How Hot Tubs Help Students With Study Stress

If you’ve spent much time soaking in a hot tub, you already know that nothing is more relaxing after a long workday than a hot tub session. Those relaxing benefits aren’t all in your mind, either. Studies have proven that hot tubs provide real, trackable stress relief. But don’t keep those benefits all to yourself! If you’ve got high school- or college-aged kids, your hot tub can help them with study stress. 

Hydrotherapy helps.

Dr. Bruce Becker, a research professor at Washington State University, is the man behind the ground-breaking study. It all started with a simple observation. “You know when you come home from a long day at work and you’re stressed out?” Becker said. “You want to sink into a hot bathtub and go, ‘Ahhh.’ I’m trying to figure out … what that ‘Ahhh’ is all about.”

Through the course of his study, Becker found that soaking in 102°F water regulates the sympathetic nervous system (which is affected by stress) and the parasympathetic nervous system (the system responsible for creating a “calm” feeling). Unlike most previous hydrotherapy studies, which generally focused on people in a supine floating position while using a pool, Becker’s study focused on subjects who were sitting upright in spas. The study, which showed that using a hot tub eases stress as well as a host of other benefits, is proof that your spa really does provide the tangible benefits that leave you feeling so relaxed and refreshed when you leave the water. 

Students need stress-relief, too.

Once you’re out in the “real world,” it’s easy to forget how demanding school can be. But academic stress can leave students irritable, struggling to sleep, and can even cause anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. However, just like it does for you, a nice relaxing hot tub soak can ease stress. While soaking, the warm water triggers an endorphin release and lowers cortisol levels. It’s such a small thing, but making time for a regular hot tub soak can help your kid manage their study stress. While they will surely enjoy indulging in a solitary soak, occasionally ask if you can join them — a family hot tub soak is a great way to get in some quality time together!

Need a hot tub of your own so you and your student can tap into all the stress-relieving benefits? We’d love to introduce you to a Hot Spring® Spa! Call us at 970-949-6339 or download a free brochure to learn more.