Hot Tub Soaking – As Good As Exercise
Yes, you read that title right: hot tub soaking as good as exercise.
While you might question the validity of that statement, in this article, we’re going to take a look at a study done by British researcher, Steve Faulkner, at Loughborough University that found soaking in hot water does indeed have benefits that are just as good as exercise.
The Study
- Researchers assigned 14 men to either an hour-long soak at 104◦ or an hour of cycling.
- The goal of either the soak of the cycling was to cause the participant’s core body temperature to rise over the specified time period.
- Faulkner’s team measured how many calories the participants burned in each session.
- They also monitored participant’s blood sugar for 24 hours after each trial
The Results
Researchers found that soaking resulted in just about as many calories burned as a half hour walk. This amounted to around 140 calories.
The response in their blood sugar condition was very similar, but peak blood sugar after eating was nearly 10% lower for those who soaked than those who exercised/cycled.
Faulkner’s team also found changes to the inflammatory response similar to that following exercise.
Why is this important? The anti-inflammatory response to exercise helps protect people against infection and illness, while chronic inflammation makes people less likely to fight off diseases.
Their conclusion? Repeated passive heating may help reduce the chronic inflammation that is present with long-term diseases such as Type 2 diabetes.
The Conclusion
The findings of the research team are very important because they show the physical effect of soaking in hot water (hot tubs/spas) is quite similar to exercise.
The bonus for you is that not only can you reap the healthy benefits of hot tub soaking, but you can enjoy it at the same time.
Bottom line – hot tub soaking is immensely good for you. It helps you fight disease, stress, health problems such as heart issues and diabetes, and it’s relaxing.
So, the next time, you think you’ll forgo your daily soak because you’re too busy, remember the magnitude of health benefits found in your daily 20-minute soak.
Don’t have a hot tub? We can help you put one in your backyard and start enjoying a daily soak, because it is as good as exercise.
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