A Spa Day at Home for Your Health

What are the health benefits of using a hot tub?

The potential benefit of using a hot tub is very individual. Your overall health has a great impact and how you should use a spa. 

Stress relief

One of the most obvious benefits of a hot tub is the potential to help ease the tensions of the day. The soothing effect of the warm water and massaging action may help relieve physical, emotional, and mental stress.

If you like, you can enhance this stress-relieving effect even further with soft music, low lighting, or aromatherapy.

Muscle relaxation

The hot water and massaging action of the hot tub jets can effectively relax and soothe tight, tense muscles, helping to ease aches and pains.

A hot tub soak before exercising may also reduce the risk of injury.

Improved sleep

According to research, the simple relaxation gained from a soak in the hot tub may be enough to help you drift off into a more peaceful sleep. Hydrotherapy — heated water and massage — similar to the experience of being in a hot tub may also increase the levels of hormones like histamine and serotonin that help you sleep.

A 2023 review of studies found that hydrotherapy leads to an improvement in the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a measure of sleep quality.

Pain relief

Soaking in a hot tub may relieve some types of pain by relaxing tense muscles, joints, and tendons.

If you have arthritis, the heat and massaging action of a hot tub may help ease the stiffness and inflammation that cause pain.

One 2021 study found that hydrotherapy, similar to being in a hot tub, was more effective than physiotherapy at improving pain, stiffness, and muscle strength after total knee arthroplasty.

Water supports your body and takes weight off joints, which helps improve flexibility and range of motion. A warm bath might also provide some of these benefits.

Better cardiovascular health

Relaxing in a hot tub can raise your heart rate and lower your blood pressure.

A 2020 study in Japan that included over 30,000 participants followed over 19 years found that participants who routinely took very hot baths had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. More research is needed to understand why this association might exist.

According to an older study from 2016, hot water immersion may have “robust” effects on vascular function and blood pressure. The authors suggested that passive heat therapy may help reduce cardiovascular risk and mortality, especially among those with limited ability to exercise.

Improved insulin sensitivity

A smaller 2018 study compared a group of sedentary, men with overweight who had a 2-week intervention of 10 hot water immersion sessions with a control group that did not have the hot water immersion sessions. Both groups had blood testing at the same intervals.

In the end, the group with hot water immersion sessions had lower fasting blood glucose concentrations and decreased fasting insulin levels.

Another study from 2019 suggests that regular thermal therapy using hot baths or saunas may improve glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in a population with marked insulin resistance. This could mean that using a hot tub may be beneficial for managing diabetes.

Calorie burn

While nothing can replace all the benefits of exercise, passive heat from hot tubs or saunas may produce some benefits, such as improved cardiorespiratory fitness, vascular function, and metabolism.

In a small 2016 study, participants soaked in a waist-high hot bath for an hour and burned about the same number of calories as a 30-minute walk. That’s not to say that it should replace exercise, but it might help metabolism, particularly for those who find it hard to exercise.

Who should avoid hot tubs?

If you have any concerns about using a hot tub, it’s worth having a conversation with your doctor. This is especially important in the following situations:

• Pregnancy: It’s easy to get overheated when you’re pregnant, which can be harmful to you and your baby.
• Heart disease: Soaking in a hot tub can affect heart rate and blood pressure. This may be beneficial to some people with cardiovascular concerns but could be unsafe for others.

You may also want to avoid a hot tub if you have:

• Skin injuries: Wait until cuts, open sores, or rashes have healed to reduce the risk of irritation and infection.
• Low blood pressure: If you’re prone to lightheadedness or fainting, you should probably avoid the hot tub, as the hot water could lower your blood pressure further.
• Urinary tract infection (UTI): Exposure to hot water when you have a UTI may worsen your symptoms