How often should you use your hot tub?

Before you take the plunge to purchase a hot tub one of the considerations of ownership that you may be contemplating is “How often can I use my hot tub?”  and “How much time should I spend in my hot tub per session?”  Like most lifestyle choices, these can be subjective, but there are general tips and recommendations to gain the most health benefits from purchasing a hot tub.

Personal choice

How often you use your hot tub and at what time of day is your personal choice, but there is clear evidence, as well as expert advice from hot tub and medical professionals, that daily or regular use is the best policy to gain the most benefits from your investment.

Some owners find that by using their hot tub first thing in the morning it sets them up perfectly to combat any physical activities, prepare for exercise routines, or stress of the day. If you have a long commute before starting work early in the morning then you are probably not going to want to even consider taking a dip in your hot tub first. Your perfect time for a hot tub soaking session may be later in the evening to prepare your body for a restful night’s sleep after unwinding from the busy day with the help of the hydrotherapy and soothing warm water.

On the other hand, you may be one of the thousands of owners who love to spend their entire weekend relaxing in and around their hot tub. You could also be one of those owners who want to host regular ‘spa-rty’ events to take advantage of your hot tub being the central hub of a large gathering.

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Healing hydrotherapy

Hot tubs are now becoming popular with owners who are seeking to gain a digital detox capability combined with a multitude of wellness benefits from the healing hydrotherapy. If this is the main reason you are seeking to purchase a hot tub, then daily use, which has been proven to provide a multitude of health benefits, is the best policy. View our complete guide to hot tub health benefits here.

This is because that just by using your hot tub for 15 to 30 minutes daily, or every couple of days, it will have a major impact on your health.  A daily routine of hot tub use should help to ease the aches and pains in your body; while loosening up tired and stiff muscles from your neck downwards to your legs and feet. It will also promote enhanced blood flow, without placing excessive strain on your joints, as an extra wellness bonus.

Many respected hot tub manufacturers actively promote the fact that hot tubs utilised correctly on a daily basis help to alleviate common symptoms; such as the painful effects of arthritis, and back pain; as well as the silent build-up of stress that can be a killer if no positive action is taken. View more information in our recent post on using a hot tub for arthritis here. Some manufacturers have also incorporated advanced technology within their hot tub designs that are currently helping families to help ease painful skin conditions, and enhance their positive mood levels with specialist lighting, as part of daily or regular hot tub use every week. We have a dedicated guide covering our latest advice on buying the best hot tub for you.

Sports therapy

Amateur and professional athletes regularly use a hot tub as part of their training and recovery regimes, which are now becoming popular with hot tub owners as well. When you are totally submerged in warm water, as in a hot tub, you will begin to benefit from the life-enriching power of weightlessness.

When your whole body is immersed in a hot tub it reduces body weight by approximately 90 per cent, relieving pressure on joints and muscles, especially the spine which bears the brunt of modern living. Just 20 minutes immersed in warm water at around 37^oC also dilates blood vessels and improves circulation, which helps move inflammatory substances away from the joints, muscles and tendons.

Daily use of hydrotherapy is preferable because it ensures your muscles become relaxed to counteract the strain on them throughout the day, and this also stimulates the release of endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkiller. This is one of the main reasons that explains why hydrotherapy has become such a positive treatment for athletes and those involved in sports in recent years.

It allows them to train to maximum levels and then have the additional benefit of improved recovery rates following their strenuous sessions. This is because daily hot tub use within warm water helps to raise body temperature and allows our pores to naturally eliminate toxins as the body perspires.

Sleep benefits

Another major benefit of using your hot tub daily is to achieve good quality sleep. We are constantly being informed that our hectic lifestyles and constantly ‘switched on’ digital culture is leading to increased problems of disrupted sleep. So, if you are suffering from this problem then a daily hot tub session could be the answer.

This sleep problem applies to a great majority of the British population as research by the Mental Health Foundation and the Surrey Sleep Research Centre at Surrey University, has highlighted that almost two thirds of us are failing to gain a healthy boost from a good night’s sleep. Experts report that the problem has become widespread because we are failing to switch off from a wide range of electronic stimulus and worries about keeping pace with our hectic lifestyles and work.

Now it seems, the daily use of hot tubs may be the ideal answer to replicate the effect that parents of young children achieve by giving them a warm bath before bedtime. It is a natural process without having to resort to over the counter remedies and sleeping pills.

Generally, a daily hot tub session of only ten to 20 minutes prior to bedtime will naturally help your body to unwind and then gain much deeper and more relaxed regular sleep to prevent illnesses and health issues developing from a lack of sleep occurring on a consistent basis.

For more detailed information about the health benefits of regularly using your hot tub, including back pain problems, and expert purchasing and installation guidance, simply order your free copy of the latest issue of WhatSpa? magazine now.

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