15 Sauna Benefits For A Healthier You

Taking a sauna is a great way to press those relaxation buttons in our body. The sauna’s heat will help to trigger the body’s endorphin hormones, creating a sense of positivity and calm.

Along with the endorphins, the muscles loosen up and blood flow gets improved, which will eventually help melt those tight knots in the body. Moreover, the quiet and warm environment of a sauna can give us the needed mental break from the headaches of daily life.

An individual who does sauna bathing frequently could witness positive changes to their heart’s health. Sauna baths can aid to decrease arterial stiffness, improve endothelium-dependent dilatation, and lessen systemic blood pressure.

A JAMA Network study in April 2015 found that men who indulged in saunas had a 63% risk reduction in sudden cardiac deaths. Although saunas can promote our heart’s health to a great degree, we need to indulge in bathing frequently to receive the required benefits.

Taking a sauna bath after a workout session can just be the activity our sore muscles require. The heat of the sauna could improve blood circulation via relaxing and dilating the blood vessels. This will help deliver more oxygen and nutrients to those tired muscles.

Likewise, the heat can loosen tightness in those exercised muscles so that we can stretch much more easily to release tension. Overall, chilling in a sauna is a fantastic activity to relieve the physical stress of a tough exercise routine.

Are you suffering from chronic problems like lower back pain or fibromyalgia? If yes, then regular sauna therapy can be your superb go-to for decreasing the pain. The heat will aid in relaxing those painful muscles and joints quite well.

On top of that, a sauna can assist in lessening the chronic pain of scenarios like Rheumatoid Arthritis and Ankylosing Spondylitis. If we suffer from any problems related to limited mobility, a sauna bath may be the best option for pain and mobility relief.

Sauna can also help to detoxify the body, especially heavy metals and drugs. Since our skin temperature gets raised to around 40 degrees during a sauna session, we can witness heavy sweating. This sweating will be the answer to flushing the toxins out.

Once we stay in a sauna’s heat for 15-20 minutes, we'll start to sweat profusely. One popular sweating benefit is the release of heavy metals and other drugs that are generally stored in the body fat. This way, we can stay fresh and healthy by eradicating unwanted elements from the skin.

After taking a sauna therapy, we may feel lighter in the weight department. It is usually due to the temporary loss of water weight. However, it can still help in burning calories due to the increased body heat.

This rise in body heat can promote better metabolism, which in turn, can improve the calorie-burning process. Still, a sauna should not be taken as the primary method for weight loss, but rather as a complementary activity.

Some individuals take saunas to improve their brain health. Since the heat of the sauna dilates the blood vessels, it eventually improves the blood flow to the brain. As a result, more oxygen is pumped into our brain, which helps to raise mental clarity.

A study by the University of Eastern Finland found that men who took saunas 4 to 7 times a week showed 66% less chance of getting dementia. Likewise, these men also had a 65% less chance of being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

Stress relief is another reason why people are so enamored with Sauna therapy. Getting a good sauna can help decrease the levels of cortisol (a stress hormone) in the body. Hence, cortisol reduction will directly ease our stress levels in the body.

Moreover, since a sauna can offer a good relaxation response to the body, it can automatically entail a decrease in stress. People who are too mentally tensed can take a sauna to cool themselves and restore their appetite.

A survey by Complementary Therapies in Medicine, conducted on people who did sauna at least once per week, reported that 83.5% of users had improved sleep after a sauna.

This survey is just one of many that displays the power of a sauna to induce quality sleep. Since the body temperature rises in a sauna, it could help restore the natural circadian rhythm. Moreover, the stress relief factor of sauna also contributes to a good sleep cycle.

A sauna session can be our fighter against viral illnesses like common cold and pneumonia. The heat will raise the body temperature, which causes a “false fever” situation. This can boost the immune system to tackle these viral infections.

The researchers of Annals of Medicine also did a study where they divided 50 people into two groups. One group did a regular sauna while the other did not. It was found that the group who did saunas everyday received lesser cold infections.

If you have psoriasis, saunas can just be the game-changing therapy to get a natural skin glow. The heat will open pores, release sweat from the skin, and subsequently flush out unnecessary impurities. Any dead skin cells or dirt in the skin will be eradicated.

Likewise, consistent sauna sessions can reduce the itchiness and pain due to scaly patches of psoriasis. Although a sauna is not the sole solution, it can still prevent psoriasis from getting worse.

Having a sauna bath is not just useful for muscle recovery, but good for mental recovery as well. A 20-minute sauna therapy can literally be the mood booster we need after a stressful day at work.

With the release of endorphin, decrease of cortisol, and promotion of heart health, hitting up a sauna can be used as a recreational element to escape from the daily grind.

Sauna can aid in the humidification of the airways and decrease airways inflammation in order to maintain a healthy respiratory function. On top of that, it can also help widen the airways by relaxing the lungs.

The European Journal of Epidemiology conducted a thorough study on 1935 Caucasian men, and it was found that frequent sauna sessions might reduce the risk of contracting chronic respiratory diseases in Caucasian males. 

An underrated benefit of sauna is its help to improve flexibility. Since the heat improves blood flow and provides better circulation, the muscles and joints become less stiff, instead turning more elastic.

This elasticity will assist in easier stretching of muscles that, in turn, can be used for improving mobility and range of motion. A sauna also decreases inflammation in the muscles, which contributes to better flexibility. 

Do you seek to escape the headaches and stress of the academic/work life for a few minutes? Saunas can be a marvelous medium to enjoy a calm, serene environment.

Chilling in a sauna helps to decrease physical pain and mental stress from arising in the body. This ultimately offers a mental state where a user may quietly reflect on their life while radiating with positivity.

As sauna has many health benefits, it is no surprise that many people opt to conduct this physical activity at least once per week. Different individuals have different needs, so one person can hit up a sauna session for one particular reason, while another may have a completely different reason.

An average person can visit a sauna to relax the body after a day’s work. They want to enjoy some time in a de-stressed environment and forget their daily hurdles in life. Some can also come to increase their ability to get a sound sleep.

Fitness enthusiasts can come for a session to improve their cardio and breathing patterns. They can also get a sauna to recover sore muscles after doing cool down exercises. Likewise, individuals who focus on mental well-being can take a sauna to get positive vibes.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is for informational purposes only. It should not be taken as medical advice.