Health Benefits of Saunas

There are plenty of claims about the health benefits of saunas, but do you know what they are exactly? Well, if you don’t, let’s just take a look at the top health benefits of saunas. Remember, there are plenty of benefits and the ones below are just the most significant of the lot:

It helps you lose weight :-

Sauna therapy is a great way for weight loss, with minimal effort. During a sauna bath, the heart rate increases substantially due to the dry heat. Scientific calibrations suggest that a 20-minute session at around 170 degrees Fahrenheit burns over 500 calories. The body’s metabolism speeds up similar to the way it does from physical exercise and is a great method to maintain weight.

For best results it’s always advisable to do some exercises and then go to the sauna as then your other muscles too would benefit from it and hence you would be able to build up muscle mass faster.

Get rid of toxins :-

One of the major health benefits of saunas is the fact that they help you get rid of toxins from your body. Of course there isn’t a lot of scientific evidence to back this fact. Profound sweating is a highly effective way to remove toxins the body might have absorbed in several ways. And, sauna does just that.  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.

It’s said that they help lower cholesterol :-

Most sauna manufactures and owners state that saunas would be able to help you lose cholesterol. But, the fact is that most people enter saunas only after a workout and therefore it’s not clear whether it’s the sauna that helps you out or your workout.

It’s amazing for arthritic patients

The heat that one experiences in a sauna is really helpful as it has amazing health benefits for arthritic and also rheumatic patients. When in a sauna they experience less pain when they move their joints.

Also, athletes would find a sauna very helpful both before as well as after working out so as to make their muscles more flexible.

Relaxation of the mind and body :-

One of the best health benefits of a sauna is the overall relaxation of the mind and body. Obviously relaxation is going to have psychological benefits, but at the same time, when you relax your body would have time to heal and therefore on the whole you also witness physical benefits. Therefore, it’s a great way to heal your body.

Why saunas are good for you

• One sauna session increases the amount of oxygen and nutrients delivered to your organs – especially the skin.
• Saunas make your body heat up the same way it would if you had a fever, helping your body to heal itself.  
• They’re face-friendly! Saunas will relax face muscles, aid in a clearer complexion, and help remove dirt and oil.
• Evidence shows sweat created in a dry or steam sauna contains about 97 per cent water, while the sweat of far-infrared sauna users contains only 80 per cent water and 20 per cent toxins.

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.One of the significant organs of our body, your skin also needs regular exercise and saunas are a great way to exercise skin. As we grow older, more of the dead cells accumulate onto our skin pores, as the skin becomes less elastic.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.

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.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).

Saunas just feel good  :-

A sauna not only feels good, it’s good for your body. Our bodies, minds, and hearts need time to relax. This simple act of taking time to relax lowers stress and anxiety, improves our ability to accomplish tasks, improves creativity, lowers risk of burn out, decreases our blood pressure, and can lower our risk of developing abnormal heart rhythms.The Finns use the sauna for physical and mental relaxation. Saunas can cleanse your skin, increase circulation, open up your airways and sinuses, ease muscle and rheumatic pain, strengthen your immune system, improve joint movement and act as a great stress release for tension.

Sauna use, like exercise, can lower your blood pressure :-

In a sauna, our blood pressure often lowers. In addition, the very small blood vessels that are vital to the function of our body organs relax and dilate. People who frequently use a sauna have better endothelial function. When endothelial function is lost, we are more likely to develop coronary artery disease, stroke, and abnormal heart rhythms. One of the great benefits of exercise is also keeping the endothelial function healthy.