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Why Sweat It? The Benefits of the Sauna

You know you should go exercise, but don’t feel up to it? Try substituting a session in the sauna occasionally.

The health benefits of saunas are not a recent discovery. For thousands of years on all continents, numerous cultures have used steam or smoke as part of religious, social, and family traditions. The practice has cleansed the body, reduced stress and heightened spirituality.

While proponents of the sauna have exaggerated some of their claims, and other effects are difficult to measure, modern science has confirmed several physical benefits of sweating it out in the sauna.

Detoxification
The sweating process helps the body rid itself of toxins. Simulating a fever, the sauna prompts your body to flush impurities through increased sweat and blood flow. Your internal organs kick into high gear, dispelling heavy metals, uric and lactic acid, alcohol, cholesterol, nicotine and other toxic chemicals.

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Healing and Pain Relief
Heat from saunas stimulates the production of white blood cells and improves circulation, which in turn promotes healing of infections and soft tissue injuries. Since fevers are the body’s natural defence against bacteria and infection, the artificial fever of the sauna facilitates the healing process. Because viruses and germs do not tolerate heat well, the body can heal itself in the high temperatures of saunas and steam baths.

With the removal of lactic acid, muscle stiffness and spasms are alleviated. Saunas are particularly suited to treat heat responsive pain such as lower back and shoulder aches. Those who suffer from arthritis and other joint disorders have found relief in the sauna, as well.

Weight Loss
While you’re soaking in the comforting warmth of the sauna, your body will work to cool itself. This increases your heart rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate. The blood flow in a sauna can double and studies have compared the regular use of a sauna to that of moderate cardiovascular conditioning.

A person in healthy condition can shed 250 grams of sweat in a 30-minute sauna session, which equates to 200 or 300 calories burned. While the water weight will be quickly regained in re-hydration, the energy burned in the process means the calories are gone forever.

Skin Conditioning
The skin is a complex organ with blood vessels, oil glands, nerve endings and cells that stop bacteria from getting into our bodies. Saunas purge the skin’s clogged pores of deeply imbedded impurities and dead cells. Increased blood circulation encourages a healthy flow of nutrients to your skin that help relieve acne, eczema and, psoriasis. After a sauna, the skin is left in supple and pliant condition.

Easier Breathing
Almost immediately on entering a sauna, you will feel nasal passages clear and sinuses drain. The increased demand for oxygen in the sauna forces you to take deeper, fuller breaths, resulting in the temporary benefit of increased oxygenation to your cells.

The Newest Innovation: Infrared Saunas
For a long time we have used wet saunas, dry saunas, smoke saunas and steam saunas. Each type affects our bodies in a slightly different way. Infrared saunas are the most recent advance in spa construction. They use a special heater that generates infrared radiation rays similar to that produced by the sun. Unlike the sun’s UV radiation, however, infrared is said to be beneficial to overall health. Its warm rays penetrate the skin far more deeply than other sauna types, in particular magnifying the detoxifying, healing and conditioning effects.

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