How Hot Tubs Expanded the Relaxation Revolution
You are in a hot tub. As you close your eyes and start focusing on what’s happening to your body, you feel the remarkable babbling sensation of the churning water. The warmth relieves your tensed and tired muscles and as the water moves around your body you slowly feel the pleasant stress relieving magic that leaves you sleepy and satisfied. This is the power of the hot tub. Hot tubs are one of the oldest delights known not only to people, but to animals as well. Hot water has been considered a cure for centuries and even in the XXI century there’s no trace of doubt whether we should continue the tradition.
These days the hot tub spa experience is also known as jacuzzi, that comes from the family name of seven Italian brothers who immigrated to the USA. They started an aircraft manufacturing business and made machining pumps and propellers. In the late 40s one of the brothers installed a pump in his home bathtub to provide hot water treatments for his son who was suffering from severe rheumatoid arthritis. Over the next years, this portable pump became one of the most celebrated inventions of the era and the Jacuzzi name made its way into the public eye. That’s how the hot tub spa centers became so popular and gave hotels yet another reason to shine.
However, the existence of the hot tubs seems way older and it dates back to the Renaissance period in Europe and to the year 552 AD in Japan. In those times, bathing was a really important ritual in the Buddhist culture. Another advantage was that Japan had many natural hot springs and they were used by the Buddhists for purification of the body of sin and for bringing good luck. But it was not only in Japan where people used natural hot springs for bathing, healing and purification. Since normally the big cities didn’t offer such a thing, public bath houses that offered steamed baths were open for all the people in Roman times when hot bathing was also considered a very important part of the culture. The great thing about these steamed baths was that all Romans, rich or poor could enjoy it and that all could feel a glimpse of the luxurious life of the high classes.
So we have to go as far in history as possible to thank all the civilizations who started using hot water as a way to clean the body, the mind and the soul. As humankind progressed, people used technology to bring the natural hot springs inside our homes, just like the Jacuzzi brothers did with one simple pump. Today, thanks to them and to so many other manufacturers we can enjoy a hot tub spa experience in our own home whenever we want and with whoever we want to.