A few weeks ago, we wrote about the many different physical health benefits a regular warm water soak can bring. Well, the good news doesn’t stop there! Here are five incredible ways using a hot tub can improve your mental wellbeing too.
1. Warm water therapy helps reduce stress and anxiety
In this day and age, it’s easy to get stressed. Whether it’s dealing with stop and go traffic, a difficult boss or customers at work, or sporadic fits of tantrum from the little ones at home, there’s no shortage of triggers that can get our blood boiling. Fortunately, there are just as many ways to combat that daily stress.
Arguably the best method is a 15–30-minute soak in a hot tub at the end of a long day. The warm water relaxes your body and clears your mind, keeping you from dwelling on the things that have been bothering you. It’s also a proven method for reducing anxiety in people suffering from excessive worrying and nervousness.
2. Body temperature fluctuations promote better sleep
Speaking of anxiety, two of the most common symptoms are insomnia and poor sleeping habits. Research has shown that soaking in a warm bath or hot tub 60–90 minutes before your bedtime can improve your circadian rhythm and is a natural way to signal to your body that it’s time for rest.
Submerging yourself in a hot tub slowly increases your core body temperature. When you get out, your body then enters a cooling phase. This process closely mimics our bodies’ natural temperature fluctuations that we experience during a normal REM cycle. And the best part is, getting a good night’s sleep is one of the best ways to combat stress!
3. Hot tub use can help balance your hormones
If you’ve ever spent a significant amount of time around a teenager, then you’re most likely aware of the unpredictable emotional range that is caused by a simple hormone imbalance. Unfortunately, mild to severe hormone fluctuations can affect people of all ages.
Luckily for us, spending just a few minutes a day in a hot tub can drastically help bring back balance. The hot water relaxes your breathing and expands your blood vessels which improves blood flow. This is turn increases your levels of “happy” hormones such as dopamine and serotonin, while at the same time decreasing “stress” hormones like cortisol and epinephrine.
4. Soaking regularly improves overall mood
There are millions of Americans today that suffer from depression, bouts of aggression, and other personality disorders. While there is no “simple fix” for these serious mental illnesses, one study conducted by the University of Freiburg found that regularly soaking in a warm bath or hot tub actually decreased levels of depression in participants more so than daily exercise.
We’re certainly not suggesting you skip your regular workout, but if you do need a quick and easy mood boost, perhaps your best option would be to hop into your trusty Cal Spas hot tub.
5. They even offer mental reprieve from physical pain
Whether you’re suffering from chronic back pain or mild post-workout muscle soreness, there are few things more mentally distracting than physical pain. Well it’s time to stop dwelling on the pain and start soaking your worries away.
Hydrotherapy relieves many different kinds of aches, pains, and long-term discomforts such as arthritis, headaches, and joint pain. And when your body is no longer in agony, your mind will be free and at ease once more.
Improve your mental wellbeing with Cal Spas
Don’t have a hot tub yet? The spa specialists at Cal Spas of Minnesota can help you find the perfect hot tub for your lifestyle and mental needs. Give us a call or visit one of our showrooms in the Twin Cities to start improving your mental health and overall quality of life.