Traditional Wisdom And The Health Benefits Of A Sauna
Some wisdom has been around for a long time and consumers have overlooked it because there are no batteries; nothing new and exciting about the facts. Health benefits related to a sauna fit into that category.
People in Northern European countries have extolled the benefits of saunas for ages and there is usually a sauna at the gym or beside a recreation center pool. Why is that? In colder climates people would jump into a cold pool then stop by the sauna or vice versa in order to promote good health.
Benefits of a Sauna
You don’t need to go to extremes so as to experience the best things about getting hot and sweaty. Wrap yourself in a towel or two and step inside, sitting on a slatted bench with the door closed and the heat up.
If you are feeling extremely hot in a short time, don’t worry; that’s normal, expected, and positive. The whole point is to start dripping and if you do that among friends, your experience will be even more restorative.
Spend time with people you care about in a relaxing environment where everything is slowed down. You can’t rush healing in a sauna.
Old and New Methods
Back in the old days, people would pour hot water on tones or coals. This would create steam to cleanse your respiratory system and promote sweating. These days, high-tech saunas use a type of light known as FAR infrared which is considered safe for your skin and lungs. These types of saunas are available at gyms and for home ownership.
Why Do You Want to Sweat?
Why is it good news to be sweating in a towel, preferably surrounded by friends? The benefits are both physical and emotional. Toxins bleed out of your system via several avenues, one of them being sweat glands.
Most of that sweat consists of water and minerals but poisons also leach out. Because these are stored in fat cells, if poisons are released you must also be sweating fat. This is not a replacement for exercise which keeps muscles fit, but you can feel pretty confident that fifteen minutes in a sauna will have some fat-loss benefits.
In fact many people incorporate a short visit to the sauna into their daily weight-loss or weight-maintenance plan as part of an active lifestyle. Just make sure you drink lots of water either during your time in the sauna or immediately afterwards.
More Good News about Saunas
Getting hot makes you sweat but it also promotes circulation. Breathing deepens as you relax, filling blood cells with oxygen. When blood is circulating freely, this promotes healing as it brings oxygen-rich blood to all parts of the body.
If you suffer with poor circulation to the extremities and are suffering from a condition related to this problem, you might have been told to soak that area (hands or feet, for instance) in hot water. A trip to the sauna could also benefit these areas and other parts of the body including your organs and digestion. Enjoy healthier skin, slow the aging process, and experience freedom from or reduced symptoms of inflammatory conditions like arthritis.
Healing Mind and Body
Many conditions are related to stress including high blood pressure, depression, and headaches. A quarter of an hour in the sauna will leave you feeling relaxed, stripping away at least some of the stress you feel.
It’s the heat that does it: circulation warms and relaxes your entire body. Greater circulation to the brain improves clarity, focus, and moods. As long as you are not too hot you should feel really good no matter what ails your body or mind; ready to face the next challenge.
Potential Risks
There are always risks involved when you place a person in an intensely warm environment. Some people say they don’t breathe as easily in a sauna. There is also the chance that a person will stay too long and be overcome by heat sickness.
You need to regulate your time and get out before positive effects are overtaken by negative side effects. If you feel dizzy or nauseous, get out of the sauna right away. Either one is a sign that you are too hot. Your body needs something else right now. Come back to the sauna later.
