Ofuro Bathtub – “Shangri-La” Like Important Benefits in 2023

 

Most people talk about stress without understanding its full effect of it. Is stress a bad thing? Mostly yes. But, why? 

 

It is said that sometimes stress can be a good thing. It helps to boost energy and attention. But, prolonged stress can always be harmful to our health. 

 

Stress is one of those few things that, universally, people have experienced and agreed tt the fact that it is dangerous. 

 

Statistics say that around 33% of people worldwide feel extremely stressed either due to their job or personal life.

So, what is the best treatment for stress?

For example, taking medication for blood pressure can resolve the immediate effects, but a complete cure is taking care of your body and mind.

 

Yes, this seems generic, but it Is effective. For example, when you are stressed, just put down all your work and meditate for five minutes. Focus on one thing at a time and breathe well with your nose and mouth. 

 

This helps to bring down your blood pressure. Another thing is to consume vegetables and herbs often. These are small steps to reach the big goal, which is reducing stress considerably.

 

One of those small steps is, taking a bath.

 

Not just a normal bath, but a bath in an ofuro.

 

You might be wondering what an ofuro is. That is what we are going to discuss in the upcoming sections.

Ofuro – What Is It?

The term “ofuro” comes from a Japanese term meaning a Japanese bath/bathroom. More specifically, ofuro is a Japanese bath that has a wooden bathtub with a noticeable depth. You might wonder what the difference is between an ofuro and a western bathtub.

 

Typical Western bathtubs are longer than Japanese wooden baths, and the walls of the Japanese wooden tubs are either rectangular or square instead of sloped. One of the greatest benefits to have edges and corners is to provide a better and more immersive experience to the user.

 

So in summary, western bathtubs are more elongated while Japanese bathtubs are more rectangular or square shape bathtubs with more depth.

 

In Japan, taking a bath is much different than in the West. The term “ofuro ni hairu” refers to entering the bath. In the West, if someone says, “taking a bath,” some may think it means taking a shower. But Japanese “taking a bath” refers to immersing oneself in a tub filled with warm water.

 

So, are there any benefits to taking a bath in an ofuro (Japanese wooden bathtub)? There certainly are. 

The Benefits of Taking a Bath in an Ofuro Bathtub

There are three major benefits of regularly taking a hot bath in a Japanese wooden bathtub. Note: These benefits can be seen over time by completely immersing yourself in the warm water in the Japanese bathtub.

1. Raising Body Temperature

First and foremost, good heat is always better for the body. Heat at 38oC (this is the recommended temperature for an ofuro) helps your arteries to relax and expand. This results in good blood circulation.

 

Good blood circulation means, a whole lot of oxygen and nutrients to the organs and cells. This also helps to regulate the amount of carbon dioxide and other waste in our body and keep it clean.

 

Another good reason to raise the body temperature (temporarily) is to attain a good immune system. Raising the body temperature improves the immune system. 

 

When you feel sick, your immune system fights off foreign pathogens by raising the body temperature. If you simulate that condition minus the foreign pathogens, your immune system can improve, and build good resistance to fighting diseases. 

 

If you have experienced soaking in a hot bath, you may know the feeling of rejuvenation. This is purely due to the improvement of the blood circulation in your body, and the heat from the water is responsible for it.

2. Alleviates Pain

Taking an ofuro bath also helps to fight any pain that you are experiencing. Pain is mostly the result of abnormalities in the nervous system. Pain, such as backache, neck pain (stiff neck), shoulder pain, any joint pain, and even headaches and migraines are mostly due to nerve issues. 

 

Taking a dip in a warm ofuro bath at a certain temperature (38OC to 40OC) helps to relax the nerves. 

 

Many would say that taking a longer soaking session in an ofuro is bad. That is not true. There is no concrete evidence to support that fact. In fact, studies have shown that taking a longer soaking session (usually an hour) in an ofuro bathtub helps to attain good and peaceful sleep.

 

A hot bath in an ofuro also helps to alleviate chronic pains and softens the ligaments. The joint pain is due to the improper balance of the synovial fluid present in the joint ligaments. A hot bath helps to relax those ligaments and make them more supple. This in turn helps to improve the flexibility and overall mobility of the user.

3. Weight Loss without Exercise?

Have you heard the term called, “buoyancy?” The meaning of buoyancy is, floating over the surface of a liquid or rising to the surface of a liquid or gas. 

 

You might be asking what that has to do with an ofuro. Up to this point, we have said to completely immerse yourself in the ofuro. The main reason is buoyancy. 

 

Imagine this, you weigh 70 kilograms or 154 lbs. The amount of stress acting on your muscles each and every second might be substantial. This can be one of the core reasons why people, especially overweight people, get tired and are affected by stress and pain.

 

When you completely immerse yourself in the heat, your body starts to float. In that scenario, instead of your muscle supporting the whole 70 kilograms (154 lbs), it just has to support only a fraction of your weight (in our case 7 kilograms(15.4 lbs)or so).

 

This makes a huge difference for the muscles and makes it much easier to relax and brings the whole body and mind to a state of relaxation much sooner. 

 

This also helps to reduce weight by burning good amounts of calories.

 

So, in summary, floating in a hot bath can make the muscles relax easier and burn calories simultaneously, and thus lose weight in the process. 

How Much Does the Ofuro Bathtub Cost?

The price of an ofuro bathtub can vary significantly based on the factors, such as the bathtub material, manufacturer’s price, size, and shape of the tub, as well as add-ons (mostly optional).

 

When it comes to an ofuro bathtub, wood is the best material.

 

There are varieties of wood as ofuro bathtub material:

 

• Teak – Very dense and contains high amounts of natural oils which help to gain high durability. 
• Cedar – Very strong and durable material which has good resistance to warps and cracks.
• Hinoki – Native to Japan, its beauty is unparalleled compared to other types of wood and the fragrance helps to soothe your bathing experience like no other material. But the downside is lower durability than the other two kinds of wood.

 

Based on the bathtub materials, the ofuro’s can price differ greatly. For example, if you want a Hinoki-based ofuro bathtub, you can expect the price ranges from $10,000 to even $12,000. But the other two can cost you $6000, or sometimes as low as $4000. 

 

So, on average, a good ofuro bathtub can cost anywhere between $4000-$7000. Yes, ofuro bathtubs can be quite expensive, but you can rest assured that you can get the best benefits possible. Also, the maintenance of an ofuro can be easily compared to the other high-end bathtub materials available in the Western market. 

FAQs

What is an ofuro tub?

An ofuro is a Japanese bath that has a wooden bathtub with a noticeable depth and rectangular edges and corners. One of the great benefits to have edges and corners is, to provide a better and more immersive experience to the user.

What is the difference between a hot tub and an ofuro?

They may sound synonymous with each other, but there is a notable difference between them. Hot tubs are about pressure from water jets to massage your body to relieve stress and pain, but an ofuro is about immersing oneself in a hot bath which accomplishes the same effect as the hot tubs. There are no water pressure jets present in an ofuro. 

What are the benefits of an ofuro?

The three major benefits of an ofuro are:

• Raising body temperature 
• Alleviating pain and stress
• Losing Weight 

Final Thoughts

We are living in a world where everything is moving fast. From our daily tasks to our professional lives, we are experiencing great amounts of stress each and every day. It is absolutely necessary to have a getaway for relieving pressure. For some, it is playing games, cooking, and even spending time with friends and family. But, taking a hot bath in an ofuro is one of the best ways to relieve stress, and to get the best experience, you need to have a good ofuro bathtub in your bathtub.

 

We, at Magnus, provide our customers with good quality ofuro tubs with add-ons. You can access the collections here.

 

This article hopes to provide you with enough information on the ofuro bathtub and the benefits it brings to your home.