Top: taking a bath for an hour is equivalent to half an hour of exercise

For when you don't get too excited about planks, squats, or crunches: there is good news for you from science. All you need is a bathtub.

And a little time for yourself, because: definitely take a warm bath. An hour of bubbling in a bath is equivalent to half an hour of exercising. Ha.

Just lying down
Research has been conducted at Loughborough University on the effects of passive body heat. Passive means that you are not actively engaged, so to speak. Scientists concluded that a warm bath is particularly good for your health, so good even that with an hour of bathing you burn as much energy as with a (gentle) walk of thirty minutes. And then you obviously prefer to lie back a bit drowsy than to have to walk outside.

The research clearly shows the difference in calorie burning. One group had to sweat on a stationary bike for an hour, while the other group of participants lay in a warm bath of 40 degrees. Okay, fair is fair: the people who were exercising burned more calories, but the striking thing was that the people who did nothing and lay in the bath still burned calories. No less than 150 calories were lost by, well, doing nothing. That's more than you burn when you do nothing. Of course, it doesn't match a good workout, but hey, every little bit helps. Bring it on with those pizza nights.

In addition, a warm bath has a positive effect on the body's inflammatory response: you are less susceptible to viruses and other nuisances. Regular exercise can prevent infections and diseases, and this research now shows that a warm bath has a similar effect.

Still nice
Researcher Thijs Eijsvogels from Radboudumc explains that a warm bath causes your body temperature to rise. ‘The increased body temperature ensures that your metabolism is slightly faster than at rest. As a result, you will burn slightly more calories when taking a warm bath than when you are lying on the couch, but certainly not more than when you exercise.’ Maybe not 100 percent the same effect as when you want to feel fit but again: if it doesn't help, it doesn't harm... Literally.

Source: Travel and Leisure