Health Benefit #8: Athletic Benefits

Enhance Athletic Performance

Hot tubs aid in repairing sore muscles and injuries for both professional and “weekend athletes”. Neck and back pain, sports injuries, muscle pulls, spasms and soreness are often eased simply by a quick dip in your hot tub.

Water's therapeutic powers lie in its ability to alter the body's blood flow making the hot tub a wonderful tool as preventative medicine. According to an article in Tennis Magazine , "When you immerse yourself in the hot water of a hot tub, the temperature of your skin and muscles rise, causing blood vessels to dilate and thus increases blood flow to the skin and muscles. Turn on the jets and the pulsating water massages the skin, increasing blood flow even more. The result? Your skin and muscles loosen and relax from the increased blood circulation.

You can improve your athletic performance by using your hot tub both before and after you exercise.

Before You Exercise . Soaking in a hot tub before exercising relaxes your body and loosens muscles, making exercise easier and reducing the risk of injury. A pre-exercise soak will also help to improve performance. In fact, some golfers swear it has actually reduced a couple strokes off their game (ask Merv).

After You Exercise . Soaking in a hot tub after exercising is a great way to wind down after the exercise and to relax your muscles. The hot, swirling water embraces you . . . massaging your neck, shoulders, arms, back, thighs, calves, and feet. But most importantly, hot tub use after you exercise will greatly reduce or even eliminate the stiffness typically felt the next day. The combination of exercise and tubbing will ease you into a restful sleep on cloud 9.

Further benefits: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10