• HEALTH BENEFITS •
One of the main reasons that people visit a sauna on a regular basis is because it is known to reduce stress and anxiety. We all have friends that we would like to entice out of the house more often. Apparently the Finns say that a sauna is a ‘poor man's Pharmacy’, that alternating between the hot sauna and the cool water has many benefits. Spending time in a sauna, for at least 5-10 minutes each week can help you in more ways than one, as seen in our examples below ....
BOOSTS
IMMUNITY
As the body is exposed to the heat of a sauna and steam, 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 colds or allergies.
ALLEVIATES MUSCLE PAIN AND INFLAMATION
Saunas relax muscles and soothe aches/pains in both muscles and joints. As the body temperature rises in the heat of the sauna, blood vessels dilate allowing for increased blood circulation in the body which causes the stiff muscles to relax. The joints react in a similar way to muscles. The joints in your body may become inflamed from over stimulation or over use. The relaxing and penetrating heat from the sauna will cause the joints to relax. After a few short minutes the inflammation will be reduced, easing pain and stiffness.
IMPROVES SKIN HEALTH
Steam has long been used as a way to naturally improve skin tone thanks to the steam opening up pores and allowing sweat to remove dead skin cells and bacteria. This is a process that occurs naturally within your body anyway, but the heat of the sauna speeds up this process and gives your body a deep cleanse. Cleansing of the pores has been shown to improve the capillary circulation, while giving the skin a softer-looking quality.
IMPROVES QUALITY OF SLEEP
Saunas are a simple yet effective mechanism to enhance the quality of sleep. It is recommended for people suffering from insomnia. It is estimated that a brief spell of 15-20 minutes spent in a sauna room is almost equal to 1-2 hours of a brisk walk or workout. Using a sauna affects the autonomic nervous system to put you in the parasympathetic (rest and digest) state, which helps you unwind and get a great night’s rest.
FAT LOSS AND DETOXIFICATION
Sweating helps flush the toxins and impurities from your body. But, for most people, our everyday activities don’t generate enough sweat to seriously purge out these unhealthy substances. Sweating also helps flush out heavy metals such as lead, zinc, copper, nickel and mercury that can be absorbed through foods or environmental factors. Detoxification clears out the lymphatic system and helps your body burn fat more effectively, gives you more energy for exercise and can speed up weight loss.
IT JUST
FEELS 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”!