Whether it’s physical, emotional, or mental stress relief and restoration you’re after, you won’t go wrong by having a session in a sauna or a hot tub. Both of these things offer heat to help soothe sore muscles and joints, cleanse your skin of toxins and increase your blood circulation, among many other benefits.
But which one is better for your body and your soul?
Well, they both provide health benefits that are easily accessible. What it probably comes down to is whether you prefer wet heat or dry heat.
So, let’s dive deeper into the sauna vs hot tub debate.
Sauna vs Hot Tub: Which One’s Best?
Although you will find both of these experiences offered at your local spa, or even some luxury gyms and hotels, they provide two very different types of heat — one being moist and wet, while the other is dry.
If you happen to be lucky enough, you may even have access to a hot tub and/or sauna in your own home.
Both saunas and hot tubs give three specific health benefits that most people who use them are attracted to. These three health benefits are:
Weight Loss
If you are on a weight loss journey, then you probably know that using a hot tub, or sauna especially, is a great way to help you boost your metabolism because of the way they work to increase your circulation.
They do this by raising your body temperature, which opens up your blood vessels and burns calories as if you’ve gone for a run.
Traditional saunas heated by sauna heaters, tempered by water-soaked sauna rocks, can get to temperatures of 190’+. More modern infrared saunas aim for a lower temperature of around 125′, but they use infraed heat which heats the body directly.
So the end result is a temperature sensation about these same as a traditional sauna.
Better Sleep
Sleep deprivation is one of the leading causes of stress, so getting a good night’s rest is one of the most important things you can do for your health.
According to research from the American Sleep Association, raising your body temperature during a session in a hot tub or sauna before going to bed can increase your capacity for deeper sleep.
This is the most important part of your sleep cycle, which helps to boost cognitive brain function and memory.
So, if you have an insomnia issue, consider having a sauna or hot tub regularly.
Sleep deprivation is one of the leading causes of stress, so getting a good night’s rest is one of the most important things you can do for your health.
Relax Your Body
Besides a proper sleep cycle, relaxation of your nervous systems is another way to keep stress at bay. And who couldn’t do with some more relaxation these days?
The constant bombardment of information and social media scrolling has an effect on your nervous system, especially if you habitually end your day with your phone in bed.
And it’s not just our physical bodies that need relaxing. We also need to relax from mental and emotional trauma and/or stress.
So, as you can see, both a sauna and a hot tub can help you to feel better in your body through heat therapy, which allows your body to heal through the inducing of sweat. Let’s look at the further benefits of each one separately.
The Benefits of Taking a Sauna Bath
Saunas provide an easy way for you to help your body cleanse itself of toxins. Our bodies experience toxic overload every day, through things like pesticides in our food, chemicals in our makeup and personal care products, and pollution in the air.
This is why many people have become more conscious of taking control of the health of their bodies, and so are fans of the therapeutic value that saunas provide. Not only for relaxation but also for the effects that they have on your cardiovascular health through the raising of your body’s temperature.
Many people don’t like to sweat — think of all the antiperspirant deodorants lining your pharmacy’s shelves. However, sweating is a natural body function that is also the easiest way of detoxing, as it happens through the skin.
Many people don’t like to sweat — think of all the antiperspirant deodorants lining your pharmacy’s shelves. However, sweating is a natural body function that is also the easiest way of detoxing.
And a sauna’s function is to raise your body temperature so that your heart rate increases, your blood vessels widen, your oxygen level increases, and toxins are eliminated through your sweat. This experience results in more than just relaxation and the other benefits mentioned above.
Saunas will also help you to:
- Feel invigorated from the oxygen increase
- Reduce pain in the muscles and joints
- Increase metabolism to help with weight loss and body inflammation
- Improve your skin
The Benefits of Soaking in a Hot Tub
Using a hot tub is a type of hydrotherapy, which has been used to promote health and well-being since ancient times. Some Roman baths are still in use, thousands of years later.
These days, hot tubs are a pleasant way to relax, and many even use them as a social activity.
Warm water is used to provide a gentle massage that can relieve pain through the water jets that sit below the surface. The water’s buoyancy also helps to relieve pressure from your joints while the heat penetrates skin and muscles to increase your heart rate and dilate the blood vessels.
Hot tub hydrotherapy will also help with:
- Lowering blood sugar levels
- Soothing sore joints
- Boosting your overall mood
And hot tubs are often a fun activity, just as swimming pools are. They made Hot Tub Time Machine for a reason. It’s not Sauna Time Machine (even though saunas are fun, too!)
The only thing that may hold you back from wanting to use a hot tub is the chlorine that needs to be used to keep the water sanitized. Some people develop a sensitivity to chlorine, which can manifest as redness, itchiness, rashes, hives, and even a stuffy nose, coughing, and/or wheezing.
So, now that you know the similar benefits that both of these experiences offer, sauna vs hot tub, which will you choose when it comes to boosting your health and well-being?
