Here we bring you a list of the TOP 8 benefits from traditional and infrared saunas.
Have you been thinking about getting that sweet and beneficial home sauna you keep reading or hearing about, but you still feel indecisive? Well, maybe knowing some significant benefits that sitting in a sauna can bring you might finally convince you.
Sauna bathing has been a tradition for thousands of years, with good reason. Physically, nothing is more rejuvenating than a deep, healthy sweat from a sauna. Your mind and muscles feel at ease, and you emerge restored and full of energy.
Although relaxation is usually the number one reason people use saunas, we can get many health benefits beyond just that. A traditional or infrared sauna session can bring a wide variety of health benefits, such as improving high blood pressure, relieving pain from conditions like arthritis, and reducing the risk of lung disease! This is why more and more doctors are recommending this activity as a daily wellness routine
1- SAUNAS IMPROVE OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Sauna enthusiasts frequently quote "stress reduction" as the number one benefit of bathing. But how beneficial is reducing stress in your daily life?
Traditional and infrared saunas have been of great help for people with high stress and anxiety levels. Not only as a method to control their stress and anxiety but to reduce their risk for cardiovascular diseases. Other benefits of saunas can range from better blood flow to healthier skin. That is why sitting in a sauna will add something positive to your life and help you prevent some severe health complications.
2- SAUNAS ARE A GREAT AID FOR EXERCISE RECOVERY
Saunas do wonders for our muscles and joints. When our bodies are under high heat provided by a sauna and our heart rate raises, we increase blood circulation and release endorphins. Better blood flow moves higher volumes of oxygen to your body. A well-oxygenated body helps replace worn-out cells. Endorphins are the body's natural pain killers; they create a general feeling of well-being. No wonder they are called the "feel-good hormones."
Infrared and traditional saunas are gaining popularity among professional athletes when it comes to muscle recovery. Today, we have excellent examples of professional athletes using saunas as a means of healing and relaxation. One of them is Valtery Bottass, a professional Formula 1 Driver from Finland. We can see him taking a sauna bath after one of the most stressful moments of his career.
3- SAUNAS RELIEVE STRESS
When our body is under high levels of stress, it releases a hormone called cortisol. This hormone is the body's natural built-in alarm system for stress. Although cortisol is good for reducing muscle inflammation and regulating your blood pressure, too much of it can cause problems to our health. Having constant high levels of cortisol can lead to rapid weight gain, skin that bruises easily, and even diabetes!
Saunas, either traditional or infrared, stimulate the production of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is known as the "happy hormone" because it controls our emotions, and it's in charge of handling stress and anxiety levels. So having a relaxation chamber, widely known as a "sauna" at home, might do wonders when you feel like throwing the towel due to stress.
4- SAUNAS IMPROVE BRAIN HEALTH
Relaxing, reducing anxiety, and having a better mood are not the only benefits one can get from a deep-sweat sauna session. According to studies conducted at the University of Eastern Finland, people who used saunas or infrared saunas 4-7 times a week for 15 minutes lowered their risk of developing Alzheimer's & Dementia. Who would've thought spending time in the sauna might be an answer to decrease long-term mental problems or even avoid them altogether.
Mental health is just as important, and having a home sauna taking care of this for you every day is just an extraordinary addition to your wellness routine.
Check out how a deep sweat from a sauna bath can help with Alzheimer's: 10 ways to love your brain
5- SAUNA DETOX YOUR SKIN
Heat bathing is one of the oldest beauty and health strategies for cleansing skin. When the body begins to produce sweat, the skin cleanses, replacing dead skin cells and giving you the famous "after sauna glow." Sweating rinses bacteria out of the epidermal layer and sweat ducts. Cleansing the pores has been shown to improve capillary circulation while giving the skin a softer-looking quality.
People who suffer from psoriasis have seen an improvement of 10.14% when taking sauna baths, as shown in a recent study conducted by M Ständer, B Steinsland.
6- SAUNAS IMPROVE YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM
While infrared saunas produce penetrating wavelengths that raise the body's core temperature, traditional saunas produce heat from steam. They work very similarly. Both induce a fever-like response in our bodies. A fever is the body's mechanism to strengthen and accelerate the immune response, as seen in the case of infection. This boosts the immune system, and when combined with the detox benefits from the deep sweat, we develop an increase in disease resistance.
7- SAUNAS INDUCE A DEEPER SLEEP
Saunas are widely known for being a great way to relax and live stress-free. As the gentle steam heat rises in a sauna, your body starts producing endorphins and enters an immediate state of relaxation. As the endorphins begin to dissipate and the body temperature lowers throughout the evening, at bedtime, your body will have reached its relaxation climax. Thus helping sauna bathers have a deeper sleep.
8- SAUNAS HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT
Myths of saunas being a "sit down and lose weight" machine have always been around. However, this is not entirely true. An increase in your metabolic rate and the sweating process caused by a sauna bath consumes a notable amount of energy. That energy is derived from breaking down proteins, fat, and carbohydrates in a bodily function that burns up calories. This, in the long run, is a great way to burn extra calories, but don't bank on it alone to shed pounds.
So what did you think?
Are you ready to buy that home sauna you've been thinking about, now knowing the benefits they bring to your life? We hope you enjoyed this article and that you were able to learn something new about saunas, even if you already own one.
Stay healthy, sauna enthusiasts!
