Low Section Of Woman Bathing In Bathtub. Photo: Aliaksandra Ivanova / EyeEm (Getty)
On the one hand, it’s quite easy to get hooked on the rush of a daily exercise routine. But far on the other end, there’s no doubt a group of people scoffing at the very notion. Fortunately, there appears to be a middle ground for those of us who get groggy at the very notion of even a light trot. Believe it or not, you won’t have to bathe yourself afterwards either …because you’ll already be doing it.
That’s right, science has saved our overworked butts yet again with another squeaky clean method of staying healthy without completely pooping ourselves out. It seems that taking yourself a nice, hot bath (above 104 degrees Fahrenheit) will burn the same amount of calories as a 30-minute walk. That calorie count is about 130.
According to a Loughborough University study, which had 14 men riding a cycle for one hour before a one-hour bath session, it would seem that while it’s obviously more of a calorie burn to hit the bike, bathing still has some shocking health benefits by comparison. In particular, these same men had their blood sugar monitored for 24 hours after both cycling and bathing, and the bath resulted in 10 percent lower peak blood sugar. This would seem to suggest that passive heating as a means of raising the body’s core temperature reduced inflammation while getting similar results to doing so by means of exercise.
Further studies such as one performed at the University of Oregon share similar results, linking regular hot baths to improving endothelial function, arterial stiffness and lowering blood pressure. No wonder they are so darn relaxing.
