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Hot Spring Visit

Spending time in natural hotsprings offers many health benefits!

Tours to therapeutic, natural hot springs

 
Some options:
  • Lares, District of Calca,  Cuzco,
  • Santa Theresa, District of Machu Picchu, Cuzco
  • Aguas Calientes, District Of Machu Picchu
One day trip to Lares
Or a trip with one night’s hostel stay

 

Includes
  • Travel over high Andean mountains and witness wild, breathtaking, beautiful nature.
  • Enjoy to breathe the fresh air, and visit beautiful waterfalls.
  • Soak yourself in the natural hot springs, swim and relax.
  • We bring along delicious vegan picnic foods.
  • Private transport is included.
  • You will also observe kind animals who live high up in the mountains.

Facts about hot-springs..

Hot springs baths are more than just a natural hot tub but are precious for relaxation, health, and much more. Of course, hot springs, onsens, mineral baths and spa therapy have a very rich history and are cherished in many parts of the developed world.

That’s because hot springs are known to have several therapeutic benefits. Folklore in many countries suggests that soaking in hot springs increases your metabolism, circulation, blood flow, and absorption of essential minerals.

Sounds awesome so far, but wait—there’s more! In some parts of the world, it is thought that the hot spring mineral waters could help treat several chronic digestive diseases, diabetes, constipation, gout, and liver complaints. Amazing!

Minerals in the Water

Since many hot springs contain sulphur, prepare to get a consistent rotten egg smell caused by the sulphur. There are many other minerals in the waters as well, such as calcium, sulphate, magnesium, iron, chloride, potassium, zinc, to mention a few.

Currently, it’s not really known how or if you get more of these minerals into your body by simply bathing in the hot springs.

There are many factors that can influence absorption of the minerals through the skin, but our outermost layer of skin, mostly made up of dead skin, is good at keeping out such things. This protects us from so many things. So, yes, it’s a good thing.

 
Magic in the Water

Whatever the case, hot springs still feel heavenly and a real treat. A large part of the virtues of hot springs are owed to the properties of water itself, along with the soothing heat.

This heat, although sometimes intense, can help relieve pain. The way it works, as this meta-analysis of studies published in the North American Journal of American Sciences suggests, is that the heat along with the pressure of the water dulls our perception of pain by blocking the pain receptors in our bodies.

Plus, the mineral concentration and hot water can make you feel “floatier”, which has positive effects on your joints and muscles, working together to help you feel good and—more importantly—more relaxed.

Possible Benefits & Stress Relief

The thermal benefits go beyond helping to relieve pain and aches. Researchers from Japan found that soaking subjects who had chronic heart failure in hot springs actually led to a decrease in blood pressure and improved their symptoms. It’s a pretty radical (and small) study, but there are other instances where the thermal and mechanical properties of hot springs can help the body.

According to this study in International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education, many of the perceived benefits are positively effected primarily by the relaxation you experience. In other words, when you chillax, you’re doing good things for yourself.

You can actually relax, you lower your anxiety, stress and can create rippling physiological benefits throughout your body. We all know that stress, the type that keeps you awake at night and messes with your quality of life, is bad news for our long-term livelihood.

The researchers responsible for this study in Advances in Preventive Medicine propose that hot springs are effective at reducing stress and improving things like sleep quality and appetite.

Most of us probably don’t need much convincing to get into the habit of hot springs, if they’re convenient, but

it’s good to know that hot springs are amazing for stress relief.

The surprising health benefits of hot spring baths

Hot Springs As Part of a Healthy Lifestyle

We don’t get super strong or fit from just a single workout, nor do we suddenly reverse years of eating crap by eating a single piece of fruit. So it’s probably safe to say the real benefits of hot springs come from habitual use, as part of a holistic approach to health.

People enjoy their hot springs for various reasons, beyond health and stress relief. For most of us, though, visiting hot springs regularly probably isn’t convenient or realistic, but any time you can unwind and get away from stress—perhaps some alone time with Mr. Rubber Ducky in a hot bubble bath—can do wonders for your body and mind.

Improves blood circulation: The hot springs contain minerals like calcium and sodium bicarbonate so when you bathe in the hot spring, your body soaks in the minerals. And as the process continues, your blood circulation and the oxygen flow increases suggests a study published in the North American Journal of Medical Sciences.

Relieves stress: The same study also suggests that immersing your body into a hot spring water can also help reduce stress. While the heat relaxes the tensed muscles, the minerals in the water can contribute to the psychological healing process

Improves sleep quality: When you soak your body in warm water, your body temperature rises and when your bath is complete your body cools down. This cooling process can help you relax and get a peaceful sleep suggests a study published in the journal Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology.

Soothes muscle pain: Soaking into a pool of hot water can also relieve muscle pain. A study published in the journal Rheumatology International found that hot mineral baths can aid in pain relief. Here are some of the health benefits of a sauna/steam bath.

Combats dry skin: The high silica content in hot spring water can soften rough and dry skin. Additionally, the silica in hot spring water has been found helpful in relieving the symptoms of eczema, and psoriasis found a study published in the journal Acta Dermato-Venereologica.

However, before you soak in a hot spring make sure that you check with your doctor if the practice is safe for you. Especially if you are pregnant or have a cardiovascular disease.