According to Dr. Steve Faulkner, a researcher at Loughborough University, and Redbook, having a hot, relaxing, bath may have similar health benefits to exercising and can also help prevent type 2 diabetes. Even though hot baths have always been relaxing, science has recently begun to discover how "passive heating" can help improve one's health.
Dr. Faulkner investigated the effect that a hot bath has on blood sugar control and the number of calories burned, only to find out that a hot bath can burn as many calories as a 30-minute walk! The peak blood sugar levels after eating was about 10% lower when participants took a hot bath compared to when they exercised. The doctor also explained that the benefits of a nice long soak can contribute to reducing chronic inflammation, which is present with long-term diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
Now I will feel much less guilty about indulging in a nightly hot bath from now on!