National Stress Awareness Day: How Hot Tubs Can Improve Wellbeing!

What is Stress?

Stress is our body’s natural response to pressure. We will constantly be exposed to stress throughout our lives as we encounter unexpected situations that may threaten our sense of control or self.

Many different circumstances can lead to stress. When we encounter stress, our body responds by producing hormones that trigger a fight or flight response and activate our immune system.

Our body’s reaction to stress can be extremely useful in short term situations, pushing us through feelings of fear or pain to run a marathon, sit an exam, or deliver an important speech. However, over time prolonged stress can be detrimental to your health and wellbeing.

We all cope with stress differently. Implementing small changes or strategies to our lifestyle can help us learn how to manage it. For example, hot tubs can be used as the perfect tool to ease and control the stresses of daily life. To find out how they can help you alleviate the many symptoms of stress, keep reading.

Stress Relief: 

Excessive stress can have harmful effects on muscle tension, causing headaches, fatigue, and joint pain. However, regularly soaking in your hot tub is the perfect remedy for the physical and psychological symptoms of stress. 

When using a hot tub, the warm water actively raises your body temperature, increasing blood flow to your muscles to relieve pain and tension and accelerate healing. The water pressure delivered by the jets also works to massage the body, soothing any knots and kinks, while the water’s buoyancy eases the weight off your joints. This simulates a therapeutic massage experience and promotes the release of endorphins, which are the body’s natural antidote to stress.

In addition to physical stress relief, hot tubs provide a secure and comforting environment to relax in with friends and family. Soaking in a home hot hub with the people you care most about can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety, creating a safe place for meaningful conversation and memorable moments with loved ones.

Sleep More Soundly: 

Say goodnight to insomnia with an at-home hot tub! According to the National Sleep Foundation, 30 million Britons suffer from mild to chronic insomnia and other sleep disorders.

The warmth of your hot tub can help to induce the feeling of sleepiness by increasing your body’s temperature. Soaking in your hot tub raises your core body temperature, so when you leave it, your body gradually begins to cool, signalling to your brain that it is time for bed.

A study in the journal ‘Sleep’ showed that incorporating hot tub use into your routine before bed will not only help you fall asleep but also provide a deeper, more relaxing sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep is essential to reduce stress as it encourages better concentration, memory, mood, to help you tackle the day. 

Promote Weight Loss: 

A hot tub can be an unexpected and enjoyable addition to your weight loss toolkit. Regular soaks in an at-home hot tub can simulate the effects of exercise on your body. This can trigger increased blood flow and circulation to help speed up your metabolism.

In clinical studies, patients using hot tubs lost an average of 3.5 pounds in weight without any dietary changes or increased physical exercise. Therefore, relaxing in your hot tub can aid in promoting and maintaining a healthy weight, allowing you to look and feel your best. 

Minimise the Pain of Arthritis: 

Arthritis is one of the most common forms of joint pain and inflammation. Often seen as an affliction of the elderly, many young people also suffer from a restricted lifestyle due to their swollen joints. With no side effects and instantaneous pain relief, hot tubs are a fantastic addition to medical arthritis treatments to improve wellbeing.

It is recommended by the Arthritis Research Campaign to regularly soak away the symptoms of arthritis in a hot tub. In doing so, this will expose saw joints to the warmth and therapeutic pressure of the water. For those suffering from joint pain and stiffness, hot tubs can vastly improve your quality of life, providing respite and the opportunity to recharge.

Lower Blood Pressure:

Stress can vastly increase your body’s exposure to high blood pressure, which can put added strain on the health of your heart. In a recent study for the Mayo Clinic, hot tubs had a robust effect on heart disease patients by improving their vascular function and blood pressure.

The study demonstrated that regularly relaxing in a hot tub for as little as 15 minutes would actively help to lower blood pressure, stress, and improve general heart health.

Lower Diabetic Blood Sugar Levels: 

For those with type 2 diabetes, hot tub therapy has been found to promote lower blood sugar levels. A study by the New England Journal of Medicine found that bathing in a hot tub mimicked the beneficial effects of exercise.

In addition, patients with type 2 diabetes who soak in a hot tub for 30 minutes a day, six days a week for three weeks, experienced a reduction in blood sugar levels by an average of 13%.

At Jewel hot tubs, we understand that your hot tub offers a convenient, simple, and healthy way to deal with the stress and anxiety of daily life. Our home spas have been designed for optimum performance, creating a safe space right outside your door and for a comprehensive relaxation experience. You can find out more about our luxury range of hot tubs here.