If you want to keep sugar at bay and, incidentally, take care of your figure, you can choose between taking a bike ride or getting into a hot tub. Because according to a study led by Steve Faulkner, from Loughborough University (United Kingdom), taking a warm bath is more effective than physical exercise in controlling glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. In addition, as Faulkner has calculated, the bathtub burns 140 calories, the same as walking thirty minutes at a brisk pace .
Cardiovascular risk
But there are also contraindications. Changing the shower for the bathroom , especially in the winter months, can play a trick on our hearts. So much so that the risk of cardiac arrest is multiplied by ten when we immerse ourselves in hot water during the cold season , as recently revealed by a Japanese study reported in the journal Resuscitation . The researchers blame it on the fact that the sudden change in body temperature –especially if there are few degrees– causes a sudden drop in blood pressure.
There are other undesirable consequences of taking a steamy soak. When the circulatory system has to handle such high temperatures, the blood vessels dilate , the resistance they offer to the blood goes down and the tension drops to the ground. This can cause dizziness and even lightheadedness, as well as feelings of fatigue or severe headaches. In addition, our bodies sweat and lose fluid in abundance, although we are not aware of it.
