So when you first think of using a hot tub most people think about relaxing on a nice warm evening at the end of a long day. You probably don’t think of freezing cold winter temperatures, do you? Well studies have shown that using a hot tub for your wellness routine during the winter can also be highly beneficial to your health.

A lot of people feel a dip in their emotional status and experience more frequent foul moods and sometimes even depression in the winter months. This isn’t just a myth, but an actual condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Funny how the initials spell the word SAD, right? On a list of things that trigger SAD, we find a drop in serotonin (the chemical in the brain that triggers happiness) and melatonin (a chemical that influences our sleep).

Well utilizing a hot tub has been proved to alleviate feelings of depression, making it a good candidate for getting over your winter blues. Not only that, but it’s been shown that submerging yourself in hot water can improve energy levels, encourage better quality sleep, improve concentration and increase appetite. All of these factors add up to a useful tool avoid that sadness that often accompanies dark days and cold weather.

The holidays also represent a time of great stress for many people. A lot of jobs get much more intense during the holidays and this can put a lot of pressure on people causing increased stress. Not to mention all the Christmas shopping! With all the gifts to get and money to spend of course you’re going to start feeling some stress. When the body is subject to stress it tends to tense up, making your muscles constrict and your heartbeat quicken. This can serve to exhaust you and make you feel more tired throughout the day.

But the good news is that you can avoid a whole lot of that! Just through jumping in that hot tub and letting all that lovely warm water relax your muscles and soothe your joints you can clear your mind alleviate a whole bunch of stress.

So if you haven’t used your hot tub in the winter yet, I suggest you try it. You won’t regret it!