The new year is upon us and for many people that means setting new personal goals for 2019. If getting fit is at the top of your agenda this year then your swim spa can help you to achieve that essential lifestyle change. Whether you’ve got existing injuries that need careful management, or you just need a more supported way to exercise, working out in your swim spa is a great way to get fit for 2019.
Both saunas and steam rooms have a number of health benefits and can provide a relaxing experience, whether you’ve just completed a workout or you’re looking to switch off after a hard day. In terms of installation, experience and positive lifestyle impact, there are advantages to either option so which one is the best for your individual requirements?
The primary difference between a steam room and a sauna is the type of heat involved. A steam room is wet heat and that can have a number of advantages, including when it comes to alleviating the symptoms of a range of conditions. This type of heat will open and thin the body’s mucous membranes. As a result, it can be used to relieve sinus congestion and is especially beneficial for those suffering from conditions such as asthma and bronchitis. Other benefits of a steam room include:
The average human body is made up of at least 60% water and sweating in a steam room means that some of that water is expelled. As a result, spending some time in a steam room can help to reduce weight and water related bloating.
Sweating is one of the most effective ways that the human body can eliminate toxins. Whether you’re looking to recover during the Christmas party season or keen to have a regular detox built into your beauty regime, spending time sweating in a steam room is a highly effective way to do it.
You will also sweat in a sauna but may initially feel less moisture on the skin because the heat inside is dry. The dry warmth of a sauna is known for being incredibly relaxing and soothes aching muscles and over stimulated nerve endings. If you often get migraines, headaches or arthritis (or other joint conditions) regular sauna sessions can help. Saunas can also be beneficial with respect to:
The impact of sauna heat is to release feel-good endorphins, which also help to reduce stress in the body. When you step out of the sauna heat your body begins to release melatonin, which is a crucial ingredient for a good night’s sleep.
High blood pressure can be uncomfortable and, ultimately, fatal if not properly managed. Saunas are particularly well known for helping to bring blood pressure down and encourage a healthier heart.
In addition to all of the above advantages, both steam rooms and saunas will:
The choice of sauna or steam room is a matter of personal preference. Both have major benefits and offer lifestyle improvements. If you’d like to discuss your options we can help – contact us to find out more.
Light becomes an important issue in the winter months. In the UK we dropped from an average of 6.6 daily sun hours in June 2017 to just 1.7 in December of the same year and these figures are fairly standard. 20% of us now suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a kind of depression that occurs only during the winter months. It’s thought that a lack of sunlight can contribute to this annual malaise – and that light therapy, such as chromotherapy, can help to fight it.
Chromotherapy uses colours to help create balance and harmony in the body, fighting conditions like SAD and helping to ensure we remain healthy throughout the year. It’s something that is easily integrated into your sauna to boost its positive impact and improve mental and physical health.
Chromotherapy is based on the idea that we need the sun’s light for our survival – and that the light from the sun can be broken down into a seven-colour spectrum. Chromotherapy looks to top up each of the seven colours that make up the light from the sun and which can cause mental and physical issues where one is lacking. Each of the seven colours has an impact on a different area of physical and/or mental health.
Yellow
A body strengthener, especially the digestive and nervous systems. Is particularly useful where there are glandular conditions and in supporting a more effective metabolism.
Red
Improves circulation and supports nervous system.
Pink
Strengthens veins and arteries, detoxifies the blood.
Green
Green light works to improve harmony in the body, to stimulate regeneration and fight infection.
Purple
Calming and soothing, especially with respect to the digestive system and muscles. Purple light is thought to have strong meditative qualities.
Orange
A fat burner. Plus, this colour can help with conditions such as asthma.
Blue
Often associated with pain relief, for example from muscle cramps or migraines. Blue light has impressive tranquilising properties and can help with a wide range of pain relief.
It’s widely known that a sauna can have significant positive impact on the body during the winter months. From warming muscles to enable a safe workout, to increasing circulation and boosting the metabolism there are lots of ways in which spending time in a sauna in the winter can make the season more enjoyable.
Adding chromotherapy to your sauna is a great way to optimise the experience. It can help to alleviate symptoms of seasonal depression and may be a useful tool for dealing with medical conditions, as well as the aches and pains that tend to be exacerbated by the cold at this time of year. Chromotherapy will help to give every day a boost and enable you to address anything that might be lacking in your body.
If you’re looking for the perfect sauna – or to improve or upgrade an existing model – we can help. Contact us to find out more.
If you’re looking to throw a seasonal party to remember this year it has to be a hot tub party. The Christmas hot tub party is a distinctive and memorable way to celebrate the festive months and is guaranteed to be the event that everyone is talking about. This is everything you need to know about how to throw the best Christmas hot tub party your friends and family have ever seen.
Make sure you’ve got all the basics covered when it comes to prepping your hot tub for guests. Clean it thoroughly and ensure all the working parts are in great condition. You might want to think about how guests are going to use the hot tub – do you need a drying off area, somewhere close by for warm towels or clothes and will outdoor heaters enhance the experience?
You could just go for a straightforward Christmas theme but there are also lots of other creative options that will bring your party to life. For something a little more unusual you could go for “The Nightmare Before Christmas” or “Winter Wonderland” or even use your favourite Christmas story or song as the basis for the party theme. Once you’ve chosen your theme then you can start work on the other important elements, including:
How are you going to decorate your home for your Christmas hot tub party? Festive water floats, Christmas trees and plenty of fake snow can create a fun winter wonderland. Stringing up lights in the trees – or using lots of outdoor Christmas lights – will make sure everyone is feeling super festive.
It’s worth taking the time to work out how you want your guests to use the space available, including the hot tub. You’ll need to ensure everyone is safe and warm and that people are rehydrating after they’ve been in the hot tub, especially if they’ve had a lot of mulled wine or eggnog.
Will you go for festive vintage classics such as “Baby it’s cold outside” or something more recent like Justin Bieber’s “Mistletoe”? Prepare your playlist in advance so you can roll out the perfect soundtrack to your party without having to be a DJ all night.
Food and drink are essential for any good party, especially a festive one. Christmas themed nibbles range from festive cookies and cakes through to roast turkey sandwiches and tins of chocolates. You can’t beat a good festive punch or some champagne for a Christmas party that goes with a pop!
Give some thought to how you’re going to entertain your guests during the party, whether that’s raucous sack races or giant Jenga.
Organising a hot tub Christmas party is the ideal way to celebrate the festive season with friends and family. From small gatherings to parties where the whole neighbourhood is invited, your hot tub is the perfect way to make it memorable.
Get in touch to find your perfect hot tub or accessories to add to your hot tub experience today.
A change in the seasons means a change in our routines and lifestyle too. As the temperatures drop we’re more inclined to conserve energy, more concerned about staying healthy and more likely to want to hibernate. If you’re lucky enough to have a hot tub at home then there are lots of ways to use it to better enjoy the winter season this year.
Winter parties have a tendency to be the same old format – if you want to throw a really memorable social event for the festive season this year then a hot tub party is ideal. Inviting friends and family over and getting warm and toasty together in the hot tub can be a unique way to celebrate the festive period, as well as your friendships and close family bonds. There are lots of hot tub accessories available to make your party even more fun, from lights to music.
In the depths of winter when the weather gets seriously cold, warming up can be difficult to do. A hot tub provides a swift and soothing way to instantly thaw out frozen toes and cold hands and to give your circulation a boost if the cold weather is making you feel sluggish.
Risk of injury can rise during the winter, whether that’s during a workout or simply when going about every day life. The hydrotherapy element of your hot tub can have a positive impact on your body when it’s cold, helping to prepare it for exercise without injury and providing a way to help soothe and release tight muscles.
If you’d like to upgrade or buy a new hot tub, contact The Hot Tub and Swim Spa team to discuss your requirements today.
Everyone knows that a sauna is a great way to enjoy essential relaxation. The warmth, the quiet… if you’re in need of a blissful few moments of peace then a sauna at home is the way to get it. However, as well as providing a totally chilled relaxation experience, saunas might actually also be good for your health.
A recent study entitled “Cardiovascular and Other Health Benefits of Sauna Bathing: A Review of the Evidence” found that spending regular time in a sauna is not only great for relaxation but could also have some serious health benefits too. The study was compiled by Finnish researchers who, incidentally, come from a country with more than 10,000 years’ of experience with saunas. The Finns compiled their study by spending a month reviewing all the available evidence on the health benefits of a sauna. This included mostly people who spent anywhere between five and 20 minutes in their sauna every day.
The Finnish study found that regular sauna use could be significant with respect to cardiovascular health and a range of other benefits.
The study established that time spent in a sauna can have the same impact on the human body as moderate exercise. Circulation was significantly improved, as the effect of the sauna was to increase the heart rate to 120 beats to 150 beats per minute.
Saunas are fantastic for sweating, which is one of the primary methods used by the human body to remove toxins from the system. When we sweat those toxins are pushed out through pores in the skin and can then be scraped or showered away. The sauna also increases blood flow to the skin, making it look plumper, more nourished and younger.
What might be surprising to many people is how much simply sitting in a sauna can help to reduce key cardiovascular risks. The researchers in Finland found that there was a key correlation between people spending time in a sauna and a reduction in heart problems. People who were in a sauna four to seven times a week had 60% lower rates of stroke and heart disease than people who visited a sauna just once a week. The impact was so significant that the researchers leading the study identified sauna use as a third factor in cardiovascular health, in addition to diet and exercise.
Alongside diet and exercise, a home sauna is a great way to improve your health and get fitter. If you’d like to find the ideal home sauna for you please get in touch with The Hot Tub and Swim Spa Company today.
The size of a swim spa makes it very easy to accommodate, no matter how limited your space at home. However, while the swim spa itself may not require a large area, you can still swim considerable distance while using one. Thanks to the design of the swim spa, which uses a resistance current to give you a fantastic workout on the spot, there’s no limit to how much you can train, practice or get fit when you have a swim spa at home. This type of pool can also accommodate any stroke so, whether you’re looking to improve fitness or learn something new, you’ll have plenty of choice.
Let’s start with the one swimming stroke that takes the most effort and skill to perfect. If you’ve always wanted to master this one but never felt comfortable learning in public, your home swim spa is the ideal place to perfect your technique. Butterfly involves moving the arms forward, together, in a circular motion, while kicking your feet. This movement will push your chest up out of the water and power you forward in the most dramatic of ways. If you’re looking for an anaerobic element to your swim then butterfly delivers – it’s great for arms and core too.
If your target area for strengthening is your arms then perfecting your front crawl is a great goal to have. Although the legs continuously kick with front crawl, it’s the arms that do most of the work, alternately slicing forward into the water ahead to power you on. As well as strengthening the arms and back, front crawl will also improve overall fitness and swimming ability.
If you’re doing breaststroke well then you should barely break the surface of the water. You won’t need your swim spa jets particularly high for this one, as it’s a slower stroke. However, you will still work your entire body by regularly practicing breaststroke in your swim spa. Both the arms and the legs are active, as well as the core.
If you’re looking to break between intense sessions, or keen to find a technique where your face is not in the water, backstroke is a great option. Turn the jets down lower on your swim spa for backstroke and let your arms do all the work. You’ll get a great workout for back and arm muscles and a medium one for the legs too.
If you’re keen to ensure you’re working the muscles in the side of your body, as well as your arms and legs, sidestroke is the technique to master. When you’re practicing sidestroke, make sure that you spend an equal amount of time on both your right and left sides.
These are just some of the techniques you can learn to practice in your swim spa to get fitter, healthier and more proficient at swimming in general. Get in touch for advice from our expert team about which Swim Spa is best suited to your requirements.
Preparing to take delivery of your hot tub is an exciting time. You’re about to have a home feature that will give you lots of options and considerably enhance day-to-day living. However, before the hot tub arrives there are a number of preparations that need to be made.
This is a key question and one that you may not fully have thought through when ordering the hot tub. You’ll need to ensure that wherever the tub sits you will have easy access to it and that’s it’s close to somewhere you can get changed. You might also want to think about factors such as the view and whether or not it’s overlooked by the neighbours. You’ll need to ensure that the spot you choose is flat, level and not on soft ground.
Work out the route that the hot tub is going to take when it arrives for installation. You may need to measure openings and doorways to ensure that the hot tub base will fit through. Are there any obstacles, such as pipes, branches or a low roof that could obstruct the hot tub on its journey? It may be necessary to crane the hot tub into position, depending on your chosen location, and it’s important to work this out in advance of the day of hot tub installation.
You’ll need to ensure that you have a good, strong and solid base for the hot tub to sit on. Concrete is ideal and grass is not. You can use existing patio slabs and block paving, as long as they are level and stable. Ideally, the base will be around 10 – 15cm thick. It’s crucial that whatever you opt for as the base for the hot tub is able to support its weight when full of water.
The hot tub will require an electrical connection to work and there are some key features to this. For example, the cable will have to run beside the hot tub and not underneath it, and have at least a 4-metre tail from the edge of the hot tub. The hot tub will require that the hot tub will require a dedicated electrical supply and a waterproof isolator will be necessary.
Wherever you decide to position the hot tub it’s essential that the controls can still be accessed. It will also be important to ensure that servicing and maintenance can be carried out.
Normally, filling a hot tub is done via a garden hose so it’s essential to have this in place so that you can get the water that you need into your hot tub.
These are the most basic considerations for anyone preparing for hot tub installation. Once these are in place then you are ready to receive that all-important delivery. Get in touch with The Hot Tub and Swim Spa Company to place your hot tub order today.
Heat can be wonderfully beneficial for the body, from improving skin aesthetics to helping to soothe aches and pains. Both saunas and steam rooms can provide a great heated environment but what’s the difference between the two and what kind of benefits can you expect from a steam room?
It’s very similar to a sauna except that the heat is not dry. Saunas are hot and dry while steam rooms tend to be hot and wet. Steam rooms normally maintain a temperature of around 110°F and, as the name suggests, are filled with steam as the temperature rises and the air is heavy with moisture produced by a generator filled with boiling water. While in a sauna you might be sitting on wooden benches in a clear room, with a steam room the surface is normally tiled or stone and the air is cloudy with mist.
One of the benefits of spending time in a steam room is the release of a hormone called aldosterone, which is responsible for regulating blood pressure. The aldosterone release can help to bring blood pressure down and make the occupant of a steam room feel more relaxed.
Heat and steam have been shown in various studies to help improve circulation, which leads to better overall cardiovascular health. Moist heat is particularly helpful when it comes to boosting circulation to extremities such as hands and feet, especially in older people.
When our bodies are exposed to water this stimulates the leukocytes cells, which contribute to fighting infection. Although a steam room may not provide a cure, regular use can help to boost the immune system so that you get sick less often.
Whether you suffer from sinus issues or you just have winter colds, steam rooms are ideal for helping to shift congestion without the scalding dangers of steam inhalation or steam therapy.
Spending time in a steam room regularly can help to bring down the levels of cortisol in the body, resulting in calmer feelings and better-managed stress levels.
Steam is well known for the positive cleansing and plumping impact that it can have on skin. In particular, the steam will open the pores, helping to detoxify and remove impurities that can cause issues such as blackheads and acne.
Whether you’re a professional athlete or starting a new exercise regime, you’ll need to find a way to recover from sore muscles after exercise or training. Many studies have shown that heat is a very effective way to do this and that moist heat is more effective than dry heat.
You can actually burn calories in a steam room thanks to the increase in heart rate from the heat. That’s especially so if you enter a steam room with your heart rate already raised from an aerobic workout.
Applying heat to joints not only helps to reduce pain but also increases flexibility and can even help to reduce injury before a workout.
These are just some of the reasons why a steam room is a fantastic investment – contact our team to find out more on 0208 309 0600.