Saunas have been around for centuries, and in some countries, such as Finland, Estonia and Lithuania, they play a very important role in everyday social life. Regularly visiting a sauna makes you feel better, improves your health, and lets you experience blissful relaxation. Read this guide to learn more about the benefits of using a sauna.
Saunas have been around for centuries, and in some countries, such as Finland, Estonia and Lithuania, they play a very important role in everyday social life. Regularly visiting a sauna makes you feel better, improves your health, and lets you experience blissful relaxation. Read this guide to learn more about the benefits of using a sauna.
Steam room health benefits: sauna effects on our body
There are different types of saunas, each with not only a different temperature, but also a different level of humidity. The best known type, and most recommended for beginners, is a steam room, sometimes called a steam bath. The humidity level can reach 100%, with an average temperature of 40 to 50 degrees Celsius. As a result, it improves blood circulation, increases your overall immunity, and reduces the risk of a heart attack.
These are not the only benefits of a steam room. It can also help boost your metabolic rate and clear your body of toxins. In addition, it also gives you a large energy boost, and can be an excellent form of relaxation for athletes or people with an active lifestyle.
Finnish sauna benefits
A Finnish sauna, sometimes also called a wet sauna or Roman bath, is a bit different. Here the temperature range is from 70 to 90 degrees Celsius, with air humidity in the range of 25% – 39%. This type of sauna is good for your skin, reducing greasiness and seborrhea. The hot steam also helps beauty products absorb better into your skin, and wet saunas are recommended for people suffering from respiratory diseases and rheumatic pains.
Other benefits of a Finnish sauna are similar to those of a steam room, such as better blood circulation, increased exercise performance, and blissful relaxation. The high level of humidity acts like a body massage, reducing muscle tension and relaxing your mind.
Health benefits of dry sauna
A dry sauna is yet another type of sauna. Coming from Scandinavia, it is also often referred to as a Swedish sauna. The temperature is around 110 degrees Celsius, and the air humidity is only 15%. As in the case of the other saunas mentioned so far, the benefits of a dry sauna include increased overall immunity and improved blood circulation. Using a dry sauna is also good for your heart, and it helps relax your muscles.
Dry saunas are also recommended for people suffering from bronchial asthma, chronic rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, chronic bronchitis, arterial obstruction or angioedema. But there’s more – during just one session in a dry sauna you can burn up to 300 calories!
Infrared saunas health benefits
Infrared saunas work in a very different way, generating thermal energy by using infrared radiation. As a result, there is no increase in temperature or air humidity, so it only increases the temperature of your body. As a result, infrared saunas can also be used by children and the elderly, which is not the case with other types of sauna.
Among the health benefits of infrared saunas are reduced stress levels and relief of nervous tension, discomfort and fatigue. They are also recommended for patients with back pain, discopathy or joint degeneration. The increase in body temperature also means that during a session in an infrared sauna cabin you can burn as much as several hundred calories.
Are saunas healthy?
As you can see, in most cases the answer is yes. The benefits we mentioned earlier positively affect your blood circulation, cardiac efficiency, immunity and removal of toxins, boost your metabolic rate, help relieve arthritis, and also combat stress, nervous tension, fatigue and the feeling of discomfort. In addition, saunas are good for people suffering from excessive sweating and seborrhea.
A benefit of saunas appreciated by many users is also the easiness of burning calories (as much as several hundred calories during just one session!), which of course significantly influences your health. Saunas as also good for enhancing the use of skincare beauty products. The warm steam cleans the pores and thus helps body oils, lotions, face masks or other cosmetics absorb into your skin.
How often should you use a sauna?
In order to safely enjoy the benefits of a sauna, you must follow certain general rules. Experts and doctors alike agree that using a sauna can have many benefits for your health, but only if used sensibly. According to their recommendations, regardless of whether you use a steam room, dry sauna, Finnish sauna or an infrared sauna, the maximum number of sessions should be two per week. Don’t forget this!
Who should not use a sauna?
Despite the many benefits and positive effects on your health, there are some situations when you should not use a sauna. People suffering from some specific diseases and illnesses are advised not to do so. Consulting a doctor before you decide to relax in hot air and steam is therefore a good idea.
Who should not use a sauna? People with a cold or high temperature should definitely not use a sauna. In this case, not only will steam inhalations not improve your health, but could even be harmful. Sitting in a sauna could be too strenuous if you are fighting a cold.
People suffering from cardiovascular diseases should definitely steer clear of a sauna, as using one could lead to dehydration, affect your water and electrolyte levels, and cause a sudden drop in blood pressure. This is due to increased sweating and faster breathing while using a sauna. As a result, the circulatory system of people with illnesses could be significantly overwhelmed, which in turn enhances the risk of fainting, strokes and even cardiac arrest.
Saunas are also not recommended for women going through menstruation, when their body is weaker and less immune to infections. The same applies to pregnant women. Too high a temperature reduces blood pressure and limits blood flow to the baby. Doctors will therefore generally advise against using a sauna during pregnancy, due to the risk of birth defects.
Can you use a sauna after working out?
Saunas are becoming more and more popular in gyms and fitness clubs. You might think that a short session in a sauna immediately after a strenuous workout would let you calm down and relax your muscles. But nothing could be further from the truth! Due to the high temperature and humidity inside the sauna, our body is exposed to extreme sweating, and therefore loss of electrolytes and water. The increased heartbeat of up to 140-160 beats per minute will also make you feel tired.
And if all this is following a heavy workout, then you can double the effects. Therefore, before using a sauna, you should regain your normal body temperature, slower your heartbeat, and breathe calmly, in order to avoid overheating, fainting and, in extreme cases, even a heart attack. We therefore recommend, that you never use a sauna immediately after exercising.
The above situation can last from a few minutes to even several hours after your workout. This is the time needed for your body to return to its normal state after exercising. Once everything is back to normal, you can freely use the sauna as desired – this is, of course, provided that you don’t have any of the other health issues mentioned earlier.
The benefits of using a sauna – summary
You now know the benefits of using a sauna. It is not only healthy, but it can also help you relax and is good for your skin. And these are just a few of the benefits! Knowing when to choose a steam room, or dry, Finnish or infrared sauna, you can make the most of each one depending on your needs. However, to make sure there is no risk to your health, we recommend consulting a doctor before you use a sauna for the first time.
Share