Hot Tubs and natural Hot Spring Spas have been used for a lot longer than many people are generally aware of. The Romans and earlier civilisations clearly new that the beneficial effects of the water was helpful to their general well being. I say this as the Romans had very large public bathing facilities for many hundreds of years, the majority of which were heated. This was accepted as being very much a daily activity for men of all classes and indeed many women. Bathing today is considered a private activity carried out in the home but bathing in Rome was very much a communal activity carried out usually in public baths

One has only to look at the Roman Baths and there is a prime example at Bath (so aptly named in Great Britain) that survive to see that in many ways they resemble the modern health spas although one imagines and hopes that they were less expensive.

The acceptance of bathing as the main event in daily life belongs to the Roman way of doing things and at the height of the Roman Empire, the thermal baths embodied the ideal Roman way of urban life.

Another culture in a different continent some many thousands of miles away with a very long history of hot tub use is found in Japan. These were Called 'ofuro,' and these smaller, stand-alone spas have been in use for many centuries by Japanese families.

The Japanese and eastern cultures have a long history of alternative medicine such as acupuncture reflexology and Reiki spring to mind In Japanese culture cleanliness is a concept which is on a par with compulsive behaviour. This can be seen from the important custom of taking off one's shoes before entering a house, They say that in Japan cleanliness is on a par with or similar to godliness What is the point of this one might ask well it is simply that there is ample evidence that the Japanese of long ago undoubtedly understood the importance of hygiene and much of the therapeutic value of taking a simple soak in Hot Water on a regular basis.

Today in modern Japan the Japanese people continue to honour this age old tradition. In many Japanese Households you will find elaborate wooden hot tubs.

In the United States of America, the history of Hot Tubs spans at least two time lines.

In early American history before the 1800's there are many stories that have been recounted legendary heroes - George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, are two names to mention - who were using natural hot springs to soak their bodies to help ease pains and relive the stress of those days.

Native Americans are also believed to have discovered and used the springs for the very same purpose.

Much later around the early 1900s, the resort spa movement began to grow in popularity in the United States in many ways following the European style of Spa that had been gaining in popularity for many years. The actaul name Spa comes from the original Spa resort of Spa in Belguim.

These Spa resorts were built around naturally occurring hot springs, and sometimes around man-made equivalents in some instances. Some of the Health Spas in Scottsdale near the Camel back mountain in Arizona spring to mind. These resorts tended to attract mainly wealthy patrons who were attracted by the idea of the therapeutic results for treating various ailments and of course that feel good factor. The combination of warm soothing water combined with massage and buoyancy delivers a sensation that not only relaxes the mind and body, but also helps to heal and soothe.

With jets strategically placed in the Hot Tub for maximum benefit, each & every Hot Tub offers supreme therapeutic support in a carefree setting. The Spa treatment helps to increase blood flow and aid circulation, reducing & relieving muscle strain, soreness, pressure and tension throughout your body.

Clearly this was something that the Romans were very well aware of. Calculated buoyancy (and a corresponding feeling of weightlessness) blends perfectly with swirling warm water to deliver a pleasant relaxing soak with healing properties.

In fact, you'll feel noticeably better in just a short spell of say 20 minutes using a Hot Tub. Not only does the warm, bubbling waters melt away tension and strain, but they also provide a gentle and effective massage targeting your joints and muscles, helping you to a better night's sleep and helping to relieve the pain of arthritis and other muscle-related injuries.

In summary both Hydro-Massage Hot Tubs and the original wooden Hot Tubs can both offer a great experience. It depends on ones individual preferences and proposed location of where the Hot Tub is sited as to which one to choose.