Fall-like weather has finally started to arrive in Central Pennsylvania, which means many of you are already saying goodbye to the pool season. Not ready to end the water fun? You’re not alone. For many pool owners, closing the pool each year is a source of stress – not because the process is difficult, but because it means we’ll soon lose our time to relax in the water after work, at the end of a long day and on the weekends.
But what can you do?
You can’t change the seasons, but you can do something to ensure you’re able to soak in the water, whenever you want, all year long…
If you’re bummed about the end of pool season, now is the time to consider getting a hot tub.
A hot tub or spa provides a serene spot to relax and unwind at any time of year. Not only that, research has shown that soaking in a hot tub can have numerous health benefits, including better blood circulation, muscle and joint pain relief, lower blood pressure and a healthier heart.
But perhaps the most common health benefit we seek when getting in a hot tub is stress relief.
How exactly does a hot tub relieve stress?
A recent guide from the National Swimming Pool Foundation and Dr. Jonathan B. Smith addressed these interesting points:
- If we are stressed too much and too often, our long-term health suffers.
- Fortunately, the body has a system (the parasympathetic branch) to create hormones that cause the body to relax after the stress.
- Dopamine, a hormone that causes relaxation, is released when a person is immersed in hot water.
- When the body is immersed in hot water, the formation of dopamine shows an increased parasympathetic response.
- Immersion in hot water helps our body relax by allowing the parasympathetic branch to reverse the effects of the sympathetic branch.
Bottom line: less stress and a healthier you, just by doing something you already enjoy!
Remember, stress is more than just a consequence of our busy, complex lives. It extremely unhealthy and has been linked to many causes of disease, as well as death.
Don’t let the end of pool season get you down. Visit any of our 3 locations to see how easy and rewarding it is to treat yourself to a spa or hot tub.