It’s  Brain Awareness Week and I know you want to hear about hot tubbing and the brain.

I’ve been a longtime fan of Dr. John Medina, who holds dual professorships at the University of Washington and Seattle Pacific. Turns out, he is an Olympic Hot Tub Company customer! He and his wife own a hot tub from Olympic.

His book, “Brain Rules” is a must read for the health and preservation of your most precious asset-your brain. In “Brain Rules” he outlines 12 rules for taking care of your brain. #3 is STRESS as in stress reduction! He documents the effects on the brain while under stress. Learning is far diminished and the brain can’t function at it’s normal rate.  Did you know that stress damages cognition in every way that cognition can be measured? The human brain is designed to function when we’re walking 20 km a day and eating small bites along the way. That’s the opposite of what we do to ourselves in a sedentary world punctuated with big meals at long intervals.  To survive, the brain needs increased blood flow..aerobic exercise is a key!  And, soaking, yes, soaking in your hot tub will help, too.  BIG NEWS: Hot tub soaking increases  circulation!

I’m not suggesting that you give up aerobic activity in favor of sitting and soaking. But think about the physiology of hot tub soaking. When you’re immersed in hot water water, the volume of blood in your chest cavity and in your heart increases dramatically. This is due to the hydrostatic pressure on your body and the effects of being in a buoyant state: Your heart’s ability to pump blood goes up, while at the same time, your heart rate goes down. Your cardiovascular system becomes far more efficient, and that affects just about every function of the human body including the brain.

Stay tuned.  BRAIN AWARENESS WEEK March 14–2o is a once a year reminder to take care of your marvelous, miraculous, incredible brain!

SANUM PER AQUA. Latin for Health Through Water.

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