How Only 20 Minutes of Hot Tub Mindfulness Can Melt Away Your Stress

In today’s fast-paced, ‘always on’ environment, there has been a recent phenomenon taking hold referred to as ‘mindfulness’.

Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When you're mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to experience. At this point, you may be rolling your eyes and thinking ‘yeah right’! 

From the moment you wake, you are checking your phone for emails, texts, and updates, which goes on all day, in addition to getting kids up and ready and out the door. At the same time, you may be remembering snacks for the class, homework, doctor's appointments, extra money for this or that….then, about 7:30 am…off to work where most are inundated with information constantly.

We no longer sit back and just ‘smell the roses’….most of us are working while driving to and from work, or using that time to make it through your list of phone calls to attempt to get through that to-do list or just catch up briefly with friends or family. Downtime at work is spent doing the same, or paying bills, or again, checking for updates on our phones.

The ‘fear of missing out’ has gotten to such a level that no one can seem to allow their phone to remain on silent without continuing to check for messages, or immediately look every time a notification ‘ding’ sounds… Now it’s the end of the day, and off to get the kids and proceed through the night-time routine which generally involves a various combination of dinner, extracurricular sports and clubs, homework, bath, bedtime, screaming kids, etc…it’s no wonder people don’t sit back and just enjoy anymore—who has time!!??

People today are just simply stressed and generally not finding time in their day to focus on themselves or just take a deep breath and relax. Mindfulness has been a concept sweeping the nation recently—starting on the east and west coasts and gradually making its way through the country. The thought is simple—just take 20 minutes to ‘unplug’ and simply focus on what is going on in your present. Take deep, cleansing breaths— and be ‘in the moment’.

Do you tend to you drive to your destination and upon arrival cannot remember the drive at all? Being mindful during that drive, for example, means not thinking through that mounting to-do list, strategizing your day, or being distracted by phone calls. But really being present in the moment—clearing your mind of all thoughts, and to just ‘be’— actually know how you got somewhere without showing up and thinking wow, I don’t even remember driving here!

Many apps have recently come out to assist people with being ‘mindful’— CALM being one we would recommend from personal experience. It provides meditation topics and sends a reminder to simply stop your day for a pre-determined amount of time and be in the moment by either meditating or taking some deep breaths.

In pondering the different ways a hot tub can help with your health, the mindfulness revolution came to mind immediately…what better way to stop and be in the moment than a quick 20 minute soak? Not only can you clear your mind, you can also get the health benefits that stem from the hot water. No cell phones allowed to avoid the potential of dropping it in the water and adding yet another thing to that to do list.

Unplugging and soaking in a hot tub for just 20 minutes a day (more if you’ve got it), would allow that time to be more fully in the moment, with no dings or distractions. Reflect on your day, your life, and get rejuvenated and ready for tomorrow….sounds much better than an app that dings at you with just one more reminder! Purge that to-do list out of your mind, and take time for yourself every day. Whether you have a hot tub or not, it’s an easy thing that will help you focus on yourself and enjoy life in the present!

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10 Little Known Health Benefits of a Hot Tub

When people consider buying a hot tub, they generally consider the obvious reasons—relaxation, socializing with friends, or a way to reconnect with your spouse.

While these are all great reasons to add a hot tub to your backyard setting, there is mounting evidence of a plethora of health-related reasons to heavily consider a hot tub purchase in your near future.

As the population is living longer than ever before, yet remaining active throughout their retirement years, extensive research is being done on alternative ways to help us feel more youthful, and help our bodies rebound from physical activity, and just the general aging process.  What has been found regarding water therapy is fairly astounding and the extent of hot tub benefits continue to amaze me. 

So, in an effort to help spread the word, I have compiled a list of 10 lesser-known health reasons to purchase a hot tub—at least lesser known to me, as I used to think they were ‘just for fun’!

1. Lowers blood pressure
2. Increases cardiac volume (the amount of blood moved by the heart)
3. Increases volume of blood pumped per minute
4. Decreases blood vessels’ resistance to blood flow
5. Increases muscle blood flow
6. Offloads bones and joints
7. Increases renal blood flow and renal efficiency
8. Promotes sodium excretion
9. Increases brain blood flow
10. Promotes relaxation which may lead to improved sleep patterns

While not all of these benefits may occur for everyone or even at a dramatic rate , the science is increasingly proving that warm water immersion has countless health benefits and those who consistently soak in a hot tub generally just ‘feel better’ all around.

On the flip side, there is now increasing use of ‘cold water therapy’—generally associated with sports medicine and therapy for athletes, cryotherapy is now becoming a more well-known concept, and the hot tub industry is now working towards allowing you to have a form of cold water therapy in your own backyard.

Some hot tub manufacturers are now offering hot tub chillers, allowing you to cool your hot tub water to 60 degrees, which allows for owners to experience benefits of both hot and cold water…and also, allows you to enjoy your hot tub year round, instead of looking at it longingly throughout the hot summer months!

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