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How many times have you sacked off the gym in favour of a long, hot bath? Well, according to researchers at Loughborough University, this might be just as beneficial for your health as working out is. Almost.
According to Dr Steve Faulkner, a researcher at the uni, ‘passive heating’ can have a positive effect on blood sugar control and the number of calories burned. He conducted a study in which 14 people each took an hour-long soak in a bath at 40 degrees, and then headed out on an hour’s cycle.
Each test was designed specifically to raise core body temperature by one degree, allowing the research team to determine how many calories were burned during the bath and the cycle.
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The result? Okay, the cycle did burn more calories, but the study also showed that the hot bath used up just as many calories (approximately 130) as a 30-minute walk.
Here’s how- “The overall blood sugar response to both conditions was similar, but peak blood sugar after eating was about 10% lower when participants took a hot bath compared with when they exercised,” Dr Faulkner explained to The Conversation.
As if that’s not enough to warrant a daily bath, he went on to say that ‘passive heating’ could be useful in combating chronic inflammation conditions, if their properties are similar to that of exercise.
He said: “This suggests that repeated passive heating may contribute to reducing chronic inflammation, which is often present with long-term diseases, such as type 2 diabetes.”
In short, then, the next time you pass on the gym, just take a bath. Simples.
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