Burn calories while soaking in a hot bath

Burn calories while soaking in a hot bath

This has to be the greatest news of 2017. Researchers, are saying that relaxing in a hot bath may be just as beneficial for your body as a 30-minute walk.   Burn calories while soaking in a hot bath, it sounds too good to be true. Still, that is only the half of it, there are also health benefits from soaking in a hot bath and doing nothing.

A group in at Loughborough University say that – a hot bath has benefits similar to exercise. Many cultures swear by the benefits of a hot bath – Finland and Japan come to mind.

The theory was investigated and tested on 14 men who had to participate on two tests. One involved an one-hour bicycle ride and the other a one-hour bath in 40-degree-Celsius water. The aim was  to raise the body’s core temperature by one degree.

The results were interesting, cycling resulted in more calories being burned compared with a hot bath. However, surprisingly bathing resulted in 140 calories being burned, which is about the amount you’ll burn on a half-hour walk.

There were additional findings from the study, the blood sugar of the participants was also tracked 24 hours after the tests. They found that peak blood sugar after eating was about 10% lower when participants took a hot bath compared with when they exercised.

The bath also seemed to have the same effect as exercise when it came to the anti-inflammatory response post-activity for each of the participants.

The study suggests that passive heating or relaxing in a hot bath for an hour can help reduce inflammation. Passive heating as a medical treatment is still very new but popular in Finland.

This is a very new and fascinating study with more interesting findings emerging in the last few years in the correlation of health and passive heating. A study published in 2015 from Finland, suggested that frequent use of saunas can reduce the risk of having a heart attack or stroke, well at least in men.

Important to note, is that this study was done on males only and the female body is different and might react differently. However, nobody would object soaking in a warm bath for an hour relaxing and if nothing else finding mental health and peace.

Go on, run a nice warm bath straight after work and soak in it and think about the calories you are burning.

H/T The conversation