Hot Tubs and Texas Winter: A Perfect Combination
One of the biggest misconceptions about hot tubs is that you can only use them during the warmer months of the year. However, if you properly maintain your hot tub, you can use your hot tub all year round. That means that, yes, on the rare occasion we get frost and snow in Texas, your hot tub can be a warm retreat!
Hot tubs and winter are a perfect combo!
If you still need convincing, below are excellent benefits to keeping your hot tub running when the temperature drops. While you might think it is too cold to make it from your house to your hot tub, the following benefits might change your mind!
Exercise All Year Round
When winter hits, the cold makes it difficult to enjoy activities like jogging, running, and hiking. As a result, most people decrease their exercise in the winter, which isn’t great for health and wellness in the long term.
With a hot tub, it’s possible to continue exercising, even during cold winter months. People who require hydrotherapy can keep up their exercises without leaving the comfort of home. Those who want more exercise can do water aerobics in the warmth of their hot tub.
It’s important to remember that even though it’s frigid outside, you shouldn’t spend hours in your hot tub. Your exercise regime doesn’t need to change, so limiting yourself to around 20 minutes of exercise each day is plenty.
A few examples of exercises that you might want to try include,
- Squats
- Walking (in place)
- Resistance Training
- Arm Crossovers
- Bicycle Kicks
Help With Colds and the Flu
It might surprise you that hot tubs help prevent you from catching a cold or flu. How? Sitting in warm, steamy water helps to clear your sinuses. The warmer temperatures also help relax the muscles in your chest and lungs, helping you clear your airways and breath more deeply.
The key to using the hot tub in the winter is that it helps prevent you from catching a cold or the flu. You shouldn’t use your hot tub if you already have a cold or flu. Instead, you should stay inside and rest, especially if you have a fever. Going into your hot tub in the winter while you have a fever can lead to dizziness, and you could pass out. Not good!
Relax and De-Stress
When winter arrives, life doesn’t stop. This means that the stressors that affect you during the warmer months continue to affect you during the winter. Your job, kids, home repairs, and the holidays (hello, recitals, parties, and family gatherings!) all impact the tension in your muscles and cause other related ailments.
When you use your hot tub in the winter, you completely submerge yourself in warm water. You won’t even feel the cold! You’ll find that you can relax just as well as you did in the summer. Let the tension slide from your muscles.
We know it feels lovely, but limit your soak to 20 minutes. You’re still at risk of dehydration, even in the cold.
Enjoy the Outdoors
In the winter, some people prefer hibernating indoors. Going for a walk in the cold doesn’t seem appealing. While cooped up might suit some, it’s not sustainable in the long term.
Enjoying the outdoors is essential to your health and well-being, and if you own a hot tub, you’ve got an easy way to manage both.
Head out to your hot tub for a relaxing soak and take in winter’s splendor without suffering through the cold. You can sit back, close your eyes and enjoy the stillness.
Being outdoors in the winter can also combat seasonal depression, a real issue for us summer-loving Texans. A soak under the stars can relax your body and revive your mind teaching you to enjoy the evening, even if it’s dark by 4:30!
Socialize with Friends & Family
Using the hot tub in the winter is an excellent chance to bond with friends and family. Instead of throwing an indoor gathering, consider extending the invitation for others to enjoy your backyard oasis. It helps to break up the winter blahs for you and those you invite. It also extends the use of your hot tub so that you’re not just using it for a few months each year.
Winter Hot Tub Maintenance and Safety
While we encourage you to use your hot tub in the winter to benefit from the relaxation and outdoors, it’s important to remember safety and proper hot tub maintenance. The last thing you want to do is get hurt or damage your hot tub.
Regular Maintenance is Still Required
If you use your hot tub regularly during winter, you must continue checking the filter and water balance. This process doesn’t change with the seasons. So, to thoroughly enjoy your winter hot tub experience, stick to your regular maintenance schedule.
Watch that the Pipes Don’t Freeze
The most critical thing to remember when using your hot tub in the winter is to keep it warm enough – even when you’re not using it – to prevent the pipes from freezing. If the hot tub pipes freeze, they will expand and damage your hot tub. So keeping your water warm and cycling is critical to enjoying your winter hot tub experience.
Watch Your Step!
With the cold comes ice, making getting to and from your hot tub a little trickier. Clearing a path from your house to your hot tub will ensure that you prevent slips and falls that could ruin your experience.
What’s Your Exit Plan?
Investing in a thick robe and outdoor slippers will keep you warm until you step into your hot tub. This is particularly important for people with hot tubs that aren’t close to the house. The robe will come in handy after you’re finished soaking.
Enjoy Your Hot Tub!
Hot tubs are an investment. However, if you can enjoy yours all year and get as much use as possible, why not take the plunge? Who knows, the benefits of using your hot tub in the winter might completely change your mind about winter, and isn’t that worth taking the chance?
Take our perfect hot tub quiz on our home page or call our store at (903) 561-7565 to jump-start your search for the best spa for Texas winters!
Happy hot tubbing, friends!
