This article discusses how long you can stay in a hot tub safely and comfortably and what other factors influence your safety in the tub.
When it comes to staying in a hot tub, it's important to know how long you can safely stay in a hot tub before experiencing any potential adverse health effects. The good news is that the amount of time you can stay in the tub depends on a few factors. Whether you're soaking up some relaxation after a hard day's work or enjoying a romantic evening with your significant other, it's important to know when it's safe to get out of a hot tub. Let's look at these five factors that influence how long you can stay in a hot tub.
Temperature
The highest setting in most hot tubs is 104 degrees Fahrenheit. It's the recommended setting to get the most therapeutic effect from the hot tub. This temperature is considered safe for most healthy adults. However, soaking too long in this setting may cause overheating.
Try to limit each session to 20 minutes at a time and only go back when you've cooled down. Or, if you want to soak a bit longer, you can try lowering the water temperature.
Your Age
Age can also be a factor in how long you can stay in a hot tub. Healthy adults can stay as long as they want at 102 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. However, it's a different story for people aged 65 and up. They need to talk first with a physician to see what temperature is right for them and for how long.
The recommended time for most hot tub sessions is between 15 and 45 minutes. Staying too long can cause overheating and make you feel dizzy or dehydrated. If you can't get enough of 45 minutes, you take a break for a few minutes and come back after cooling yourself down.
Children have a low tolerance to heat and can't sweat enough to cool themselves down. We recommend lowering the heat to 98 degrees Fahrenheit. If you're soaking with the kids and find it too cool for you, you can set the temperature a little higher and have something for your kids to sit on so they're not immersed up to the neck.
Pregnancy Safety
Doctors and physicians don't recommend hot tubs for pregnant women during their first trimester. However, it's considered safe from 12 weeks onwards as long as they keep the temperature to 101 degrees Fahrenheit or lower and don't stay longer than 10 minutes.
Pregnant women have a higher risk of overheating because their body temperature is slightly higher, so dropping the temperature and shortening the hot tub session will make it a lot safer for the mother and the baby.
Hydration
If you intend to stay longer in the hot tub, say 45 minutes at a time, you need to keep yourself hydrated. You might not notice it, but you're actually losing body fluids because of the heat.
We recommend having a cool drink nearby and taking a sip every once in a while. Just be careful not to spill it on the hot tub. Also, avoid alcoholic drinks while soaking in a hot tub because it raises your temperature even more and could lead to dehydration.
Your Health
How long you can stay in a hot tub also depends on your health. Speak to your physician about hot tubs if you have underlying health conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, etc. He'll advise you what temperature settings are good for you, how long you can stay, or if you can use the hot tub at all.
Be sure to follow your doctor's advice to a tee when you get the all-clear. Listen to your body. If you're uncomfortable or feel a little dizzy, carefully step out of the hot tub and get some rest. You can get back to it later once you're feeling okay.
Conclusion
Hot tubs can offer hours of fun and relaxation as long as you keep these five factors in mind. We're all different when it comes to how long we can stay in a hot tub and which temperature settings work best. When in doubt, speak with your doctor and stay within your limits.