Intro to Health Benefits: 

Hydrotherapy has long been known to provide physical and mental health benefits of all kinds. The warm water helps relieve body aches and pains, ease mental stress, and improve overall well-being.

Over the course of history, many cultures have relied on natural hot springs, heated baths, and water therapy techniques alike to promote optimal health. Today’s spas use water and steam to relax and rejuvenate the body, athletes use ice baths and hot tubs to recuperate their muscles, and wellness centers use large bodies of water to improve mobility and fitness levels.

Hydrotherapy benefits are two-fold; physical benefits and mental benefits. Massage works to relax muscles and relieve pressure on nerves, boosting circulation and the body’s natural healing process. It is also used to promote relaxation and release accumulated stress, which ultimately helps our mental state.

Using water for wellness can really help in the following areas…

Arthritis: 

The CDC estimates that 50 million adults in the United States have some form of arthritis. While many people use prescription anti-inflammatory medications to combat this disease, hydrotherapy is a natural way to provide some relief. Long, warm soaks in a hot tub helps ease stiffness in joints and can make a difference in mobility, especially if you soak first thing in the morning. According to the Arthritis Foundation, regular sessions in a hot tub keep joints moving, preserve strength and flexibility, and may protect your joints from further damage.

Various studies of patients with both arthritis and fibromyalgia found that when they took part in warm water exercise programs two or three times a week, their pain decreased as much as 40 percent and their physical function increased. These programs produced emotional benefits to patients as well and helped them sleep better.

Source:  Arthritis Foundation (If you don’t want to toe the line too much I would take the above paragraph out)

Physical Pain & Muscle Relief: 

For those that suffer from physical pain such as body aches, back pain, or muscle injuries, a hot tub can be one of the best sources of relief from disabling pain. Soaking in hot water elevates your body temperature, causing blood vessels to dilate and increase circulation, resulting in less swelling and pain, and an overall increase in mobility. The anti-gravity effect of immersing your entire body in water also reduces pressure and can decrease swelling. The combination of decreased swelling and increased circulation provides healing to your body.

According to the National Institutes of Health, the most important aids for back pain include ice and heat. The heat relaxes your surrounding muscles, which reduces muscles spasms and increases blood flow and promotes healing. Ann Vincent, MD, medical director of the Mayo Clinic’s Fibromyalgia Clinic says the flexibility from increased blood flow lasts even after you get out of the tub.

Ask a hot tub owner how much better their body feels after using their hot tub!

Improved Sleep:

Do you struggle to fall or stay asleep at night? If so, you’re certainly not the only one! A soak in a hot tub before bed can help you achieve a good night’s sleep because the body’s internal thermostat drops after leaving the water, which tells your body it is time to sleep. Relaxing in hot water 90 minutes before going to bed can help you fall into a deeper, more restful sleep. Sleep improvement is promoted by the relaxing properties of hot water.

Owning a hot tub offers these benefits in the comfort of your own home!

Stress:

Everyone faces some type of daily stress, whether it comes from work, family, relationships or school, and over time it can all be damaging to our overall health.

When we are affected by stress this influences our mental and physical health. Stress causes our bodies to work harder to function, when the heart is working harder, breathing becomes more difficult, and digestion slows. Stress can result in anxiety, insecurity and even make it difficult to focus on the importance of other things.

A daily or weekly soothing session in the hot tub can provide vital relief to the effects stress has on our body. It is a great way to relax and unwind before or after a chaotic and stressful day. Hot tubs get your endorphins flowing by combining hydrotherapy with hot water relaxation. Heat, buoyancy, and massage are three key elements in your hot tub that combine to create a therapeutic, stress-relieving environment.

Depression:

Depression is a complex condition that can be treated in many different ways but sometimes the little things can help us get through one day at a time. According to Health Magazine, a study showed that soaking in hot water every day could actually help treat depression better than exercise. Those who were bathing in hot water regularly scored lower on a commonly used depression scale than did those that had been exercising.

A soak certainly won’t make it go away, but it can help ease some of the stress. To read more on the Hot Tub Benefits for Depression click here.

Relaxation:

There are times when we need to put everything down and focus on ourselves. That’s easier said than done when you don’t have an outlet or somewhere you can go to relax. Spending time in a hot tub is the perfect escape. It allows you to relax while being in the comfort of your own home. The jetted massage works to relax muscles and relieve pressure on your body. Many studies have proven that a warm water massage stimulates the release of endorphins, which can improve your mood and feelings.

Your hot tub will leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated.

Detoxification:

Tired of all the juice diets? One of the most natural ways to detox your body is to sweat. Much like exercising, warm water raises our body temperature and helps rid toxins from our body through sweat. Sweating helps flush the body of substances like food or alcohol by getting rid of excess sodium. The warm water in the hot tub increases circulation, which enhances detoxification. Heat encourages the deeper flow of blood and lymph fluids as the vessels dilate. Higher temperatures also boost body functions, including heart rate and metabolism.

Reminder, hot tubs are not a cure to these health concerns but they are definitely a great way to help improve your health!