Exercise & Sports Recovery with a Hot Tub

From professional athletes to anyone taking on any kind of exercise regime, hydrotherapy can help significantly with recovery. After any physical activity, you might feel immediate pain and soreness, or you may experience delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Either way, after allowing a bit of time for your body to cool down, a session in your Lay-Z-Spa is going to be beneficial.

Benefits of using a hot tub for sports recovery include:

- Improved circulation
- Pain relief
- Less muscle tension
- Muscle repair

Why use a Hot Tub instead of an Ice-Bath after sport? 

Even though ice baths are extremely popular with athletes, recent findings indicate that icing does not help with inflammation and simply delays the repairing of the muscle tissue. Ice baths actively numb the sore areas, but this is only temporary and this causes a delay in immune response which results in a delay in recovery. Hot Water immersion has been proven to give the opposite results and is better for muscle recovery.

Post-Workout Recovery with a Hot Tub

Hydrotherapy, such as using a hot tub after exercise, has been scientifically proven to help with recovery. The hot water raises the body temperature which increases blood flow around the circulatory system. The blood carries oxygen, protein and the other valuable nutrients needed to repair any muscles damaged during a workout.

A study of Biophysiologic Effects of Warm Water Immersion demonstrated that “Circulation to deep muscle structures is also increased significantly in water immersion, improving oxygen flow to tissues and potentially facilitating the healing of muscle, bone, and joint injuries.”

Using a Hot Tub for Sports Injuries

Hot water is known and recommended to help with aches and pains which is why a hot tub can help with sports injuries. Lay‑Z‑Spa's massage systems help to release tension and actively knead your muscle fibers, helping the recovery process. With our Hydrojet Pro hot tubs, you can control the directional flow of the water and pinpoint it directly at any sore part of your body.

Using A Hot Tub as Part of an Exercise Routine

Doing any exercise with sore muscles from a previous session is hard work and makes it difficult to get motivated. If you include a hot tub for workout recovery as part of your regular routine, you will be able to increase your recovery time and maximise your exercise schedule or sports training.

Should I use my Hot Tub Before or After Exercise? 

Hot tubs are great for healing after exercise or for relief from injury, but you can also benefit from using your Lay-Z-Spa before exercise or a sporting activity. It’s up to you to choose which works best with your routine. Using a hot tub before exercise helps loosen muscles and increase blood flow. It gets your muscles warmed up a ready, but it is important to do stretches before you start your physical activity. 

Looking to find out more about the Health & Wellbeing benefits of using a hot tub? Head to this page or keep an eye on our blog for regular updates.

Sources:
Warm underwater water-jet massage improves recovery from intense physical exercise
Effect of hydrotherapy on the signs and symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness
Effects of therapeutic massage on gait and pain after delayed onset muscle soreness
Post-exercise recovery of contractile function and endurance in humans and mice is accelerated by heating and slowed by cooling skeletal muscle
Postexercise cooling impairs muscle protein synthesis rates in recreational athletes