Will 20 Minutes In My Spa Really Matter?

We truly believe it will. At Caldera Spas, we believe it because we live it, and 20-minute renewal is part of our daily lives.

From personal experience, we believe that 20-minutes a day can help you release tension, relax muscles and let go of all the clutter in your head.

Science seems to concur. Recently, studies have emerged on the effects of spa use—also called warm water immersion—particularly in 20-minute intervals.

Two researchers—Dr. Bruce Becker of Washington State University and Dr. Doreen Stiskal of Seton Hall University—have focused studies around 20-minute sessions. According to Dr. Stiskal, “the body gains the maximum benefit of warm water therapy within 20 minutes.”

Dr. Becker has conducted many studies, all focusing on immersion of 20 – 24 minutes with a temperature range of 94°– 102°. His observations include the following:

  • The buoyancy of the water relieves gravity and takes pressure off joints, providing relief to arthritis sufferers.
  • Immersion in water makes the respiratory muscles work harder by 60{d08558500d8945c62f975d7fb1313ca24132852f79c1e304564c6cb4e5b45d98}, strengthening and building endurance in the muscles associated with breathing.
  • A 20 – 24 minute warm water immersion affects the nervous system in much the same way as meditation. Dr. Becker’s research points to 20 minutes as the ideal length of time spent immersed. Soaking longer is fine, but the benefits don’t increase after 20 minutes. As always, be sure to stay hydrated no matter how long you decide to stay in.

We suggest you try using your hot tub daily and consistently for a week or more and pay attention to how you feel, how you think, whether you feel more flexible and relaxed. After all, the results of your own personal investigation are what matter most.

Whether you pay attention to them or not…you’ve got about 600 muscles. They reward you when they are warm and nourished, and seem to punish you when they’re not. Bottom line, how you care for your muscles will likely determine how ‘young’ you live…or how old you act. Learn more with Scott Iverson.

To learn more, spend a little time looking at the resource links below:

Ask yourself these 3 questions…

  • Yes or no – do you think 20 minutes in a spa each day would relax and rejuvenate you?
  • Can you spare 20 minutes per day in your hot tub?
  • What daily activities do you perform just for you?
What Is Hot Tub Circuit Therapy And How Does It Work?

A Caldera Spas Hot Tub serves many purposes, including enhancing family time and allowing you to relax both mind and body.

They also have a physically therapeutic benefit. Hot tubs are often used to release muscular tension or to help in the recovery of overworked muscles.


What Is Hot Tub Circuit Therapy?

A Caldera Spas hot tub takes the idea of actively treating muscles even further with seats and jets strategically placed to deliver whole-body, holistic treatment. We call it Hot Tub Circuit Therapy and it’s based on the approach used by personal trainers, moving you from station to station to help deliver a full-body workout and achieve a balanced fitness routine.

How Does Hot Tub Circuit Therapy Work?

Each seat or position in a Caldera Spas hot tub is intended to provide a deep massage to a different muscle group. As you move from seat to seat, jets focus on those muscle groups one at a time, including your neck and shoulders, the large muscles of your back, lower back, hamstrings, calves and feet.

Should You Follow A Prescribed Course Or Improvise?

Your approach is entirely up to you. You can follow our recommended course through your hot tub or focus on the areas that need the most help. You also have the flexibility to adjust the intensity of the jets in order to specify anything from a deep, penetrating massage to a soothing, relaxing touch. Stay at each station as long as you feel it’s necessary. You’re completely in charge.

What Are The Stages?

The arrangement of seats and jets in different models varies, so our trip through the spa won’t follow a specific map. In your model, you’ll be able to determine which seats focus on the appropriate muscle groups. Typical moves and treatments will include these stops.

  • Start with a massage to your neck, shoulders and middle back in the lounge seat. Two rows of jets work on both sides of your spine, focusing on the latissimus dorsi, the rhomboid muscles and the trapezius. Some Caldera Spas models have jets for your hands and your calves. While you’re in the lounge seat, Sole Soothers® jets massage the bottoms of your feet.
  • Selected models have independently controlled jets above the water level that massage downward, giving additional attention to tired neck muscles.
  • Move and work on the lumbar area of your lower back. A pair of larger jets focuses on the low part of your back where tension accumulates and where many lower back problems develop.
  • Move again and continue to focus on the back as a high-volume jet delivers a swirling effect.
  • Move to one of the other areas where jets focus on the long muscles on the back of the thigh. While jets work on your hamstrings, others are at work on your knees, calves and feet.

Once you’ve experienced the range of massage delivered in the seats throughout your Caldera Spas hot tub, you’ll begin to determine which order works best for you.

What Are The Benefits of Hot Tub Circuit Therapy?

In about 20 minutes every day, you can get a restorative massage that relaxes tense, tired muscles, increases circulation and reduces aches and pains. Try it several days in a row and note improvements in how you feel and move.

Have you tried Hot Tub Circuit Therapy?

In what order do you treat muscle groups?

What benefits did you see from using all stations in your Caldera Spas hot tub?

How Can A Hot Tub Enhance My Fitness Routine? Part 2

This is the second post in a two part series on how a hot tub can improve your fitness routine. Read part one here.

A fully integrated workout strategy should go beyond the actual workout to include important essentials such as nutrition, rest and recovery time.

Can I Stretch In My Hot Tub?

Dynamic stretching is the preferred method of preparing for a workout. But in a hot tub, muscles relax and loosen, allowing for some light static stretching. While hot tubs are not designed as a stretching station, you can perform some gentle stretches and movements to help muscles loosen and elongate.

What Are The Mental Recovery Benefits?

Part of the recovery process involves managing stress and developing a proper mental state. Time in a hot tub can help you relax and clear your mind, allowing you to combat some of the stress factors common to athletes.

By relaxing and creating a positive attitude you’re likely to perform at a much higher level, according to Dr. Michael Roizen, Cleveland Clinic’s chief wellness officer and co-author with Dr. Mehmet Oz of the best-selling YOU series of books.

Time in a hot tub can also help improve sleep which is an essential part of the recovery process.

Do Hot Tubs Help Injury Recovery?

In general, a hot tub can help your body recover from injury in the same way it helps you recover from a workout. Increased circulation helps carry nutrients to an injured area to assist in the healing process. In many cases, alternating ice and heat can help even more.

However, every injury is different and may require a different recovery strategy. If you have an injury, check with a physician to find out how hot tub therapy can benefit your individual healing process.

Remember, a fitness strategy and routine involves far more than exercise. In fact, what you do when you’re not exercising can play a huge part in helping you progress and succeed. Time in a Caldera Spas hot tub can become an essential, daily routine to help you reach your goals, stay limber, avoid injuries and stay relaxed and focused.

Do you currently use your Caldera Spas® hot tub as part of your fitness routine and how does it help you?

How soon after a workout do you use your hot tub to massage tired muscles?

Does the mental relaxation you get from using your hot tub help your fitness routine?

The Power of Water: Top 5 Benefits of Water Immersion

For centuries people have sought the wellness benefits of immersing themselves in water.

From the Roman baths to today’s Caldera hot tub our attraction to water continues to help us think and feel our best. Whether it’s to soothe aches and pains, or to calm a restless mind, the transformative effect of water is quite powerful.

Simple to experience, many people are surprised to discover the restorative benefits of water. While soaking in warm water, the body experiences both psychological and mental changes. As our circulation improves we begin to think more clearly.

The next time you feel tired or stressed, experience a 20-minute soak in warm water, and usher in the pure comfort of your Caldera hot tub. Here are the top-5 ways a soak will help you:

1. Lower Stress.

Busy and hectic lifestyles increase stress levels and put our health at risk. From high blood pressure to heart disease, the effects of stress on our bodies have been well documented. Soaking in a hot tub allows you to escape from daily stressors, like work and multitasking. Time reserved for yourself helps you recover emotionally and maintain a positive outlook on life.

2. Build Relationships.

Whether you have a teenager who has grown distant or you’re craving alone time with a spouse or loved one, a hot tub can be your solution. The removal of smart phones and distracting gadgets opens the door to conversation.

3. Speed Muscle Recovery.

The buoyancy of water reduces the impact of gravity on skeletal and muscle tissue, alleviating tension on the body. Combined with warmth, buoyancy in a tub of water loosens muscles before a workout, or soothes them afterward.

4. Improve Sleep.

Getting enough quality sleep is vital to our good health and well-being. The Sleep Foundation recommends developing a relaxing routine before bed. Spending time in a hot tub or hot bath prior to going to sleep will help separate the day’s activities from the night of rest ahead. Some studies suggest that soaking in hot water can ease the transition into a deeper sleep by reducing tension and stress.

5. Remove Toxins.

Soaking in warm water causes our body temperature to increase and blood vessels to dilate. The improved circulation brings in nutrients and oxygen while displacing toxins in areas of weaker flow. As the body regulates its internal temperature our pores release moisture that carries away internal chemical waste.

Thankfully, the benefits of water immersion don’t take long to achieve. A 20-minute soak can improve how you think and feel. That’s time well spent each and every day.

Can My Hot Tub Improve My Sleep?

Sleep is normally preceded by a drop in body temperature. If that’s true, how could a hot tub help?

First, soaking in a hot tub helps you relax mentally while the water’s buoyancy helps decompress your joints. Your circulation increases while your blood pressure and heart rate decreases, helping you reach a resting state. In the hot tub, your body temperature rises. Yes, rises.

What happens after that relaxing soak also helps. You maintain the sense of calm and relaxation that naturally helps you fall asleep. But now, your core body temperature begins to drop as you cool down, signaling to your body that it’s time to sleep. Whatever the science, soaking before bedtime seems to be a universal remedy for helping people sleep.

Lack of sleep can leave you feeling nervous, groggy and depressed or cause erratic mood swings. Because sleep researchers believe that insomnia can be traced to hectic, stressful lifestyles, relaxing in a spa regularly can help.

By taking a 15-minute soak in a hot tub about 90 minutes before attempting to sleep, your body temperature can drop to enable a better night’s sleep naturally without the grogginess sometimes caused by prescription remedies.

In Japan, it’s common practice to warm up with in a Furo bath in order to sleep better. A Gallup poll of a thousand respondents found that bathing is frequently used as a natural sleep aid, and a Consumer Reports survey found that a warm bath was listed as one of the most common remedies for mild sleep disorders.

Of course, there’s a disclaimer that comes with nearly any piece of advice: Individual results may vary. Try it out. What do you have to lose other than a few unwanted hours of wakefulness? What Else Helps?

Soaking isn’t the only way to help you sleep better.

Keep A Cool Room

You can assist the cooling process that helps you sleep by keeping your bedroom between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the National Sleep Foundation (http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-tools-tips/healthy-sleep-tips). Your room should also be free of noise and other distractions.

Exercise

Getting regular, vigorous exercise any time of day can help you sleep better. A study at Appalachian State University also found that early morning exercise is best for reducing blood pressure and improving sleep.

Read or Listen to Soothing Music

Reading can help you shift into sleep mode, but for some people, it’s best to avoid electronic sources such as a laptop or a bright reader. The particular light emanating from the screen can activate the brain and keep you awake.

Stick to a sleep schedule, even on weekends

A regular schedule will help you establish a body rhythm and maintain a regular sleep cycle.

Avoid eating and drinking before bedtime

And avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol before bed. All of them cause sleep disruptions. To learn more about sleep disorders and what to do about them, we suggest visiting SleepFoundation.org and Sleep.org by the National Sleep Foundation. It may also be time to talk to your doctor.

  • How many nights a week do you experience restlessness while sleeping?
  • Has soaking in warm water helped you sleep?
  • What tips and tricks do you have for falling asleep?

– See more at: http://www.calderaspas.com/health-wellness/20-minute-renewal/can-my-hot-tub-improve-my-sleep#sthash.zvjakdLH.dpuf