Improving your personal wellness doesn’t have to involve tedious treadmills, endless salads and hours of meditation. Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is nothing. When you unplug, unwind and simply relax, you can free yourself from distraction, reduce anxiety and calm your mind. After all, the mental aspect of wellness is every bit as important as the physical.

This is why owning a hot tub can provide such a big boost to your overall personal wellness. When you have a home hot tub, you can take time every morning or evening to relax and recharge your mind while relieving physical tension throughout your body. But there are other benefits to hot tub health. Whether you want to relieve stress or soothe aching joints, here are just a few tips for using a hot tub to improve your personal wellness.

Personal Wellness Tip #1: Use your hot tub regularly

The secret to improving your overall well-being is to make health a habit. Start by making a hot tub soak part of your daily routine. By doing so, you can reap all the therapeutic benefits of warm water immersion on a daily basis. Not only will this help you relax, but the heat and buoyancy of spa water combined with a jet massage can provide a number of physical advantages:

Heat — Warm water dilates blood vessels, improving blood flow and allowing oxygen and nutrients to reach your muscles quickly. This replenishment is especially crucial after a hard workout.

Buoyancy — Floating in the warm water of your spa takes the weight off your tired muscles and joints, allowing you to experience relief from the normal force of gravity.

Massage — The water pressure of a jet massage kneads major muscle groups, helping to reduce swelling and compress muscles to relieve fatigue

Taking small steps every day to improve your well-being can help alleviate physical discomfort, relieve anxiety and prevent stress from building up, which can have negative effects on your emotional health. By incorporating a hot tub into your daily routine, you can address all of these issues and live happier and healthier.

Personal Wellness Tip #2: Put your phone away

There’s no question that technology makes our lives easier. But that doesn’t mean our devices are always helping our well-being. While your smartphone provides an important connection to work, family and friends, it also demands a lot of your attention. With that comes obligations, distractions and often, stress. When overused, technology can be associated with health problems.

To prevent your smartphone from getting in the way of good health, leave it in the house when you soak in your hot tub. If you can’t help but have it nearby, turn it on “Do Not Disturb” and use it only for streaming music through a Bluetooth^® audio system. The separation from texts, calls and social media will allow you to focus on relaxation as the hot water soothes your body and mind, and the massage jets work to release tension. A little time away from your phone and other devices can have a positive effect on your outlook and improve your personal wellness.

Personal Wellness Tip #3: Listen to the water

Living in the city brings lots of advantages. But it can also bring a lot of noise. Heavy traffic, sirens, jets flying overhead and people walking down the street all add to the din of the urban environment. Unwelcome noise can add to feelings of anxiety, especially when all you want is a little peace and quiet. This is why urban dwellers often turn to hot tubs for some precious moments of tranquility.

When you turn on your spa’s massaging jets to help reduce pain and work out the tension in your calves, thighs, lower back or shoulders, you’re also activating an effective white noise generator. The soft bubbling of the water can cancel out irritating city noises that could otherwise disrupt your quiet time.

What’s more, many hot tub manufacturers offer a variety of entertainment system options. Hot Spring^® Spas feature optional accessories like a wireless Bluetooth^® audio system and a 22” HD monitor. With these innovations, you can listen to your favorite podcasts and playlists in your spa or catch up on a TV series as you relax.

Personal wellness tip #4: Soak before you sleep

No list of wellness tips would be complete without talking about sleep. Research has shown that getting a good night’s sleep is critical for both your mental and physical health. But not everyone sleeps well. Seventy percent of adults in the United States report not getting the rest they need. If you’re kept awake by worries, aches or pains, a home hot tub can offer a way to help you sleep better.

A short soak about an hour before bed helps relax your body and prepare your mind for a satisfying sleep. As you soak in the warm water of your spa, your body temperature rises. When you get out of the spa, your body temperature drops, signaling to the brain that it’s time for sleep. The break from cell phones and other distractions also helps quiet your mind so you can fall asleep faster. To rejuvenate your entire body and get the sleep you need a home hot tub may be the answer.

No matter your specific aim, a hot tub can be a great addition to any personal wellness plan, improving both your physical and mental health. To experience the tremendous benefits for yourself, stop by your local Hot Spring dealer for a wet test. As you feel the effects of the warm water firsthand, just imagine the impact you could make on your daily wellness by adding a hot tub to your home.