Hot Tub Execise

The health benefits of soaking in a hot tub are many. After soaking for a few minutes, blood vessels dilate, lowering blood pressure. The water provides buoyancy, reducing your heart's workload by 10 to 20 percent. As a result, muscles relax, temporarily relieving pain. The heat causes sweating, which induces the body to get rid of toxins. And the heat and pressure from the jets raise the level of antibodies and white blood cells, promoting the healing process.

But if those health benefits aren't enough for you, consider adding exercise to your hot tub time. There are a number of simple and beneficial exercises that can be performed without much effort.

Try standing toe raises or pushes against the sides to exercise calf muscles, or tightening and relaxing the thighs. Use the water's resistance, or add resistance with your hands and push your knees apart and back together again. Do head circles and shoulder rolls and shrugs. These are also great for promoting relaxation. Put one leg forward and push down on the floor of the hot tub with your foot. Make fists and squeeze or clasp your hands in front of you and squeeze your elbows together. Practice pulling in your abdominal muscles and holding.

Perform each exercise for three seconds, and build up to ten repetitions each.

English and Lepage does not recommend you mix these ideas with alcohol, but if you choose to do so, make sure you always swim with at least ONE buddy ;-)