Yikes, it’s almost mid-way through summer. Have you gotten everything done that said you would? Haven’t even started because you’ve been so busy with other things? Becoming overly stressed in the summer months is easy. There’s always a lot going on, plus if you have kids, they’re constantly around the house.

Thankfully, science has proven that a short soak in the steaming and massaging waters of a hot tub at the end of a long day can help greatly reduce your stress levels.

The Looming Effects of Stress

Stress can affect your thoughts, feelings, and behaviour. Basically, stress can affect everything about your day, as well as your life. Stress has been proven to wreak havoc on your body and mood, causing chest pain, upset stomachs, headaches, depression, anxiety, angry outbursts and social withdrawal. Plus, if left unchecked, stress can lead to the development of serious health problems including heart disease, depression, memory and concentration loss, weight gain, digestive and sleep problems.

The Science of Hot Tub Stress Relief

It’s well-known that immersing yourself in warm waters puts your body into a deeply relaxed state. However, through recent research done at Washington State University, it was found that the sympathetic nervous system (which increases when you’re stressed) and the parasympathetic nervous system (which helps your body to calm down), balance out when you soak in warm water.

Essentially, this means that your body reacts to warm water in the same way that it reacts to meditation. On top of that, during the study it was found that stress levels were decreased in all subjects who immersed their body in warm water. Further to their research, it was found that sitting in warm water for just 15 or 20 minutes every day can decrease your stress levels by almost 50%.

Non-Scientific Stress Benefits of a Hot Tub

A hot tub is a perfect place for tranquil solitude because it creates a complete, perfect environment for total relaxation. It provides you the alone time you need to focus on yourself and forget about items bothering you. It also helps bring about a reset of your physiology, which regulates stress hormones, helping your concentration and tension. As you can see, not only are hot tubs fun and enjoyable, but they can also help to give you a happier and more pleasant outlook on life.