It’s common knowledge that pools are an excellent way to incorporate more low-impact exercise into your life as you work to achieve your weight loss goals. But can a hot tub really offer similar benefits? It’s a curious question that deserves a deep dive to understand a hot tub’s capabilities and potential benefits, which are as follows.
Stick to Your Diet With Less Stress
If you’re someone who’s always trying to make the right choices for your health but keeps losing to intense cravings, that’s often your body’s response to stress. Stress will increase the body’s production of cortisol (a stress hormone) and its desire for fatty foods as it is tricked into being in survival mode. As such, finding any way to help melt away stress can help you stay on track with your weight management and loss goals.
Sleep Better With Enhanced Relaxation
On the subject of stress, any exercise guru will tell you that recovery is critical to your overall health. And there’s only one time of day when your body is in full recovery mode: Sleep.
As you likely know, improving your sleep has many positive effects on your health, one of which is that it can lower your stress levels. Therefore, working to combat restlessness or exhaustion by relaxing in a hot tub can help put you at ease and ready yourself for a good night’s sleep.
Low-Impact Water Aerobics as a Weight Loss Option
Though you can’t get the same high-intensity aerobic workout in a hot tub that you can in a pool, that doesn’t mean you can’t use the hot tub at all to work out.
Exercising or stretching in hot water is phenomenal since it’s easy on your joints, and that makes hot tub workouts a viable option for those wanting to lose weight without feeling held back by limited mobility.
Burn Calories While Sitting and Soaking
Soaking in your hot tub will never replace a full-fledged workout, unfortunately. But believe it or not, you can still burn calories without so much as lifting a finger just by going for a dip in your tub.
The hot water will cause your body temperature to rise, which your body will respond to by trying to maintain your average resting temperature. That requires energy, which means your body will burn calories while doing it. It won’t be a significant amount, to be fair, but it’ll certainly be more than you’d burn by sitting and relaxing anywhere else!
Pain Relief and Faster Recovery Time
Many people struggle to keep up with their weight loss goals because of chronic pain. And while hot tubs aren’t necessarily the cure-all for these conditions, soaking in them can temporarily relieve discomfort and improve your range of motion. Stepping into yours in the morning, for example, can make it significantly less painful to go about your day, even if you aren’t planning on exercising.
These benefits are not just for those with chronic pain, either. Exercise injuries or other aches and pains can prevent you from working out for days or weeks at a time. But having a safe, comfortable place to continue your weight loss efforts ensures you aren’t derailed by anything.
Train More With Hydrotherapy
Hydrotherapy is more of a matter of cause and effect than it is a direct benefit of a hot tub, but it is still worth noting if you want to lose weight. Hot tubs that offer hydrotherapy are able to further soothe your aching muscles and ease tension. The faster your recovery time, the faster you can get back out there and stick to your workout routine!
What’s the Answer?
With all of the above being said, can a hot tub truly help you lose weight? Everything points to yes, but there is an important caveat: Soaking in a hot tub is not a direct way to lose weight.
Still, the benefits of a daily soak can reverberate throughout your life in several positive ways, many of which can help make things easier for you throughout your weight loss journey.
Improve Your Life With a Hot Tub From New England Spas
No matter your health or wellness goals, New England Spas has the perfect hot tubs and swim spas to help you reach them. See our catalog of quality spa options yourself, and feel free to reach out to us with any questions or for more information!
