Beyond detox: why are saunas good for your health?
Hypnosis, acupuncture, cryotherapy, there are so many wellness splurges from which you can choose if you want to maintain and improve your health. Every week a new treatment appears. But it seems that what is old is new again, because people come back to yoga and sauna when they need a relaxing wellness treatment. If you take regular sessions of sauna, then you will enjoy the numerous health benefits associated with this treatment. Actually studies have shown that the persons who use it frequently have lower chances to develop dementia, cardiac diseases, and hypertension, compared with the people who do not use sauna bathing.
If you ask someone what the main benefit of using sauna is, they will tell you that it sweats out the toxins from your body. But, what they do not know is that detoxification is just one of the many benefits they will have if they use this wellness treatment frequently.
photo/ Jürgen Rübig
You will have a better mental health
Why do people who sit in saunas have better mental health? Well, because they feel relaxed when they enjoy this wellness treatment. It can be said that you sweat the stress away, because saunas have the power to make people feel relaxed. When in a sauna you feel safe, because you are in an enclosed, warm and quiet space, and you can take a step back from your daily worries.
Studies show that the persons who suffer from depression and have regular sessions of sauna feel more relaxed. People really appreciate every opportunity they have to escape the world and enjoy a few moments of peace and quiet. Doctors prescribe sauna to the patients who suffer from depression and can expose themselves to heat.
What you should know is that you will not leave the sauna with your depression treated, you will have to follow a treatment, but sauna can definitely improve your state. The changes are noticeable in time, and you will see that this wellness treatment has a great impact on your mental health.
Saunas improve people’s immunity
You should not have the misconception that if you sit in the sauna you will be able to skip the flu shot. This wellness treatment does not work like this. But, it has a great role in helping you build a strong immune system. Studies show that the athletes who spend a couple of minutes daily in the sauna have an increase in their white blood cell count. This shows that they have a stronger immune system, than the people who do not sit in saunas regularly.
What you should keep in mind is that the persons who exercise regularly have a stronger immune system than the ones who do not get involved into any activity.
photo/ Dnipro Hotel
Sauna treatments help people deal with pains
Celebrities, like Lady Gaga, built saunas at home, because they find this wellness treatment as one of the most effective ones when it comes to dealing with chronic pains. The persons who deal with headaches and other types of pains, more than 15 days per month and use sauna as a treatment, state that they noticed a great improvement, after a few sessions. There were done studies to see if this wellness treatment brings improvements to this health issue and it seems that it can reduce multiple types of chronic pains.
Lower your cholesterol with sauna treatments
If you do not exercise and do not pay attention to your diet, there are chances your doctor to advise you to lower your cholesterol. For this you will need great help, because taking pills and completely changing your diet may not be a suitable option for you. If you want to lower your cholesterol in a relaxing way then you should consider hitting the sauna, because studies show that the persons who use this treatment repeatedly are able to lower their cholesterol levels. It is advisable to follow the treatment for a month, and expose yourself to heat daily to see any changes. Sauna lowers your cholesterol levels similar to a low intensity physical training. This does not mean that you should skip your exercise training, you should add sauna to your routine to achieve better results.
You can lose weight easily
It is important to note that sauna can help you lose water and not body fat. You should use sauna treatments to recover and relax after exercising. You will be able to establish a connection with your body while sitting in the sauna. If you do not know where to start in order to lose weight and how to find a treat for summer then you should have sauna sessions regularly.
Sauna improves blood pressure
More and more people experience high blood pressure, and the majority of them have no idea what to do in order to improve their health state. Medical studies show that if you have a sauna session weekly you will be able to lower your blood pressure. If it were to check the systolic blood pressure you have after a sauna session you would notice that it is lower than before you got inside the sauna. The pressure will remain low for an hour after you get out of the sauna. This means that if you use this wellness treatment regularly, you will be able to lower your blood pressure on long term.
How to get more benefits from sitting in a sauna?
The benefits of sitting in a sauna are not only the ones listed above, the list is far longer. In order to get a better result you should brush or lightly scrap your skin while you are sitting in the sauna. Also, it is effective to tap the skin on your back, belly and legs, because it will make your pores open more. The circulation from the surface of your body will be improved and the toxins will come out faster. In case you do not feel comfortable sitting in the sauna for a long time, you should adjust the period. Keep in mind that the purpose is to feel relaxed, the other benefits will be a bonus.
Author: Cynthia Madison
