A Scientist Explains How a Hot Bath Delivers Some of The Same Effects as Exercise CHARLES JAMES STEWARD, THE CONVERSATION 26 MAY 2021 I study the effects of exercise on the body. So it's perhaps unsurprising that when I'm not in the lab, I like to keep active by hitting the gym or going for a run. But for many people it's much harder to get out and move their bodies. Modern life doesn't always make it easy to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle.
Yet even for someone like me, exercise isn't always enjoyable. I have to repeatedly push myself to the point of tiredness and discomfort, in the hope that I will get fitter and stay healthy. Surely the health benefits of a hot bath or a stint in a sauna – a far more attractive proposition – can't be compared?