Sore Muscles and Hot Tubs: Does Soaking Help?

Experiencing sore muscles is an extremely common feeling for many people, as it is the body’s natural response to any physical activity. There are many Health Benefits of owning a Hot Tub, which includes helping to ease sore muscles in a variety of ways.

What causes sore muscles?

Muscle aches are also known as myalgia and can be felt in any area of the body that has muscle. Depending on the cause, the discomfort can range from mild to extremely severe. There are many different factors that can cause sore muscles, including medical conditions such as fibromyalgia, injury, stress, tension and overuse.

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a medical condition which causes widespread pain and extreme tiredness, with one of the major symptoms being sore muscles. At Miami Spas we recognise that people who suffer with fibromyalgia could benefit from soaking in a hot tub, which is why we have chosen Fibromyalgia Action UK as our charity partner.

How a hot tub can help

Jet massage

Submerging your body in the warm bubbly water of a hot tub whilst the jets gently but thoroughly massage your body can help ease the pain caused by sore muscles. The massage that the body receives from the jets, mixed with the soothing warm water can aid in the elimination of muscle aches and can have a positive effect on recovery, providing you with the ultimate form of pain relief.

Improved circulation

The warm water in a hot tub allows for improved circulation to increase blood flow around the muscles which can improve muscle soreness. This happens because the high temperature of the hot tub widens the blood vessels, so more oxygen and nutrients can be delivered to the muscles.

Hydrotherapy

Hot tubs offer a great form of hydrotherapy which can be extremely beneficial for sore muscles. It is a therapeutic whole-body treatment that uses water to massage the body. Studies have shown that 15-20 minutes of soaking will help the body’s muscles to recover, and revitalise the body.

The best hot tubs for treating sore muscles

The most beneficial hot tub for treating muscle soreness is one that has high number and variety of jets. The Emerald Hot Tub from the Thermals range is the perfect example as it has 76 jets, with the perfect formations to hit each muscle group. So, when choosing your hot tub, keep the number of jets in mind as this can definitely have an impact on how well sore muscles can be treated.

The way your body is positioned can also have an effect on how well a hot tub can treat muscle soreness. For example, whether you are in an upright seat or relaxing in a lounger. For treating muscle soreness, being fully submerged under the water is more beneficial as it means that the whole body is in a relaxed position whilst under the water, allowing the jets to properly massage all areas of the body.

Most hot tub owners, whose primary reason for investing in a hot tub is to ease muscle soreness, tend to opt for a hot tub with loungers like the Mercury Hot Tub, or if you would prefer a mixture of both seating positions the Leo Hot Tub is a great choice. If you are still struggling to decide whether to choose a lounger or not, read our blog To lounge or not to lounge? – Should I get a hot tub with a lounger.