7 Wonderful Reasons That Make a Hot Tub Worth It!
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Is a Hot Tub Worth It?
Everything seems perfect with the world when you are sitting with your loved one on your patio or deck and sipping a glass of wine. Well, almost! Do you sometimes feel that something is still missing? What you need is a hot tub on your patio or deck. But is a hot tub worth it?
Hot tub is worth it because it will take the quality of your life to just another level. A hot tub improves your physical, mental and social life in more ways than you can imagine!
You will long to get into your hot tub after a long hike or a tough game of tennis. In case you suffer from arthritis or any other muscular ailment, then a soak in the hot tub will wash away the pain.
With a hot tub on your patio or deck you will find yourself spending a lot more relaxing quality time with family & friends. You will be sleeping a lot better each night. Your wellness levels will improve noticeably. You will become a better person!
A hot tub is worth it because it:
- Provides Multiple Health Benefits
- Improves Relaxation & Mental Well Being
- Results in Better Sleep
- Promotes Spending Quality Time
- Needs Little Space
- Can be Used All Year Round
- Adds Value to Your Home
1. Provides Multiple Health Benefits
The multiple health benefits that a hot tub provides, tops my list of what makes it really worth it. A hot tub can benefit physically active adults and the ailing elderly alike. Some of the health benefits are:
Soothes Sore Muscles
The day is physically challenging for most of us. Your feet may hurt from standing for long hours on the project site. Shoulders may ache from lifting weights at the gym or canoeing. Maybe your back hurts with hours spent in the garden.
The heat and the massaging action from the hot tub jets will work out the kinks & knots in those sore muscles. The buoyancy from the water will take away the pressure from your feet & back. You will feel your muscles relax and the pain go away when you soak in the hot tub
Reduces Chronic Pain
Hot tub is heaven sent if you suffer from arthritis or are recovering from a joint related injury. The hot tub will not heal, but will certainly provide temporary relief from the acute pain. Your mood & quality of life will get a boost.
Improves Mobility
If you suffer from mobility issues then immersing yourself in a hot tub will help to increase blood flow and warm up the muscles. You will be more successful in stretching and working on your muscles while you are in the hot tub. Your flexibility and mobility will gradually improve.
Improves Cardiovascular Health
Studies have shown that being immersed in hot water increases the heart rate and lowers blood pressure. This may have very positive effects on your cardiovascular health.
Detoxes & Improves Skin
A soak in a hot tub helps detox your full body. The heat increases blood circulation and sweating. The toxins along with sweat, bacteria, dirt and dead skin cells are washed away.
Promotes Weight Loss
Some studies, though not conclusive, show that spending time in a hot tub can help burn calories. The amount burnt may not be sufficient for significant weight loss but the feel good factor may help motivate you to work harder on your weight loss goals.
2. Improves Relaxation & Mental Well Being
A day in today’s crazy world is nothing more than a series of stressful events. The stress and anxiety start from the moment the alarm goes off.
Getting kids ready for school, getting breakfast ready, dealing with traffic, handling emails & meetings, worrying about finances,getting cars or appliances repaired, etc.
The list is endless. The items on the list may vary but they all have the ability to add stress & anxiety to your life.
You know how damaging stress & anxiety are to your emotional & mental well being. Unfortunately, stress-inducing incidents will not go away from your day-to-day life; you just need to deal with stress.
Mindfulness is a technique which certainly helps in reducing stress & anxiety. Mindfulness is the art of training your mind to be in the “here & now”. Being present in the moment and experiencing every aspect of the moment, consciously, through all your senses.
A soak in a hot tub is in essence a practice of mindfulness. When your body is immersed in a hot tub and you feel the stress & pain ease away, your mind naturally transitions into a state of mindfulness. You cannot help but enjoy the good feeling and be present in the moment.
You can greatly increase the benefits of relaxation and mental well-being by creating an amiable atmosphere around your hot tub. A hot tub that is on a patio or deck, open to nature is an excellent start. Add to the ambience by mood lighting, soft music or light conversation with a loved one.
3. Results in Better Sleep
In today’s hectic and materialistic lifestyle not sleeping enough has unfortunately become a badge of honor. It is a badge which comes with a very high cost.
Sleep is essential to every process in the body, affecting our physical and mental functioning the next day, our ability to fight disease and develop immunity, and our metabolism and chronic disease risk.
School of Public Health, University of Michigan
The ability of a hot tub to reduce stress and anxiety also results in preparing our body for a good night’s sleep. Hot tub immersion soothes your sore muscles and relieves joint & muscular pains. Naturally this helps in getting better sleep.
Immersion in a hot tub gets your body into the natural sleep cycle. Ideally you should soak in a hot tub around 90 minutes before bedtime. Your body gradually warms up during the hot tub soak. After you get out the cooling process begins.
This cooling process is a natural part of the sleep cycle. When you sleep the body temperature gradually drops reaching its lowest point in the early hours of the morning.
Stress levels reduce as hot water increases body temperature, thereby calming the nervous system, releasing endorphins such as dopamine and serotonin (“happy hormones”), and improving circulation, says Veena Graff, an assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.
USA Today
4. Promotes Spending Quality Time
The hot tub on your patio is the perfect place to enjoy some quality time. It could be alone, with your loved one, with the kids or with friends. A hot tub has plenty to offer for any situation. The warmth of the water and informal dress code certainly helps!
Spend Some “Me Time”
A hot tub is the perfect place to spend time alone. You may just sit and read an interesting book, listen to some music or even meditate. The warmth & flow of the water will get you completely relaxed and in the zone.
Go on a Romantic Date
Going out for a date with your life companion can be fun! But it can be stressful too! You have to deal with making reservations, driving through traffic and often being in a public setting.
Why not have a romantic date, at home in your hot tub. Light a few candles and put on soft music that you both enjoy. Light a fire, open a bottle of wine, snuggle with each other and gaze at the stars. I am quite sure you will not forget this date in a hurry.
Frolic with the Kids
Hot tub for four or six people is perfect for a family to get in and have some real fun. Let the kids bring in some inflatable toys or just play some interesting games.
A hot tub is as good a place as any, to play “Dumb Charades”, “Guess Who?”, “Who Am I?”. Make up some games of your own or get ideas from the link below:
Party with Friends
Having a party with your close friends in and around your hot tub is an absolutely fantastic way to socialize. Your friends are going to love you for this.
A hot tub party for a few select friends is not that difficult to organize. You can order takeaways or ask your friends to bring some food for a “potluck” dinner. The only other things you need is good music, some wine and lots of laughter!
5. Needs Little Space
A hot tub is really worth it because it takes so little space when compared to a pool or even a swim spa. A family sized 6 to 8 person hot tub is typically 8’ X 9’ and will require around 180 ft.² of space (including space for access).
| Family Sized | Basic Size | Size including Access | Total Area Requirement ( ft.²) |
| Hot Tub | 8’X9’ | 13’X14’ | 182 |
| Swim Spa | 8’X21’ | 14’X27’ | 378 |
| Swimming Pool | 20’X40’ | 28’X56’ | 1568 |
Due to a smaller footprint a hot tub can be added on to your patio or deck even as an afterthought. Of course you have to ensure that the patio or deck is structurally strong enough to bear the load of the hot tub, along with the water and people in it.
Hot tubs are readily available with dealers. They can be shipped & installed at your home in less than a day. It is even possible to install a hot tub indoors as long as there is access. Some people find installing a hot tub in their garage appealing because of easy access.
6. Can be Used All Year Round
A family sized 6 to 8 person hot tub has a water volume capacity of around 500 gallons. Heating it up to 100 degrees F is not super expensive, even in cold weather. You can therefore use your hot tub all around the year.
An indoor hot tub certainly can be used at any time. It is totally up to you. Even an outdoor hot tub can be used most months of the year. You need to take some precautions when using an outdoor inground hot tub in winter, though.
7. Adds Value to Your Home
To be honest, a freestanding hot tub may not add any value to your home. Freestanding hot tubs are considered as an appliance and not a fixture of the house. The potential buyer may have a little interest in it.
However, a hot tub that is inground and beautifully incorporated in the patio, deck or landscape can increase the resale value of your home. The caveat here is that the value addition comes, not so much from the hot tub, but by the way it is incorporated into the landscape.
Quite often, an inground hot tub is integrated with an inground swimming pool. Both are seen as a package and will increase home valuation. You cannot, however, identify the exact contribution of each component.
Bottom Line
A hot tub is certainly worth the money. A swim spa, more expensive than a hot tub, but cheaper than a pool, is also worth it. So before you decide, why not check out my earlier post on reasons why a swim spa is worth it!
Thank you very much for reading the post. I do hope you found it informative and helpful.
