Saunas are packed with benefits for your skin, body, and mind. The health benefits of saunas have been touted for thousands of years. The body’s response to gentle, persistent heat is well-documented and proven day-in and day-out by people all over the world.
Below are the top 8 health benefits of saunas that you should know!
1. Improves Heart Health
In the high temperatures, your skin heats up and your core body temperature rises. In response to these increased heat levels, the blood vessels near the skin dilate and cardiac output/input function 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 bpm with more intensive bathing), and can often sink to below normal after the cooling off stage.
2. Traditional Saunas Flush Toxins
When your core body temperature rises, you start to sweat. Sweating is primarily designed to cool your body and is composed of 99% water. However, deep sweating in a traditional sauna can help reduce levels of lead, copper, zinc, nickel, mercury, and other chemicals – which are all toxins commonly absorbed from our daily environments.
3. Improve Brain Health
A 20-year study conducted with more than 2,300 participants at the University of Eastern Finland by Dr. Jari Laukkanen and his colleagues revealed regular sauna use (4-7 times per week) at 176 degrees F for 19 minutes lowered the risk for both Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
4. Relieve Stress
The heat in a sauna helps you to relax and regulates the level of cortisol in your blood. Cortisol is the hormone that our body releases when we are stressed. High levels of cortisol can lead to a number of health issues impacting your sleep and immune system. Regular sauna bathing reduces the level of cortisol in your blood and stimulates the production of serotonin.
5. Help Fight Illness
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. This helps to fight illnesses and helps to kill viruses in your body. In addition, saunas can relieve the uncomfortable symptoms of sinus congestion from a common cold or allergies.
6. Burn Calories
While some individuals may experience high amounts of calorie burn at first, saunas are generally treated as one of the many tools in our arsenal when it comes to weight loss & burning additional calories over the long term. 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.” As your heart activity increases and these processes demand more oxygen, the body begins to convert more calories into usable energy.
7. Cleanses the Skin
When the body begins to produce sweat through deep sweating, the skin is then cleansed and dead skin cells are replaced. Sweating also rinses bacteria out of the epidermal layer and sweat ducts. Cleansing of the pores has been shown to improve capillary circulation while giving skin a softer-looking quality.
8. Aid in Recovery After Exercise
Saunas relax muscles and soothe aches & chronic pain. Under high temperatures, the body releases endorphins which can minimize pain. After physical activity, you can use the heat and steam of a sauna to promote muscle relaxation, reduce muscle tension, and eliminate lactic acid and other toxins that may be present.
Interested in Learning More About Saunas?
In-home saunas offer many long-term health & wellness benefits. If you’re interested in learning more about a new infrared sauna or traditional sauna, shop saunas online or visit Bassemiers in-store. We can help you find the right sauna for your space that checks all of the boxes for your preferences!
