Hot baths have the same effect as cycling.

If you're not into sweating it out on the gym floor, you can opt for relaxing moments in the bathtub and still get the same effect.

There is nothing better than soaking in a warm bath after a long tiring day. Hot baths help release tension, relax muscles and mind. However, hot baths do not stop there, there are other very attractive effects.

Recently, Professor Steve Faulkner of Loughborough University (UK) conducted a study comparing the effects of soaking in a bathtub and cycling for an hour. Volunteers were divided into two groups: one group cycled at a moderate pace and the other group bathed in 40 degrees Celsius hot water.

Taking a hot bath for an hour can burn about 140 calories. Photo: Stocksy

As a result, the cycling group burned more calories than the bathing group. However, an hour of soaking in hot water also burned the same amount of calories as 30 minutes of cycling, about 140 calories.

Both groups had reduced blood sugar levels, which means their metabolic rate increased. However, after eating, those who bathed had 10% lower blood sugar levels than those who cycled.

The phenomenon of burning calories when taking a hot bath is called “passive heating,” explains Professor Faulkner. Instead of heating up and sweating through physical activity, passive heating occurs when the warm, humid environment helps the body release sweat. There have been many studies on passive heating, but its real benefits have only recently been proven.

So, if you don't enjoy sweating on the gym floor, get into the habit of taking a hot shower.

According to Zing