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Health and
Wellness
Much has
been made of the health benefits of sauna bathing. With good reason.
Physically, nothing is more reinvigorating than a deep, healthy sweat every
day. Tension fades. Muscles unwind. Mentally, we emerge relaxed, revived and
ready for whatever the day may bring.
A few
minutes a day is all it takes to look and feel better. The body’s response to
gentle, persistent heat is well-documented and proven day in and out by people
all over the world. Which is why more and more doctors are recommending its
purifying benefits.
1. Saunas
relieve stress.
Not
surprisingly, sauna bathers most frequently cite stress reduction as the number
one benefit of sauna use. Medical studies often determine that stress in our
daily lives can negatively affect our health. In fact, the vast majority of
disease (i.e. heart disease) is at least partially stress-related. Heat bathing
in a sauna provides stress relief in a number of ways. It’s a warm, quiet space
without any distractions coming from the outside. As we like to say, "Step
into a Finnleo sauna, and close the door on the rest of the world." The
heat from the sauna relaxes the body's muscles, improves circulation and
stimulates the release of endorphins. Endorphins are the body’s all-natural
"feel good" chemical, and their release provides a truly wonderful
"after sauna glow.”.
2. Saunas
relax muscles and soothe aches/pains in both muscles and joints.
Under the
high heat provided by a sauna, the body releases endorphins (see health and
wellness benefit #1). Endorphins can have a mild, enjoyable "tranquilizing
effect" and the ability to minimize the pain of arthritis and muscle
soreness other from, say, an intense physical workout. Body temperature also
rises from the heat of the sauna.. This causes blood vessels to dilate,
therefore increasing blood circulation. This increased blood flow in turn
speeds up the body’s natural healing process via soothing aches and pains
and/or speeding up of the healing of minor bruises or cuts. After participating
in physical sports, use the heat and/or steam of a sauna to promote muscle
relaxation by helping to reduce muscle tension and eliminate lactic acid and/or
other toxins that may be present.
3. Saunas
flush toxins.
Many - if
not most - of us do not actively sweat on a daily basis. Deep sweating,
however, has multiple proven health benefits. Benefits derived from a deep
sweat can be achieved via regular sauna bathing.Due to the heat of a sauna, the
core body temperature begins to rise. The blood vessels then dilate, causing
increased blood flow (see above). As heat from the blood begins to move toward
the skin's surface, the body’s nervous system then sends signals to the
millions of sweat glands that cover the human body. As the sweat glands become
stimulated, they produce sweat. Sweat production is primarily designed to cool
the body, and is composed of 99% water. However, deep sweating in a sauna can
help reduce levels of lead, copper, zinc, nickel, mercury and chemical - which
are all toxins commonly absorbed just from interacting with our daily
environments.There is no shortage of books from Doctors and practitioners, who
describe the benefits of detoxifying our bodies regularly. As many doctors will
agree, a big reason for the popularity of saunas is that they are one of the
best ways to detoxify our bodies.
4. Sauna
cleanses the skin.
Heat bathing
is one of the oldest beauty and/or health strategies in terms of cleansing
one's skin. When the body begins to produce sweat via deep sweating, the skin
is then cleansed and dead skin cells are replaced - keeping your skin in good
working condition.Sweating rinses bacteria out of the epidermal layer and sweat
ducts. Cleansing of the pores has been shown to improve the capillary
circulation, while giving the skin a softer-looking quality. Dr. Ben H Douglas,
a professor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and author of
"Ageless: Living Younger Longer,” attests that "Sweating is a way of
energizing the skin almost the way exercising a muscle energizes it.” He goes
on to explain that, when you sweat, the rush of fluid to the skin "bathes
skin cells with a liquid rich in nutrients,” which "fills in the spaces around
the cells” and even "plumps up" tiny wrinkles. He also mentions that
the nutrients and minerals in sweat "are essential to maintaining the
collagen structure of the skin.” Bathing skin in sweat on a fairly regular
basis, therefore deters collagen breakdown that can ultimately result in
wrinkles and sags. By continually flushing body waste through individual cells,
one eventually brings back vitality, tone and a healthy glow to the skin. Sauna
usage is certainly not a cure for acne, but it can very often help - due to the
deep cleansing it provides from a deep sweat (that is, cleaning the pores from
the very inside out - instead of just cleaning the top of the skin).
5. Saunas
can induce a deeper sleep.
Research has
shown that a deeper, more relaxed sleep can result from sauna use. In addition
to the release of endorphins (see above), body temperatures, which become
elevated in the late evening,fall at bedtime. This slow, relaxing decline in
endorphins is key in facilitating sleep. Numerous sauna bathers worldwide
recall the deep sleep experiences that they feel after bathing the the calming
heat of a sauna.
6. Saunas
bring about recreational and social benefits.
While the
social benefit is rarely talked about, it's really actually quite important. The
sauna can be a private, personal area of relaxation and solitude. However, it
can just as easily be a relaxing environment for socializing with family,
friends and soon-to-be friends. The sauna room environment is conducive to
open, intimate and quiet conversation.
7. Saunas
improve cardiovascular performance.
In the high
temperatures of a traditional or infrared sauna, skin heats up and core body
temperature rises.In response to these increase heat levels, the blood vessels
near the skin dilate and "cardiac output" increases. Medical research
has told us that the heart rate can rise from 60-70 bpm (beats per minute) to
110-120 bpm in the sauna (140-150 with more intensive bathing), and can often
sink to below normal after the cooling off stage. With regular sauna useage, we
not only train our heart muscles and improve the heart rate/cardiac output, but
we also help the body's regulatory system.Even more cardiovascular conditioning
takes place when the sauna bathing is taken in multiple "innings”, with sessions
in the sauna separated by a cool shower or a quick dip into a cool pool or
lake. Each time you rapidly change temperature (from hot to cool or
vice-versa), your heart rate increases by as much as 60%, which is very
comparable to the increase experienced during moderate exercise..
8. Saunas
burn calories.
Outlandish
claims are often made by some sauna sellers (primarily those who sell infrared
saunas) to promote saunas as an end-all weight loss tool. While some
individuals may experience high amounts of calorie burn at first - particularly
those individuals in poor shape to begin with - over the long term, saunas are
simply treated as one of many tools in our arsenal when it comes to burn
additional calories.The sweating process itself requires a notable amount of
energy. That energy is derived from the conversion of fat and carbohydrates in
a bodily process that burns up calories. According to U.S. Army medical
research (Ward Dean, M.D.), "A moderately conditioned person can easily
sweat off 500 grams in a sauna in a single session, consuming nearly 300
calories in the process.”The body consumes said calories due to the
acceleration of heart activity (the cardiovascular section). As heart activity
increases and as these processes demand more oxygen, the body begins to convert
more calories into usable energy.
9. Saunas
can help fight illness.
German sauna
medical research shows that saunas were able to significantly reduce the
incidences of colds and influenza amongst participants. As the body is exposed
to the heat of a sauna and steam (in the case of traditional saunas), it
produces white blood cells more rapidly, which in turn helps to fight illnesses
and helps to kill viruses.In addition, saunas can relieve the uncomfortable
symptoms of sinus congestion from from colds or allergies - especially when
used with steam (tip: add eucalyptus to the water for added benefit and overall
enjoyment). The steam vapor action helps to clear up unwanted congestion and is
a wonderful aspect of the Finnish sauna experience.
10. Saunas
just feel good.
A sauna not
only feels good, it’s good for your body. Whether it’s the physiological
changes that occur during the warmth of a sauna, or if it’s simply the time
spent in the calming and still retreat of the sauna, every seasoned sauna
bather agrees - it feels wonderful! As we progress through our stressful everyday
lives, the sauna provides a pampering retreat - where we can relax and restore
body and soul. Sauna bathing truly makes you "Feel Better”, "Look
Better” and "Sleep Better”!
