Have you been daydreaming about taking a hot, soothing bath and giving yourself a long overdue break from everyday life?
Whether you’re looking at Hot Spring destinations, planning a quick weekend escape to a luxurious spa or considering investing in your home and creating your own little relaxation corner – Submerging yourself in hot water comes with a myriad of health benefits, and you shouldn’t be depriving yourself of any of them. Now, before you cancel all your plans for the rest of the month and tie yourself to your hot tub, you should be aware there are some risks involved, and we’ll talk about them as well, but first let’s cover the benefits.
Here are 6 health benefits of soaking in hot water:
- You Will Have Clearer Skin
Spend at least 15 minutes in the tub, and you’ll be en route to clearer skin in no time. Hot water works in a similar fashion to a steam room, where the heat encourages your skin pores to open up and release all the dirt, oils, and leftover makeup while the water rinses it away. Combine this with an exfoliating face and body scrub for a better effect. Pores need to be closed afterward so consider taking a cold shower. Remember to keep yourself hydrated and drink enough liquids after all that sweating.
- No More Counting Sheep
Sleep deprivation has numerous side-effects, one of them being a slower metabolism which results in an unwanted weight gain Aside from relaxing your tense body after a stressful day, raising your body temperature before going to bed can help you fall asleep easier and faster. Take a hot bath one hour before going to bed. The rise and sudden decline in body temperature when you walk into a cooler environment, like your bedroom, prepare your body for a deep and healthy slumber.
- Improve Your Cardiovascular Health
When soaking in hot water, your body temperature rises but your blood pressure does not, on the contrary, it drops. Your heart rate and pulse increase to counter the drop in blood pressure, effectively giving your heart a workout similar to mild cardio at the gym. Now, for a person that doesn’t suffer from a cardiovascular condition, this is perfectly fine and even desirable, but even if you are perfectly healthy, remember not to overdo it. Always keep a water bottle within reach of your hand.
- Reduce Stress and Headaches
The obvious benefit and the main reason why we love winding down in a soothing hot bath is to relax. Relaxing helps eliminate some of the built-up stress and lower anxiety levels. Coping with everyday challenges can be a heavy burden to bare so make sure to wash some of your troubles away with a dip in your tub. While you’re at it, you’ll notice a decrease in the number of headaches you experience thanks to the heat dilating your blood vessels and lowering the pressure in your head.
- Lose Some Weight In The Process
Just by sitting in a hot tub or a hot spring you are not necessarily losing weight at the exact moment, aside from a few calories. The weight you sweat out will be regained once you hydrate your body, so that doesn’t really count. What you are doing though is exposing your body to heat which fires up your metabolism. Speeding up your metabolism will consequently result in a weight loss and a great number of other health benefits.
- Eliminate Unpleasant Joint And Muscular Pain
If you feel like life’s been giving you a beating and your entire body is in pain, then you’ll be happy to know that heat therapy is very effective at eliminating aches and muscle tension. By dilating the blood vessels more oxygen and nutrients make it to your sensitive area relieving you of discomfort. Strained your muscle at the gym? Take a nice, soothing dip and next time remember to warm up properly before you hit the weights.
What Are The Risks?
First and foremost, consult a physician and find out if any of the cardiovascular effects might not be safe for you. If you suffer from heart disease, the sudden increase in heart rate and drop of blood pressure might cause complications that can lead to dizziness, nausea and even going unconscious in some cases. Also, while it may sound enticing, avoid sipping on margaritas and cosmos and replace them with bottled water. Mixing alcohol with heat can be very dangerous since both of them dehydrate your body substantially. If you’re planning to take a cold shower afterward, let your body cool down naturally first. This way you’ll avoid sudden spikes in blood pressure and a potential heart attack. Remember, moderation is key!
Now that you have your doctor’s approval grab a catalog and find the perfect destination for your getaway. They are abundant, so if you’re lucky enough, you might have the perfect resort just a few miles away from you. If, on the other hand, you’re convinced that transforming your home into your own personal spa is a necessity – you’re going to want to look into portable hot tubs. Basically, all you need to know when buying a portable hot tub is that they are more affordable and easier to install than their traditional counterparts. And as the name implies, they are portable, so if you move a lot, you can just deflate them and take them with you.
There you go, a few crucial benefits to why you should enjoy a good soak as often as possible. We also covered a couple of ways you can enjoy some well-deserved pampering time even if it’s just for the weekend. So what are you waiting for? Put your phone in airplane mode and put your mind and body into relaxation mode.
