According to a recent article

written by Gretchen Reynolds from The New York Times, warming muscles after an exhausting work out rather than icing is more beneficial. A recent study involving 5 young men and women indicate that muscle inflammation, soreness, and fatigue is reduced more with heat than ice. Each athlete performed the same work out arm-peddling 20 minutes, rest and repeat 5 times. After they had finished their arm workout, each athlete cooled their muscles with temperature adjusting cuffs set to 5 degrees for a duration of two hours while downing carbohydrates. They were then asked to repeat the same exercise and the results of how hard they peddled were recorded. The participants then started the next study using heated cuffs. Once they finished the work out, each athlete was equipped with a cuff that heated their legs to 100 degrees rather than cooling to 5 degrees.

The results showed the muscles that used heat rather than ice were able to perform at a much higher level. These finding are published in the Journal of Physiology with a statement from Arthur Cheng, a researcher at Karolinska Institute. Arthur Cheng explains that “warming muscles probably aids in recovery by augmenting the muscles’ uptake of carbohydrates” (Reynolds, NY Times 2017). This allows the athletes to perform at a higher level in a shorter time.

Warm Water Therapy for All

Whether you are a marathoner, a weekend warrior, or just staying fit, warm water therapy can help you recover faster, reduce inflammation in muscles and joints, or relax at the end of a long day.

I myself will be training for my second marathon this October with the use of a HotSpring hot tub for daily recovery. After I had finished the Philadelphia marathon last year the only recovery program that got me back to normal was soaking for 20 minutes in the morning and evening.

You don’t have to be a performance athlete to benefit from hot tubbing daily. We hear many stories in our store, and from other hot tubbers across the country, about how soaking in 100-degree water changes lives in so many ways.

Parents – you will find your HotSpring hot tub will help you escape, disconnect from the daily stressors and find a place to connect with your children. You will benefit greatly from using the hot tub as a family to create memories and truly open conversation. 

Check out the videos below to see how HotSpring Spas are changing lives around the country & even here in New Jersey.