Exercising in your hot tub
You may wonder how you can exercise in the limited space a hot tub offers, but there are ways you can. Here are three ways to exercise in your hot tub.
Hot Tub Yoga
One of the most popular hot tub exercises is yoga. With hot tub yoga, you don’t need a ton of space to burn calories. Like other types of yoga, hot tub yoga can help you build strength, improve balance and increase flexibility. Hot tub yoga can help people lose weight in three main ways: burning calories, de-stressing and improving digestion.
While many people don’t realise how physically strenuous yoga can be on the body, it burns a lot of calories. The combination of challenging postures and breathing techniques will burn calories and help you lose weight.
The deep breathing included in hot tub yoga exercises helps your mind and body relax. This relaxation can lead to better sleep, which helps prevent weight gain.
Yoga is good for the mind and body, and in addition to physical exercise, it is also good for digestion. When combined with the warmth of the hot tub, yoga can improve your digestion and help you lose weight that way too.
Because the buoyancy of the water makes it easier to exercise your joints, hot tub yoga is ideal for people who might not otherwise get much exercise.
Some of the best hot tub yoga poses are:
- Wave Pose
- Half boat pose
- Breakwater Pose
- Pelican Pose
- High tide pose
- Crab pose
Like all exercise regimes, hot tub yoga is not for everyone. Pregnant women should not do hot tub yoga. If you begin to feel sick, dizzy or lightheaded, stop immediately. Because of the heat associated with hot tub yoga, be sure to drink plenty of water.
Water aerobics
You can do water aerobics in your hot tub just as you would in a swimming pool. Aerobics focuses on a cardio workout that will raise your heart rate and burn calories. Some common water aerobics exercises you can do in your hot tub are:
- Bicycle kicks
- Knives
- Side leg extensions
- Thigh presses
- Torso rotations
- Arm circles
- Toe push ups
- Heel thrusts
Stretching
If you are trying to increase flexibility or need to loosen up your muscles, either before or after your workout, you can do your stretching in the hot tub. The warm water will help you relax your muscles and unwind. By relaxing your muscles in a hot tub, you can do deeper stretches and increase your flexibility. Just be careful not to push your body too far, as you can still cause injury during whirlpool stretches.
Weight Loss Benefits
When you spend a lot of time working out, your muscles ache. A dip in the hot tub after a workout can help relieve muscle soreness and joint discomfort. Not only does this help you feel less sore, but it also helps your muscles recover from the hard workout. Over time, your muscles can become more flexible from soaking in your hot tub.
Numerous health conditions can make it difficult to exercise. Diabetes, arthritis and multiple sclerosis can make exercise painful, but doing water exercises can help prevent and relieve pain in people with these conditions. A good soak after a regular workout can also make exercise more bearable for some.
How to Exercise Safely in Your Hot Tub
In addition to basic hot tub safety precautions, there are a few rules you should follow if you are going to exercise in your hot tub. First, make sure the temperature is set properly. It should be no higher than 102°F in your hot tub during your workouts. If you feel it is too hot, you can lower the temperature until you feel comfortable.
Keep your hot tub workouts short. You should not stay in the hot tub for an hour doing exercises, as this could raise your core temperature to dangerous levels. Short hot tub workouts can still help you lose weight without putting your health at risk.
Keep water nearby. If you have cup holders in your hot tub, be sure to keep the cold water in one that’s within reach. You may start to feel lightheaded or overheated during your workout and need a drink of cold water immediately. If you start to feel dizzy or lightheaded, try to get out of the hot tub. You may want to give yourself a minute to sit in the hot tub cistern (out of the water as much as possible) before trying to get out of the tub to avoid falls and injuries.
Only exercise in clean hot tubs. If your hot tub needs water treatments, sanitizers or pH balancers, be sure to correct the problem before using your spa for exercise.
Now that you know how to exercise in your hot tub and how to do it safely, you’re ready to start working toward your fitness goals.
