By definition, blog writers are ‘chair’ potatoes. So it’s not surprising we leap (metaphorically) at any news that makes us feel less guilty for not being more active.

For example! According to the BBC, a doctor (Steve Faulner) from England’s Loughborough University believes he has proven that relaxing in a hot tub can offer some of the same benefits one gets from exercising.

Soaking in a Hot Tub

Soaking in a Hot Tub

Hard Pedaling at a Gym

Hard Pedaling at a Gym

“We’ve always known that a hot bath like you get in a hot tub is really good for improving aching muscles etc. — after exercising,” says Best Hot Tubs’ Bill Renter. “But it’s something else to learn a hot tub can provide some of the benefits as exercising. That’s news.”

Dr. Faulner invited research participants to contrast the respective benefits of having a long soak in a hot tub (or bath) against an hour of hard pedaling on a bike or exercise machine.

Each were fitted with monitors which recorded their blood sugar levels as a way to measure a key number: their metabolic fitness. They were also simultaneously monitored for how many calories they burned during both activities.

So. After a long bath, each participant spent an hour sweating on a bike.

 

Ready for the results?

“One of the first things that we were looking at,” says Faulner, “is the energy expenditure while you’re in the bath. What we found was an 80% increase in energy expenditure just as a result of sitting in the bath for the course of an hour.”

While the participants didn’t burn as many calories hot water soaking as they did rapid cycling (140 vs 630 respectively), the 140 calories burned in a hot tub was equal to a brisk 30-minute walk. Not bad.

 

Measuring Blood Sugar

Measuring Blood Sugar

Now for the even better blood sugar measurements.

The monitoring showed that participants’ peak glucose levels were a bit lower after the bath than after the exercising — 10 percent lower! This is key because keeping blood sugar levels down is well known to aid the nervous system as well as one’s arteries.

And while Dr. Faulner would not go so far as to suggest eliminating exercise from your routines all together, in fact quite the opposite, he did say that if you are struggling to lower blood sugar levels but find exercising challenging, regular and sustained hot tub baths can be a great help.

In the same BBC News online interview, the good doctor went on to suggest that there may even be benefits to increasing muscle strength by spending time “imagining” you’re exercising. He discovered that those imagining they were exercising their calf muscles, verses those who hadn’t, had calf muscles that were 8 percent stronger. He believes this could be helpful to athletes who have been injured and can’t exercise.

Frankly, right now, this writer (who by job definition is a ‘chair’ potato), is imagining that as I write this blog, my muscles are getting stronger — and not just the gray muscle in my head. We’ll keep you posted should my muscle strength improve.

 

News Worth Celebrating

News Worth Celebrating

 

In the meantime, Dr. Faulner’s findings on the benefits of hot tub soaks are great news for many. In all seriousness, that’s worth celebrating . . .

 

 

 

 

Hot Tubbing Can Be Good Exercise:

Hot Tubbing Can Be Good Exercise:

. . . Because according to this recent study, just chatting away in a hot tub can provide some of the same benefits as doing actual exercise. And while the doctor who supervised the study believes that his findings should mostly benefit those who have trouble controlling their blood sugar levels — and those who have difficulty exercising — there is no doubt there are terrific benefits to anyone soaking in a hot tub. Yippee! And you thought hot tubbing was just for fun.

 

BEST HOT TUBS: To learn more about our hot tubs in stock  — Strong Spas, Aspen Spas, and Bullfrog Spas (Windham only) —  contact:

FARMINGDALE, NY: 1911 Broadhollow Rd | Farmingdale, NY 11735

Email: farmingdale@besthottubs.comPhone: (631) 465-0175

WESTBURY, NY: 453 Old Country Rd. | Westbury, NY 11590

Email: westbury@besthottubs.comPhone: (516) 279-4850

WINDHAM, NY: 5354 Route 23 | Windham, NY 12496

Email: windham@besthottubs.comPhone: (518) 734-9100