Hot tubs provide relaxation, hydrotherapy and pleasure to many individuals in the Kent County area. Your choice of hot tub will depend on both its capacity to host guests and its intended use; for instance, those meant for hydrotherapy typically feature jets aimed at specific muscle groups. To find out what’s right for you, look over the following options popular in the area.
Wooden
Wooden hot tubs not only add natural beauty, but they can also offer many therapeutic advantages. According to this link – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/cedar, cedar and teak woods contain essential oils which soothe skin conditions while relaxing muscles; wooden hot tubs also help regulate blood pressure while stimulating the circulatory system.
Cedar and teak woods provide therapeutic benefits in addition to being natural insulators that prevent heat from escaping the water, saving on heating costs compared to traditional acrylic spas that require an excessive amount of electricity or gas to maintain a constant temperature.
Wood-fired hot tubs require more complex heating systems than acrylic models, taking longer to warm up due to no lining. As such, it is crucial that you find one suitable to both your lifestyle and budget.
Dependent upon the quality and care taken with cedar wood used, wooden hot tubs can last decades or more with proper upkeep and care. Unfortunately, however, constant exposure to sunlight and rain can lead to loss of coloration and structural integrity; as such if you plan to place it outdoors then twice annually you should stain its exterior to protect it against sun and rain damage.
Soft-Sided
Soft-sided hot tubs make an excellent portable hot tub solution, as they blend in beautifully with your landscaping while being easy to use and drain, pack up, and reinstall as necessary. These models – available at Watson’s hot tubs Grand Rapids, Mi – usually include built-in drains to divert water away from homes or backyards. The downside may include needing chemicals as well as having lower capacities than hard shell options.
Another great choice for portable spa users is an inflatable kind (which I’ll go into detail further down). Similar to the pool toys you used as a kid, only bigger and higher quality and similar in shape to soft-sided. Many come packaged into boxes not much bigger than a microwave oven for easy transportability to sporting events, camping trips or fishing excursions as well as friend’s houses or beaches.
Inflatable
If you require a portable hot tub that can quickly be set up and taken down, or one that fits seamlessly into a temporary lifestyle (such as Airbnb rentals or camping), an inflatable model could be ideal. Plus, its energy costs will likely be significantly less than with hard shell options as these require larger heaters and pumps that incur greater energy expenditures.
Softer materials of inflatable materials make inflatable spas more comfortable than hard plastic or metal tubs, but this comfort comes at a cost: you won’t be able to lean back against the walls without leaning forward because their walls aren’t strong enough. Inflatable models tend to offer just one type of seating arrangement without offering any reclining features.
Since inflatable models are intended to be portable, their build quality may be lower – potentially leading to more issues with rips and tears as well as heat insulation issues. Still, investing in the right inflatable model could still prove worthwhile if made from sturdy materials and following recommended care guidelines for your specific brand.
Another potential drawback of an inflatable bathtub is the extended time required to heat it up, due to less insulation around its walls compared with hard shell tubs that leads to heat loss. Therefore, it’s wise to check its advertised heating up time before purchasing so you can anticipate that it won’t instantly be ready when plugging in the power cord.
Swim/Exercise
For those seeking a more vigorous workout, hot tubs that combine swimming and exercise (commonly referred to as swim spas – which you can learn about here) offer an alternative. Swim spas can be beneficial to people living in cold climates or who experience pain or limitations which make exercising on land difficult.
Water exercise can be an incredible way to build strength, increase endurance and decrease high blood pressure. It is especially helpful for individuals experiencing joint and muscle pain as the buoyancy of water helps take pressure off painful joints and muscles. Aquatic exercises increase flexibility as well as promote heart and circulatory health.
After each workout, be sure to stretch and cool down properly in order to aid recovery and avoid injuries. A great cool down should include repeating warm up cardio and stretching before slowly decreasing pace until heart rate returns to normal – or adding in some walking around your hot tub if that works better!
Your hot tub offers many amenities to make relaxation more pleasurable, from music players and LED lighting, to multiple people seating arrangements and messaging jets that shoot out warm streams of water to massage your back and legs while you soak. They can be adjusted easily as needed and even come equipped with moving or pulsating features!
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