Can Hydrotherapy Help Improve Athletic Performance?

Whether you are a professional, a “weekend” athlete or a disabled athlete, a hot tub or swim spa can be vital in helping relax and repair sore muscles, as well as start the healing process for injuries. From football players to long-distance runners, staying physically fit is a must for every athlete.

A part of staying fit includes getting adequate periods of rest and recovery, making a hot tub the perfect tool for any athlete.

As an athlete, hydrotherapy can benefit you in many ways.

Regular hot tub use during training can help reduce injury risk, decrease soreness, and help relax your mind and body. Here are four reasons athletes use hot tubs after training.

Before Sports

The hot tub is excellent for helping you prepare for your upcoming sports activity. Of course, you want to feel energetic and warmed up for the event, but perhaps you haven’t considered using a hot tub for this purpose. Before a sports event, chances are that your adrenaline is beginning to pump up and you are full of anticipation.

You may want to give yourself some time to relax and mellow out a bit before you capitalize on your increased energy level. The warm water and the massage from the jets is going to release all of your muscle tension, allowing your muscles to feed off the increased circulation that is taking place in your body.

By having a hot tub session, you can reduce your risk of injury due to tight muscles. This activity may also help you to perform better, because your range of motion is greatly improved by warming up first.

When the muscles are loose and limber, it can help promote agility and increase your speed. Take some time to gently move about in the water while you relax and get ready for your activities.

After Sports

While you are certainly going to enjoy a pre-sport hot tub session, you are definitely going to enjoy it afterwards. It will reduce all those aches and pains that you notice once your muscles cool down.

It is also going to help you unwind mentally, as well as physically. You may still feel wound up, but tiredness is sure to settle in shortly. You may be one of those individuals who find it hard to relax after this excitement, and this is where the hot tub can play an important role. Whether you won or lost your game, it will all seem to melt away in the soothing water of the hot tub.

Muscle soreness and stiffness are two very common complaints by athletes.

Many athletes experience soreness and stiffness the day after they exercise, but warm water therapy helps your blood vessels dilate, or expand.

Physical stress is not the only thing athletes must contend with. Being nervous and anxious before an event or feeling mentally exhausted afterward is not uncommon; a spa session can help induce a meditative state that is needed for optimal performance.