next big meeting and you’ll be the corporate superstar!
• Treats Insomnia: Having trouble sleeping, or need to get a deeper sleep? Soak in your hot tub before bed. Not only does the hot swirling water leave you feeling mentally and emotionally relaxed, but your body’s core internal thermostat also drops after you leave the water, signalling to your body that it’s time to sleep. The water’s buoyancy also relieves pressure on your joints and muscles, helping lull you to dreamland when your head hits the pillow.
• Increases Circulation: Good circulation improves healing, and soaking in warm water increases circulation. Increased circulation brings important nutrients to your muscle tissue, helping cells heal and regenerate, which speeds up healing and improves pain management.
• Improves Heart Health: Although it’s been previously thought hot tubs and spas present a risk to heart patients, recent studies have shown that a good soak is actually beneficial to heart health. Relaxing in your hot tub increases your heart rate, lowers your blood pressure, and is less stressful on your heart than working out on an exercise bicycle, which can actually increase blood pressure. Hot tub therapy also protects the heart from rhythm disturbances and improves heart muscle efficiency.
• Arthritic Relief: Arthritic pain can be debilitating, making you not want to move. If you stop moving, your overall well-being will decline. Hydrotherapy in your hot tub can restore and preserve joint strength and flexibility, and helps to prevent further damage. People suffering from fibromyalgia, knee, hip, or other joint pain and stiffness, or sports-related injuries or strain can also benefit from a nice, hot soak, and get them moving again to improve their overall health.
• Diabetic Therapy: Hot tub therapy has been known to reduce blood sugar levels and improve sleep patterns. In some cases, diabetes patients have been able to actually reduce their insulin intake. Reduced stress on joints can also help those unable to exercise lead a more active lifestyle.

Your hot tub equipment also plays a role in health and wellness. Have you noticed that people love to sit in front of the water jets? That’s because the light massage they provide stimulates the nerves in our skin and muscles, increasing blood flow and muscle relaxation. Even the tiny air bubbles in the water activate certain neural reflexes, which causes a chemical reaction that brings us a sense of peace and contentment.

Share the Health Benefits of Hot Tubs

The best part of using your hot tub for therapeutic reasons is that you don’t have to go it alone. Share the health benefits of hot tubs by inviting family and friends to join you in the water. Laughter can also cure many ailments, and laughing while enjoying the company of those close to you will only enhance the healing effects the hot tub already brings.

Hot Tubs in Mississauga, Oakville, and the Greater Toronto Area

If you have questions about the health benefits of owning a hot tub, visit Lakeshore Pools & Hot Tubs at 309 Lakeshore East in Mississauga and speak to our award-winning staff. We’ll make sure all your questions are answered, and show you our line of durable, high-quality Beachcomber hot tubs that will provide you with hours of fun and improved health and wellness.

Visit us or call (905) 891-8818 today!