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Can a Hot Bath Help Your Calorie Math

A study suggests the answer is yes — with some caveats

Taking a hot soak could burn calories and lower blood sugar. Istock by Britain’s Loughborough University looked at the effects of a hot bath on energy expenditure and . Fourteen men were recruited to soak for an hour in a 104-degree bath, and cycle for an hour. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Cycling, as you might expect, burned more calories. However, bathing expended 140 calories — about the same as walking for half an hour. It also lowered peak blood sugar after eating by about 10 percent, the same as . The study, published this year, also suggests that hot baths and other forms of “passive heating,” such as saunas, may help reduce inflammation. That finding has been backed up recently in other, larger studies as well. But a caveat: As The Atlantic shortly after the study came out, not all calories are created equal; 200 calories of spinach is a lot better for people than 200 calories of candy, and beyond the obvious calorie numbers. "Calories lull us into this sort of complacent bartering. They give us a false sense of security that we can do damaging things so long as we zero out the balance," wrote James Hamblin, a senior editor for the magazine. "Though maybe that sort of belief system, however flawed, has a calming effect. Like a bath." AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS