On a long and exhausting day, sinking into a bed of soothing warmth which melts me and the stress and tension off is more than refreshing. Both saunas and hot tubs are good options for relaxation and recovery, including practical ways to recharge, relieve muscle aches, improve wellbeing. For centuries, these two forms of heat therapy have been used and have different health benefits. So, what’s better, a sauna or a hot tub? Your specific wellness goals and personal lifestyle preferences will determine your answer. Below, we’ll compare the health benefits of saunas and hot tubs, in terms of detail, to see which type might best meet your needs.
Table of Contents
Benefits of Saunas
The sauna, sometimes a barrel sauna, is a heated wooden structure usually in the range 150–195°F. Dry heat saunas are a form of heat that cause the body to heat up and sweep. Sauna sessions are becoming a regular addition to wellness routines around the world for several reasons.
1. Detoxification
Detoxification is one of the main benefits of using a sauna. The body sweats naturally expelling the toxin. After all, when you sit in a sauna, you get to sweat a lot and those high temperatures do help flush out the impurities, pollutants and harmful chemicals from your body. It can leave you feeling refreshed and help you have a cleaner, healthier system.
2. Improved Circulation
Finally One of the benefits of the saunas is the improvement in the circulation. This causes blood vessels to expand and that increases blood flow throughout the body. Increased circulation can help with getting rid of muscle soreness, help acceleration of the recovery after exercise, and even can support the health of the heart. Regardless, regular sauna visits may also cause lower blood pressure from relaxing blood vessels and reducing the stress on the heart. These circulatory benefits can throughout time have a beneficial effect on your cardiovascular system.
3. Stress Reduction
Saunas are great if stress relief is a top priority. The heat when you’re in the sauna is so intense that it causes endorphins – the natural body ‘feel good’ hormones – to be released. These endorphins help reduce stress levels as do the hours spent in a quiet, warm environment. A sauna is a place where you can relax your mind or physical tension.
Benefits of Hot Tubs
Now that’s where hot tubs differ, as their warm water heats up to between 100–104°F offering a comfy place where you can relax. They have jets that also do therapeutic massage and the buoyancy of the water can take pressure off joints or muscles. Warm water, hydro therapy and buoyancy have so many health benefits combined.
1. Muscle Relaxing and Pain Relief
A choice hot tub could be a good if being freed of muscle tension is on top of your priority list. Massaging jets of warm water help soften tight muscles, ease joint pain and reduce body tension. For people fighting arthritis or chronic pain, hot tubs are especially good; the warm water relieves joint pressure and is a soothing experience. If you deal with aches often, a hot tub can be a great and effective way.
2. Better Sleep
Soaking in a hot tub before bed can actually help people get better sleep. When you are in the warm water, your body temperature gets raised and when you cool off, then your body transitions into a relaxed state so when it’s time for you to sleep, it becomes relatively easier. In fact, this effect can even make hot tubs a natural remedy for people suffering from insomnia, or anyone looking for a simple way to relax at the end of the day. One way of including a hot tub session in your bed time routine will make you sleep better at night.
3. Cardiovascular Benefits
Hot tubs also helps you with cardiovascular health on their own ways. Just as with moderate exercise, immersion in warm water causes the heart to work harder to pump blood. Using a hot tub regularly can help keep the blood flowing, reduce heart problems and lower blood pressure, but without the body suffering in the process, studies show. A hot tub session offers everyone the gentle cardiovascular workout they may be seeking out for heart health benefits in a low impact environment.
Sauna vs Hot Tub: Which One to Choose?
Ultimately it comes down to what you want to achieve with a sauna or a hot tub and what you’re feeling right at that moment. A barrel sauna would be the perfect option if all you want is to detoxify, increase circulation or experience the intense, dry heat. Heat holds special properties when it becomes intense – it can flush out toxins, improves blood flow, and it will relax the mind which makes it a great way to relieve stress or get rid of toxins in general.
Conclusion
Finally, saunas and hot tubs share some health benefits that will improve your general health. Detoxification, stress reduction and proper circulation is one of the best reasons for saunas, whereas hot tub is great for relaxation, pain relief and improved sleep. The choice between the two is really dependent on what you want to get out of your relaxation exercise and which ones are aligned with your personal wellness goals. Be whichever you decide, if you’re integrating a sauna or hot tub into your routine, it can be a great thing to do to make your health a higher priority, to retire after a day, or to take time to erase yourself for a while.
