06/22/2019
Spas and hot tubs can be the magic formula for increased health
Soaking in warm water is one of the oldest forms of alternative therapy, notes the Arthritis Foundation. “The research shows our ancestors got it right,” says Bruce E. Becker, MD, in an article on arthritis.org. Dr. Becker, director of the National Aquatics & Sports Medicine Institute at Washington State University says, “It makes the joints looser. It reduces pain and it seems to have a somewhat prolonged effect that goes beyond the period of immersion.
“It just makes you feel better,” he concludes.
And that’s the reason many people choose to have a hot tub right in their own backyard. Warm water combined with buoyancy and jet massage is the magic formula for relieving arthritis, fibromyalgia and lower back pain. The heat dilates your blood vessels and increases circulation. Buoyancy, the relative lightness you feel in water, relieves joint stress and pain. Jets provide massage-like pressure on back and neck muscles so they relax.
The sound of a hot tub is also relaxing. Like a fountain or stream, a hot tub provides splashing and bubbling noises that many people find soothing. Research has shown that people who start hydrotherapy for one reason also experience stress relief and a decrease in depression and anxiety levels.
Hydrotherapy may even help those seeking weight loss. According to a blog post written by Julie Pettis of Pettis Pools & Patio in Rochester on softubexpress.com, a study conducted by the University of Oregon revealed that hot tubbing decreased inflammation and improved insulin sensitivity, which creates a great environment for weight loss.
The researchers were not surprised when they saw the typical benefits of a soak: reduced blood pressure and improved blood flow and heart rate. But the change in insulin sensitivity combined with reduced inflammation was a surprise.
“Turns out, soaking in hot water causes your body to increase the number of ‘heat shock proteins’ that it produces,” explains Julie. “As they increase in the fat tissue, they decrease inflammation. The protein also works to repair damage that has been caused to insulin receptors.”
If you think it’s time to have a hot tub installed at your home, Pettis Pools & Patio can help. In addition to assessing your needs and matching them with the right product, they can help with the installation by recommend electricians to properly wire it (most hot tubs require 240 volt electric), and contractors to build or reinforce a patio or deck to support the weight.
“Most traditional hot tubs weigh somewhere between 500 to 800 pounds, so for practical reasons, once a hot tub is placed into position it rarely moves,” says Julie.
But what if you live in an apartment or rent your home? Homeownership in America is not as common as it once was, especially among people younger than 35. For renters who have an empty patio – or even a space inside their homes – portable hot tubs are a solution. Julie recommends the Softub brand, made in the USA. She calls it “the go anywhere, anytime hot tub.”
A Softub plugs into any dedicated 110-volt electrical outlet and, “It has a unique heat recovery system,” says Julie. “It heats using only the waste heat from the pump motor. It literally costs just pennies a day to operate.”
Best of all, the Softub is easy to put together, take apart, and move. Some of her customers place it in their backyard in the summer but move it into their finished garage in the winter. “A Softub weighs 80 pounds when empty,” she explains. “One person can take it out of the box and have it filled and running in less than an hour.”
“I have always wanted a hot tub but I thought that I wouldn’t have the room or be able to afford the upkeep,” says one Softub testimonial. “Since owning my Softub, I found out that it is most affordable to maintain and you can put it anywhere, at any time. It does anything the bigger and more expensive ones do. I have no problem taking the cover off or changing the water and chemicals by myself. It has made our lives more enjoyable. We are the envy of a lot of our friends. They see how easy it is and are thinking about getting one for themselves.”
Softubs are portable hot tubs, made from high-quality materials and are in a class all their own. To find out more about Softubs, contact
jennifer@softubexpress.com or call 800-996-8827.
