Hot Tub Exercises

In this article we show you how exercising in a hot tub can be beneficial in more ways than one as well as some easy exercises to try today!

In today’s challenging times, it’s more important than ever that we prioritise our health, both physical and mental. However, finding the time to do so is not always easy, especially as many of us continue to balance working from home and family life. Not to mention our social interactions with others outside our homes are also extremely limited. All of this can really take a toll on our wellbeing if we don’t take steps to prioritise it. Thankfully, as a hot tub owner you have the ability to partake in gentle, aquatic exercise in the privacy of your own home.

There are many benefits to aquatic exercise, especially in your own hot tub. If you are suffering from poor joint mobility or joint pain, have limited physical abilities, don’t have much indoor space or even if you just do not feel comfortable leaving your home to exercise, a hot tub can be the perfect answer. Exercising in an outdoor hot tub is even more beneficial, as it provides an opportunity to reap the many benefits of sunlight that so many of us lack during the cold winter months.

How to make aquatic exercises more effective

Although you don’t need any special equipment to exercise in your hot tub, there are certain devices available that can help to make your workout more challenging and effective. We’ve listed some of our favourites below:

Hand Webs/Aqua Gloves

Hand webs or aqua gloves help you to utilise your arm muscles when performing aquatic exercise. Their webbed design increases water resistance as you move, giving you a more effective workout.

Kickboard

A kickboard is a great and inexpensive tool that can be used to target the legs, arms and core. Take a look at these aquatic kickboard exercises from mayoclinic.org. Water weights Water weights are ideal for hot tub use. If you want to work on improving arm strength water weights can be really effective.

Hot Tub Exercises

Before trying out any of the exercises listed below, it’s important to remember that with any physical activity there is always a chance of physical injury. The below exercises should not be used as a substitute for professional advice/information. Please consult a medical professional before attempting any of the exercises below.

Arm Exercises

Arm Raises

This exercise can be performed with or without water weights/hand webs.

• Sit in your hot tub with a straight back. Make sure your whole body is submerged from the shoulders down
• Hold your arms straight out in front of you with palms facing downward
• Gently push downwards against the water until your arms are by your sides
• You can do as many repetitions of this exercise as you feel comfortable with. You should feel your muscles working after a couple of reps. As your strength improves you can work on increasing repetitions
• You can also alternate between palms facing downward and palms facing upward to target different muscles

Forearm Raises Using Hand Webs

Clapping

This exercise requires no equipment and uses water resistance to work your arm muscles.

• Start sitting in your hot tub with your arms and shoulders fully submerged in the water
• Extend your arms outward in line with your shoulders and palms facing outwards, as if you were going to give someone a hug
• Slowly and in a controlled manor bring your palms together while keeping your arms straight
• Push outward again to return your arms to the original position and repeat

Bicep Curls Using Water Weights

Arm Circles

This arm exercise can be performed both in and out of the water. However the buoyancy of the water helps to ease pressure on the shoulders and provides extra resistance to work the arm muscles.

• Start sitting or kneeling in your hot tub with your arms extended outwards and palms facing the floor
• Make small circles with your fingertips, alternating clockwise and anticlockwise
• The bigger the circles, the more challenging the exercise will be. You can work up to making big circles as you continue with the exercise

Leg Exercises

Kicks

• Position yourself facing the outside of the hot tub as if you were going to do a front crawl
• Hold onto the rim of the hot tub with arms slightly bent or use your arms to prop you up by placing them on the seat beneath you
• Kick your legs up and down behind you and use your arms to prevent you from propelling forward and into the side of the tub

Leg Raises

Leg raises can either be done with bent or straight knees.

• Start by sitting down in any seat of the hot tub
• Extend your leg out in front of you
• Gently raise it up as high as you can get it without lifting your bum of the seat
• Push it back down again until your heel touches the bottom of the hot tub
• Repeat and swap to the other leg!
• To do this with bent knees, follow the same instructions but instead of extending your leg out in front of you, immediately raise it from your seated position.