Fitness

Jacuzzi® worked with the European Association of Spa Medicine (A.E.Me.B), in the persons of Prof. Umberto Solimene, Chairman of the Association and Professor of Medical Therapy and Spa Medicine at the University of Milan and Prof. Arsenio Veicsteinas, Vice Chairman of the Association A.E.Me.B and Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education at the University of Milan. They explained how true Hydromassage can have a positive effect on the body after exercise.

Over the last few years, many high-level sports clubs have suggested to their athletes reducing fatigue with either a hydrotherapy or sauna session. Indeed, these practices seem effective at the end of a heavy training session and at the end of matches, in order to accelerate the recovery of a full muscular activity. The reason lies in the fact that water possesses physical properties, making it a valuable tool for applying thermal stimuli to the body.

Combine this with appropriate water jets in a tub which has been suitably modelled to meet the morphology of the human being, it is possible to exert a series of calibrated pressures on the skin to promote the movement of cutaneous and subcutaneous liquids from the peripheral area to the centre of the body. In this way, it seems that the accumulation of liquids which occurs under the skin and especially in muscle at the end of heavy exercise can be disposed of more quickly, thereby helping the athlete to recover.

This possibility is a hypothesis, not yet proven using experiments, but it would also apply to lactic acid which accumulates in the muscle immediately after intense exercise. For the same reasons, also not yet demonstrated on a scientific basis, but with subjective benefits, alternated hot and cold baths are also used, with the logic that alternating cutaneous and muscular vasodilation (hot baths) with vasoconstriction (cold baths) leads to a removal of blood from skin and muscle (the outer layer) towards the deeper parts of the body (central nucleus) with a supposed quicker removal of metabolic products from the muscle towards other tissues responsible for the disposal of same (other muscles, liver, etc.).

At the end of a busy day, immersion into hot water for a few minutes, gives a great mental-physical benefit to everyone, independently from practising sport or training, owing to the well-known and particular relaxing effects of hot water (around 34-37°C).

The hydromassage tub or hot tub can become the ideal space to carry out a few simple exercises, representing a beneficial experience after physical activity.

Try and follow our suggestions as the water will make any movement simpler:

Legs: Immerse yourself completely in the bath, leaning against the back rest, lift a leg, bend it and bring the knee slowly towards your body, stretch the leg and repeat the exercise three times, first with one leg and then with the other. You can carry this out up to five consecutive times.

Abdominals: Immerse yourself completely in the bath, leaning against the back rest, breathe in deeply, and while you breathe out, softly contract the abdominal muscles. Do this exercise calmly, trying to do a series of five exercises. You can gradually increase up to ten consecutive exercises.

Shoulders and neck: Immerse yourself completely in the bath, leaning against the back rest. Assure that your shoulders are immersed. With a circular movement, slowly rotate the shoulders frontwards and backwards five times. After a brief pause, complete three complete exercises. You can gradually increase up to ten consecutive exercises. In the same position and maintaining the shoulders immersed, delicately and slowly move your head from one side to the other, working on your neck muscles.

Relaxation: After having completed the exercises, put yourself in a sitting position, close your eyes and slowly do a few complete breathing cycles (inhalation and exhalation). After a hydromassage session, wrap yourself in a dry bathrobe or towel, and lie down and relax for a few minutes: in this way you will encourage sweating and at the same time you will allow your blood pressure to return to normal level.