Why You Need a Hot Tub for Winter Stress Relief

This article first appeared at CalderaSpas.com

Winter is a time of widespread sniffles, stiffness, and stress. Winter stress is a unique product of reduced sunlight and our bodies’ natural inclination to slow down and conserve energy in colder temperatures—all while society continues to buzz at its normal pace. Strains on our health also tend to increase in colder weather. Fortunately, your home hot tub can help reduce your winter-themed stress.

Tips and Ideas for Winter Stress Relief in Your Hot Tub

It’s important to respect our needs and the limitations of the season, while also remaining connected to our progress at home and in the world. Your hot tub is the perfect tool to help you find that balance.

1. Revive Your Daily Routines

No matter what goals you have for the new year, your success likely depends on consistency and perseverance. Having regular routines in place can give you a foundation for success, and your hot tub can help. During the colder, darker winter months, it can be more difficult to wake up and get out of bed each morning. If you can look forward to a warm 20-minute hot tub soak each morning, the lethargy that can hold you back at the start of the day can turn into motivation. If your hot tub model comes with the latest energy-efficient technology and insulation, your hot tub will always be ready for you, set to your ideal temperature.

At any time of the day, soaking in your hot tub can be both relaxing and empowering. It can help ease the transition from your work life to your home life. It can calm you each evening before bedtime to help you get a good night’s sleep. It can even be an important part of a daily ritual you share with your partner or your family to expand your quality time together.

2. Relieve Stiffness and Tension

Stiffness and muscle tension can be a result of our winter stress—or it can be part of the cause of our winter stress. Regardless of the roots, your physical aches and pains may be temporarily relieved by regular hydrotherapy in the hot tub. For a lot of us, winter is a time of greater inactivity. The shorter days and colder temperatures discourage us from spending time outdoors, and our bodies generally experience greater stiffness in the cold. The warm massaging action of your hot tub’s jets stimulates those stiff muscles and joints while you relax and take it easy. You’ll probably feel more energized after your soak as some of that tension melts away and your body feels warmed up and ready for activity.

3. Support Your Winter Fitness Practices

In the winter, our energy levels may decline, the temperature drops, and motivation seems harder to find. As a result, our fitness and activity levels tend to decrease. Using your hot tub can be a great before-and-after ritual for your winter fitness routine. Soaking for twenty minutes before exercise warms up your cold and stiff muscles, joints, and ligaments, making them less prone to injury. A relaxing soak can also help focus and energize your mind, making you feel more mentally prepared for a workout.

Good self-care often helps you find motivation. After you take a brisk walk, visit the gym, or perform any other physical activity, your hot tub can once again help you relax. It can also massage your muscles after they’ve been working hard. A dedicated routine of supporting exercise with your hot tub can help you sustain your fitness goals over the long winter months and give you a reason to look forward to working out.

4. Soak in Some Sunlight Outdoors

During the winter, the amount of time we spend indoors increases. Even when we’re outdoors, the sunlight isn’t as strong and direct as it is during the rest of the year. Our brains and bodies respond to this change in natural light with a desire to stay inside and hibernate. Even in cold weather, though, we still need to expose ourselves to some of that life-giving sunlight. When we don’t, our natural withdrawal tendencies make it difficult to feel alert and actively engaged with life.

Your home spa provides you with an opportunity to spend time outdoors, even in cold weather, and make winter more pleasant. It’s a chance to rest and be comfortable while exposing yourself to fresh air and sunlight, providing you with some much-needed reinvigoration when the days are darkest and shortest.

5. Find Regular Relaxation and Renewal

Relaxation and general stress relief are among the many benefits your hot tub offers. Stepping out of the cold air and into warm, softly-bubbling water is enough to wash away your concerns in the moment. You may even plan an occasional home spa day where you fully focus on your practice of renewal.

You may also find that your hot tub serves as a gathering place for connection among family and friends. By sharing in this winter self-care, you can all support each other and benefit from the warm company and stress relief.

Say Goodbye to Stress in Any Season

Stress is not unique to the winter, but it can hit us particularly hard during this time. Maybe you’re feeling the strain of re-entering the real world after the holiday season, or maybe you’ve got lingering cold-weather aches and pains that turn even simple tasks into stressful ordeals. Whatever your circumstances, your hot tub invites you to step into your relief. This method of healing is here for you all year round, so you can keep up your resolutions for a balanced lifestyle and increased well-being. Give us a call today if you’re ready to kickstart your hot tub stress relief