Hot Tub Benefits - Lower Blood Pressure

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In my last blog, I introduced BISHTA – the British and Irish Spa and Hot Tub Association – which lists as a key benefit of hot tubs lowering blood pressure.

This article outlines how you can lower your blood pressure, and why it’s so effective.

According to the NHS, “around one third of the population suffer from high blood pressure”. There are often no easily detectable symptoms, many people remain undiagnosed, and the advice from the NHS is to have your blood pressure measured – read more about blood pressure here.

High blood pressure can increase the chances of developing medical conditions. The Blood Pressure Association are the UK’s leading blood pressure charity and offer plenty of support and information.

So how can a hot tub help?

Fortunately, there has been quite a lot of research done, particularly in the United States, on how hot tubs lower blood pressure. Here is just one example:

“At the Cardiovascular Risk Factor Reduction Unit at the Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, 21 people with hypertension and 23 with normal blood pressure were subjected to a ten minute submersion in a 40 C hot tub. The results were favorable. That of the hypertensive group was 144 (17) mmHg to 122 (18) mmHg and of the normal group, 130 (14) mmHg to 110 (17) mmHg and the diastolic pressures of both groups dropped. Measurements returned to the baseline level 10 minutes after they left the spa.”

“So we at least know a 10 minute soak is safe for those with moderate hypertension with exception to the rule. It would be good for those persons to monitor their blood pressure if they would like to try staying in longer to experience for themselves the benefits of hot tubs. Many people who suffer from blood pressure do this, and it has been known to lower their blood pressure significantly, by causing the blood vessels to dilate, lessening strain on the heart, relieving stress, and in aiding a good nights` sleep. At first it causes the pressure to rise because the higher temperature on the vessels near the skins surface, but in a few minutes it drops.”

Information taken from http://www.bloodpressureuk.org/BloodPressureandyou/Yourlifestyle/Beingactive.

Of course, we always strongly recommend getting advice from your doctor on how best to use a hot tub if you do suffer from high blood pressure.

But the benefits you will experience will mean that your hot tub is more than just fun – it’s doing you and your body a power of good!

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