A new study published in the Temperature journal reveals that hot baths do more than boost your mood and recharge your body — you can burn quite a few calories too. About 140 calories, roughly equal to a 30-minute walk. This happens because your core body temperature rises, which affects your metabolism.
How was the study conducted?
The findings come from a study where 14 men were asked to cycle for 60 minutes and then sit in a hot bath for the same amount of time. The goal was to raise their body temperature and observe the effects. At the 60-minute mark, researchers recorded the calories burned and measured blood sugar levels 24 hours later.
While cycling burned more calories, the time spent sitting in the hot bath was still impressive. Just sitting, they burned about 50 calories per hour. Considering it’s effortless, that’s pretty great. Plus, the bath triggered an anti-inflammatory response similar to what exercise achieves.
What does this mean for you?
Besides helping you shed some calories, hot baths offer many health perks. Repeated passive heating (like hot baths or sauna sessions) may help reduce chronic inflammation, which is often linked to long-term conditions such as type 2 diabetes.
Another study in The Journal of Physiology found that people who took regular hot baths for 8 weeks mostly saw lower blood pressure. This is thanks to increased nitric oxide during bathing, which relaxes blood vessels and helps reduce blood pressure.
It’s worth noting both studies had small groups, short durations, and no female participants. So, more research is needed to see if these results apply to women and people with different lifestyles.
Don’t skip your regular workouts
No matter what future studies show, the best approach is to focus on what’s healthiest for your body right now. Hot baths can’t replace all the health benefits of regular exercise. But next time you decide to watch your favorite show in the tub or relax with music, know you’re not wasting your time.
A hot bath definitely supports your mental health, and based on this new research, it likely benefits your physical health too. And as long as you’re enjoying the water, there’s no need to feel guilty. Everyone deserves a little downtime now and then.
