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Saffron Walden
01799
54 14 54
Saffron Walden
01799
54 14 54
Website designed and published by Saffron Spas
Relaxation
Good things happen when you slip into hot water & you instantly lose 90% of your body weight.
Buoyed up, warmed up and reminded to let go of whatever it was that was bothering you!
But what separates soaking in a warm hot tub from treading water in a pool, or even soaking in a
hot bath, is the fact that the warm temperature is sustained - at around 38 - 40°C. Medical experts
say that, over time, this brings changes in your circulatory system that affects other aspects of
your body's operations.
Your body's first reaction to being immersed in hot water is to try to get back to its normal
temperature by pumping the heart faster, so as to bring blood to the body's surface and normally
disperse extra body heat into the air. This causes a temporary increase in blood pressure.
But because hot tub water is maintained at a high temperature - and because water is one of the
most efficient conductors of heat - the blood being carried to the surface is warmed,
rather than cooled. The longer the bather remains in the tub the more time the blood cycles
through the body and the deeper into the body the temperature is carried. Studies have shown
that immersion in a spa maintained at 104°F can raise the core body temperature to 102°F in less
than 20 minutes.
After a few minutes, the warm blood causes the blood vessels to dilate, lessening the resistance
to blood flow and dropping the blood pressure. As the body goes through this process,
several benefits are enjoyed, most of which are enhanced further by the jet action:
• Muscular relaxation ~ this occurs when the warm blood reaches deeper and deeper into the
muscles, causing the vessels to expand. The muscle relaxation effects of hot water also help
deaden muscle pain by easing any pinching of nerves or blood vessels and by helping the
muscle rid itself of lactic acid and other metabolic wastes.
• Temporary pain relief ~ as the body tries to register temperature change, the central nervous
system becomes depressed, contributing to muscle relaxation and temporarily relieving or at
least lessening pain. This can happen with any drastic change in temperature, hot or cold, but
most people are more comfortable sitting in warm water than holding an ice pack. Although there
are times this is more suitable.
• Bodily cleansing ~ in trying to regain its normal temperature, the body will begin sweating so
that moisture on the skin will evaporate and cool the body. This process also helps rid the
body of toxins.
• Priming of the muscles ~ by relaxing muscles, hot water helps increase their range of motion
to allow for gentle exercise and stretching in the tub.
• Promotion of healing ~ the jet action found in hot tubs can promote healing by providing even
more oxygen than is provided by warm water alone. The heat and pressure from the jets can also
raise the level of antibodies and white blood cells delivered to the area, promoting the destruction
of bad cells and stimulating the formation of new tissue.
• Help for insomnia ~ it has been found that sleep deepens as the body temperature falls.
As a result some medical experts recommend that anyone wanting to induce sleep - especially
those being kept up by pain - soak in water approximately 103°F about two hours before bedtime.
If you've been putting off owning a hot tub, you're postponing one of life's great rewards - daily
relaxation. A home spa is not a 'feel good' extravagance; it's a down-to-earth investment in
renewed overall sense of well-being.
