This originally appeared on hotspring.com and has been edited for clarity.

 

Improving wellness doesn’t have to involve tedious treadmills, endless salads, and hours of meditation. Sometimes the best thing to do for yourself is nothing. When you unplug, unwind, and simply relax, you can free yourself from distraction, reduce anxiety, and calm the mind. After all, the mental aspect of wellness is every bit as important as the physical.

 

This is why owning a hot tub can provide such a big boost to your overall personal wellness. You can take time every morning or evening to relax and recharge your mind while relieving physical tension throughout the body. But there are other benefits to hot tub health. Whether you want to relieve stress or soothe aching joints, here are four tips for using a hot tub to improve your wellness.

 

1. Use Your Hot Tub Regularly

The secret to improving overall well-being is to make health a habit. Start by making a hot tub soak part of your daily routine. By doing so, you’ll reap the therapeutic benefits of warm water immersion daily. Not only will this help you relax, but the heat and buoyancy of spa water combined with a jet massage can provide several physical advantages:

• Heat: Warm water dilates blood vessels, improving blood flow and allowing oxygen and nutrients to reach muscles quickly. This replenishment is especially crucial after a hard workout.
• Buoyancy: Floating in the warm water takes the weight off tired muscles and joints, allowing you to experience relief from the normal force of gravity.
• Massage: The water pressure of a jet massage kneads major muscle groups, helping to reduce swelling and compress muscles to relieve fatigue.

 

2. Put The Phone Away

There’s no question that technology makes our lives easier. But that doesn’t mean our devices are always helping our well-being. While a smartphone provides an important connection to work, family, and friends, it also demands attention. With that comes obligations, distractions, and often, stress. When overused, technology can be associated with health problems.

To prevent a smartphone from getting in the way of good health, leave it in the house when soaking. If you can’t help but have it nearby, turn it on “Do Not Disturb” and use it only for streaming music through a Bluetooth® audio system. The separation from texts, calls, and social media allows focus on relaxation as the hot water soothes your body and mind, and the massage jets work to release tension. A little time away from the phone and other devices can have a positive effect on your outlook and improve wellness.

 

3. Listen To The Water

Living in the city brings advantages — but it can make a lot of noise. Heavy traffic, sirens, jets flying overhead, and people walking down the street all add to the din of the urban environment. Unwelcome noise can add to feelings of anxiety, especially when all you want is a little peace and quiet. This is why urban dwellers often turn to hot tubs for some precious moments of tranquility.

 

When you turn on the massaging jets to help reduce pain and work out the tension in different body areas, you activate an effective white noise generator. The soft bubbling of the water can cancel out irritating city noises that could otherwise disrupt the quiet time.

What’s more, many hot tub manufacturers offer a variety of entertainment system options. Hot Spring® Spas feature optional accessories like a wireless Bluetooth® audio system and a 22″ HD monitor. With these innovations, you can listen to podcasts and playlists in your spa or catch up on a TV series.

 

4. Soak Before Sleeping

No list of wellness tips would be complete without talking about sleep. Research has shown a good night’s sleep is critical for mental and physical health. But not everyone sleeps well. Seventy percent of adults in the United States report not getting the rest they need. If you’re kept awake by worries, aches, or pains, a hot tub can offer a way to better sleep.

 

A short soak about an hour before bed helps relax your body and prepare your mind for a satisfying sleep. As you soak in the warm water, your body temperature rises. Once out of the spa, your body temperature drops, signaling to the brain that it’s time for sleep. The break from cell phones and other distractions also helps quiet your mind to fall asleep faster.

 

Visit Hot Spring Spas of Iowa & the Twin Cities Today!

No matter your specific aim, a hot tub can be a great addition to any personal wellness plan. To experience the tremendous benefits yourself, stop by Hot Spring Spas of Iowa and the Twin Cities for a wet test. As you feel the effects of the warm water firsthand, imagine the impact you could make on your daily wellness by adding a hot tub to your home.