Modern status symbols revealed: Hot tubs now top of the list for show-off homeowners

Popular with the cast of TOWIE, they are now the ultimate showpiece to flaunt in front of family and friends

Lovely tubbly: The TOWIE cast enjoy a soak

By Ruki Sayid From Mirror News-UK

The only way is… hot tubs. A spa in the garden is the No 1 status symbol for show-off homeowners.

Popular with the cast of The Only Way is Essex, they are now the ultimate showpiece to flaunt in front of family and friends.

They took first place in a survey of Top 10 objects of desire for the home, ahead of walk-in wardrobes, US-style fridge-freezers with ice-making machines and hi-tech digital sound systems.

Our latest must-haves mark big lifestyle changes compared to the equivalents in previous decades.

A hostess trolley, colour TV and answerphone were the height of style in the 70s, while in the 60s we craved washing machines and electric carving knives.

Mark Swift of gadget maker De’Longhi – which polled 4,000 adults for the study – said: “It’s fascinating to see how status symbols move with the times and fashions over the decades.

“Some are very clearly of their time and don’t date particularly well, whereas others become widely accepted as the years go by, to the point that eventually no home is without them.

“Styles and fashions may come and go, but it seems we’ll never tire of buying things for the house to act as status symbols.”

Aga cookers, gas barbecues, temperature-controlled wine cabinets and 3D televisions all made the craving list.

A quarter of women confessed they found buying such items more thrilling than splashing out for a new pair of shoes.

And one in five householders said they deliberately pointed out their new showpiece when friends and family visited.

The survey found women were more likely to suffer from status-symbol envy than men and insisted on keeping up with trend-setting friends.

A walk-in wardrobe like the one owned by Carrie Bradshaw in TV’s Sex and the City was seen as the No 1 want for women.

Men put state-of-the-art music kit as top of their list, but with both sexes choosing a hot tub in their top three, it was voted 2012’s most wanted status symbol.

Asked to predict the most sought-after gadget in 2020, Brits opted for a shower that blow- dries hair and a dishwasher that puts the dishes away.

Top Ten Status Symbols Now

1. Hot tub

2. Walk-in wardrobe

3. US-style fridge

4. Music equipment with speakers in every room

5. 3D TV

6. Noise-activated lights and blinds

7. Range cooker

8. Coffee machine

9. Temperature controlled wine cabinet

10. Gas BBQ

Top five in the 1990s

Alessi kettle

Burnt orange Le Creuset set

Black dining table and chairs

Breadmaker

Beige Carpets

1980s

Commodore 64 home computer

Avocado bathroom suite

Soda Stream

Microwave

Waste disposal unit

1970s

Ansaphone

Electric Fondue set

Sony Betamax

Colour TV

Mini bar

1960s

Washing machine

Electric sewing machine

Teasmade

Colourful kitchen cupboards

Electric carving knife

1950s

Transistor Radio

Home telephone, buttons

Electric Toaster

Kenwood Chef

SLC, Utah (PRWEB) August 03, 2012

Bullfrog International, manufacturer of Bullfrog Spas, an innovative luxury hot tub brand, recently donated a 8-person hot tub to raise money for Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Primary Children’s Medical Center is the premier children’s hospital in Utah, serving children from Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana, and beyond in cases of severe illness and critical trauma.

The large hot tub, a Model 682 Bullfrog Spa valued at over $11,000 was on display at a charity golf tournament hosted by Smith’s Food and Drug. The charity tournament in Midway, Utah was followed by an auction where the hot tub was awarded. All of the proceeds from this auction go to Primary Children’s Medical Center to fund their critical medical and recovery programs for children.

Not only will the funds raised from the hot tub be a benefit to the children’s hospital and kids who require their services but it will also benefit the health of the lucky auction winner.

Recent studies published by the National Aquatics and Sports Medicine Institute show that therapy in hot tubs can provide important physical and mental health benefits. One of the most important findings in this research is that spending time immersed the warm waters of a hot tub can bring the autonomic nervous system into balance. This leads directly to improved physical and mental function. This creates a sense of balance and peace that can lead to better overall health.

About Primary Children’s Medical Center

Founded in the early years of the twentieth century as a church-sponsored institution, Primary Children’s Medical Center is now owned and operated by Intermountain Healthcare, a charitable, community-owned, nonprofit health care organization based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Primary Children’s is the Intermountain West’s only full-service children’s hospital. Located on the beautiful campus of the University of Utah overlooking the Salt Lake Valley, the hospital cares for children with acute and chronic medical needs from Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana, and beyond. The hospital is equipped to treat children with complex illness and injury and is recognized as one of the top children’s hospitals in the United States. For more information on Primary Children’s Medical Center or to make a donation please visit http://www.intermountainhealthcare.org.

About Bullfrog International

Bullfrog International produces the world’s only hot tubs with JetPaks, which are modular jetted spa seats. This technology allows the user to customize, interchange, and upgrade their spa’s jetted massages at anytime. JetPaks are backed by six U.S. patents with other U.S. and foreign patents pending. Because of the efficiency advantages of the JetPak System, Bullfrog Spas are more powerful and are extremely energy efficient. To learn more about Bullfrog’s patented JetPak Technology or to design a custom hot tub online, please visit bullfrogspas.com.

 Hot tubs and their therapeutic benefits

I have chronic low back pain, neck pain and migraine headaches. I feel sure that most of the pain is due to a car wreck in my thirties. I was stopped at a red light to make a left-hand turn when a drunk driver plowed into the back of my car. I did have on my seat belt, but it was before the days of air bags, so I suffered quite a jolt. My car was pushed through the light and into a parking lot on the other side of the street.

I wasn’t injured (at least not in a visual way), and I was so angry I didn’t go to the hospital. I just wanted to scream at the lady. Which I did. It helped me emotionally, but not so much my back and neck.

Last year, my husband and I were talking to our doctor about physical therapy, and we came up with the idea of installing a hot tub for hydrotherapy. Let me tell you, I was all over that idea.

Well, my wonderful husband went and bought me a hot tub almost immediately. And we have both reaped the benefits. It has been great at relieving my back and neck pain. When I wake up with a backache and the beginning of a headache, it is the first place to go. The backache goes away and the headache usually calms down dramatically.

Here’s what the health specialists have to say about hot tubs and their benefits: hydrotherapy, or warm water therapy in hot tub spas, consists of three main healing ingredients: heat, buoyancy and massage. Hot tub hydrotherapy on a regular basis provides physical health benefits that go much deeper than just relaxation and pleasure.

Stress, headaches and sleep

As for stress, warm water massage stimulates the body to release endorphins that reduce stress. Also, a hot tub’s hydrotherapy jets dilate blood vessels to help prevent headaches. When it comes to nightie-night time, a 15-minute soak in a hot tub will have you sleeping like a baby. Soaking in hot water about 90 minutes before bedtime lowers your temperature, thus helping those with difficulty sleeping. This all-natural sleep aid can also be achieved by soaking in a tub of warm water – it doesn’t take a hot tub!

Muscles and joints

Hot tub and spa use by athletes has soared to repair injured muscles. Tennis Magazine said, “Your skin and muscles loosen and relax from the increased blood circulation” and if muscles are injured, “a soak in a hot tub or whirlpool increases blood flow to the injured area, bringing nutrients to help repair the damage.”

The Arthritis Foundation found that warm water hydrotherapy can help those with arthritis. According to the Arthritis Foundation “The soothing warmth and buoyancy of hydrotherapy makes it a safe, ideal environment for relieving arthritis pain. Using a spa adds another component to the therapy – massage.”

Doctors and researchers have also found healing benefits for those suffering with diabetes. A Colorado study at the McKee Medical Center showed that patients who spent 30 minutes per day in a hot tub reported a 13 percent decrease in blood sugar levels, improved sleep and a higher sense of well-being. A hot tub is a natural and successful in stress relief, blood pressure, headaches and the acceleration of the healing process.

The muscle relaxing and joint loosening benefits of hot tubs help those with depression, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, tendonitis, scoliosis and bursitis. Thermo spas hot tubs have even been known to provide significant help for those afflicted with diseases as serious as multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy.

So, the verdict is in: you can’t go wrong with a hot tub or Jacuzzi if you are suffering from chronic pain, arthritis, insomnia – the list goes on. Hydrotherapy has been used for thousands of years. It’s a natural therapy, safely used by hospitals, physiotherapists and health spas around the world. And now it is used by me. I will be the first to say that it relieves back pain and headaches.

Caution: If you are pregnant, have high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, or any other medical condition, you must consult with your physician before beginning any hot water therapy program. Infants and children are more sensitive to the effects of heat, and experts recommend shorter soaking times. Always consult your doctor.

Reposted from the Daily Record – Health Corner by Kay Bona

HotTubWorks.com does not sell hot tubs but rather all the supplies needed to care for your hot tub; hot tub covers, spa filters, and hot tub supplies.

Fighting Cancer with Frogs and Hot Tubs

Bullfrog Spas supports cancer research by fielding team for Relay for Life, a charity to benefit the American Cancer Society

Bullfrog Spas will be participating in the Relay for Life, a benefit for the American Cancer Society on July 13 and 14. The relay event itself is located at River Front Park in South Jordan, Utah, just a few miles from the Bullfrog Spas headquarters and factory.

Relay for Life is a charity event organized to benefit cancer research and outreach. Individuals and corporations commit to raising funds and circling a track non-stop to commemorate those lost to cancer and to show strength to those now battling the disease.

As one or more team members walk, the other members of the team camp out around the track and all take turns walking laps throughout the night.

Relay for Life began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a Tacoma WA colorectal surgeon, decided to run for 24 hours to raise awareness and funds for his local American Cancer Society. Today, inspired by this early all-night and all-day run, Relay for Life events are held across the nation to raise money for cancer research and awareness.

Sean McKinney, Director of Manufacturing at Bullfrog Spas, along with Patti Mahon, Bullfrog Executive Administrative Assistant, have been leading the company-wide efforts to raise money in fun and creative ways.

Bullfrog has held contests, played games, charged good-natured fines for misspoken comments at meetings, and has provided some rather interesting contests to get company executives and managers to do all kinds of craziness when donation goals are reached.

It’s nice to see companies become involved in a cause. It’s good for the cause – and the company, as a morale builder, it brings people together.

Note: There is no affiliation between HotTubWorks.com and Bullfrog Spas.  We just respect these efforts and wanted to help spread the word. Of course, we do make replacement hot tub covers for Bullfrog spas!