With the start of a new year, many of us vow to lose weight and improve our level of fitness. You may even be researching some new ways to achieve your goals. Watch out though! There are some bizarre weight loss suggestions on the internet. For example: 

• you will eat less if you eat from a white-colored plate 
• chew up a liter of ice a day instead of snacking
• eat up to 16 jars of baby food per day, plus one regular meal
• eat anything you want while wearing blue-tinted glasses 
• clip your nose with a clothespin so you can’t smell what you eat 

With such bad advice readily available on the internet, it’s now wonder you’re left scratching your head wondering where to begin. But did you know, the key to effective weight loss may be in your own backyard? Your hot tub! You may be wondering, can your hot tub help you lose weight? The answer is yes, and you won’t have to do anything silly to achieve your goals, except relax!

Chill Out

Cortisol, “the stress hormone” is produced when we are stressed and anxious. If a person is stressed for a significant period of time, the excess cortisol in our systems can promote weight gain. Elevated cortisol levels have been shown to cause an increased appetite, leading to overeating. Don’t reach for that bag of chips, turn to your hot tub and soak away some of that stress. Also, immersion in warm water for 20 minutes or so releases a chemical called dopamine into the body. Dopamine is called “the feel-good hormone” and is released by our brains specifically to reduce stress. If you are less anxious, you’ll be able to focus on your weight loss goals and what you need to do to achieve them.

Get a Better Night’s Sleep

Soaking in your hot tub for 15-20 minutes before bed actually does help you get a better night’s sleep. What does that have to do with weight loss? It turns out that insomnia also raises the body’s production of cortisol, which is known to increase body fat. Regular soaks in the hot tub can reduce the body’s production of cortisol by as much as 16% in a few days. Soaking in your hot tub is a highly recommended method to relax you and help you get to sleep faster and sleep for a longer time.

Are You a Workout Newbie?

If you just started a new workout routine, you may be experiencing after-workout soreness.  This feeling can often leave you unmotivated to keep up your fitness routine. Don’t let muscle pain sabotage your weight loss efforts right out of the gate. An after-workout soak in the hot tub will do wonders for those sore muscles. The heat of the water increases blood flow to your overworked muscles and starts the repair process. This hydrotherapy treatment will get you back on the gym floor before you know it.

Exercise in the Hot Tub

There are lots of low impact exercises that you can do in your hot tub. Stretches, running in place, shoulder rolls, leg kicks, squats, and many other moves are effective in helping with weight loss. Water provides more resistance than air, so the same exercises you do at the gym can be more challenging when done in the hot tub. Improve muscle tone, increase flexibility, and burn calories in your hot tub without even leaving home.

You Can Do It!

It seems that an effective weight loss program is going to involve some effort on your part. There is no substitute for cutting back on total calories consumed and doing some sort of strength and cardio-building exercise. But, the good news is that you can forget about giving up major food groups, eating only between noon and two in the afternoon, or just eating foods that begin with the letter C. Can your hot tub help you lose weight? The outlook is good! If you have a hot tub, it could be the ticket to faster and more sustainable weight loss. Combined with a sensible eating plan and a moderate exercise program, soaking in your hot tub will provide many benefits to help you achieve your fitness goals. 

Aqua Pools is your premier hot tub, swim spa, and pool dealer in the Chicagoland area. We have been making our customers happy since 1974 and would love to have you join our family of satisfied clients. We supply everything you need to maintain your hot tub in perfect condition. Give us a call and let’s see what we can do for you!