Are Spas Good For You? 5 Benefits To A Hot Soak
Spas have long been hailed as providing a whole host of health benefits: from weight loss to stress relief, you’d be forgiven for thinking spas are some kind of miracle worker! But are spas truly healthy for you, or are they just another trend? Barrier Reef Pools Perth took a deep dive into our research logs to cut the fact from fiction. In this article, you’ll learn exactly what spas can do for you, and just how good they can do it!
1# Stress Relief
This is probably the most common claim you’ve heard about spas. Well, you might not be surprised to learn that spas are a fantastic way to relieve stress and anxiety. The soothing effects of heated water on your skin, hydrotherapy (more on that later) and the massaging effects of bubbles and/or jet streams have a high chance of alleviating physical, mental or emotional stress.
What’s more, spas provide a great way to separate yourself from any distractions that might be causing that stress in the first place. It is recommended that you leave your phone behind and simply enjoy the relaxing, therapeutic environment of a Barrier Reef Pools Perth spa.
2# Muscle Recovery
We’re happy to inform you that yes! Spas do greatly aid in muscle recovery. The heated water, combined with the soothing atmosphere of a spa (no phones, no distractions, buoyancy of the water) can be an immensely relaxing experience. If your muscles are tired, tight or sore, then a quick soak in the spa will work wonders on speeding up their recovery. This is especially useful after a hard workout, or even a long day at the office!
If you’re after an even more effective muscle recovery session, then we recommend you install jet streams in your spa. Barrier Reef Pools Perth jet streams are designed to pulse concentrated, heated water onto your muscles. This mimics the feeling of a massage, where the water will cause your muscles to ripple soothingly. The spa’s Jetstream can also act as a deep penetration for your muscle, targeting problem areas with ease. This is known as hydrotherapy, and spas are famous for it for a reason. Plenty of athletes do exactly this daily.
Spas can offer a surprising amount of benefits for their modest space…
3# Better Sleep
Let’s face it: this is the supposed benefit that most likely caught your attention! We get it, there’s nothing worse than spending a whole day at work when you’ve had little to no sleep. But did you know that spas can help prevent this? That’s right, spas have been shown to provide better sleep!
One study showed passive heating therapy from regular spa dips improved the quality of sleep in certain insomniacs! Another study revealed that regular spa hydrotherapy greatly increased the sleep quality of those involved! This is because even just 10 minutes soaking in a spa greatly relaxes your body and mind. It even increases blood circulation to your brain. Lastly, taking a dip before you sleep will mean you won’t be distracted by your phone!
4# Cardiovascular Benefits
Can spas help me lose weight? Yes! One study showed that relaxing in a spa lowers your blood pressure and raises your heart rate. In fact, it was even revealed that spa soaking can have “robust” effects on blood pressure and vascular function. It was also suggested that heated hydrotherapy may reduce cardiovascular risk.
Another study reported that an hour in the spa burns as many calories as a 30 minute walk! Exercise is important – and spas definitely should not substitute regular walking – but it’s definitely a great way to burn some extra calories. (And let’s face it, can you think of a funner, more relaxing way to exercise?)
…An hour in the spa can burn as many calories as a 30 minute walk…
5# Pain Relief
You may have heard of spas relaxing muscles, but did you know spas can also provide pain relief? Soaking in a spa may relieve pain by relaxing tense muscles, tendons and joints. Spas have also been known to provide therapeutic relief for conditions such as arthritis and stiffness, as well as soothing inflammation in affected joints. Spa hydrotherapy achieves this because the buoyancy of water takes the weight off your joints, improving your range of motion.
So there you have it! There are a ton of rumours on the net about what benefits spas can provide and how. But, surprisingly, a lot of these are true: spas are just dang good at relaxing you and providing healthy benefits. The takeaways from this are: short, regular soaks in a spa can provide muscle relaxation, stress relief, and a wide range of other health benefits. And who else has better spas than Barrier Reef Pools Perth? (Hint: nobody.) So it looks like things are lining up pretty well for you. Why not take the next step forward and view our state-of-the-art spa range today!
