First and fore most, a sauna should be viewed as a leisure product. It provides a relaxing and enjoyable environment to help you kick back and unwind. A place to find peace of mind, relaxation and contentment. In other words, a way to deal with daily stress by putting a smile on your face and a spring in your step. Having said that, there are all kinds of established and professed health benefits from saunas. We have reviewed the literature and listed some of the most significant health advantages:
* During a 10-20 minute sauna session, your heart rate can increase by 50-75%. This can provide some of the same metabolic results as physical exercise. The increased cardiac load can be the equivalent to a brisk walk. There is a nominal effect on blood pressure because the heart also causes blood vessels in the skin to expand to accommodate the increased blood flow.
* Blood vessels become more flexible and there is increased circulation to the extremities. During a sauna, blood flow to the skin can increase as high as 50-70% of cardiac output (compared to the standard 5-10%). This brings nutrients to subcutaneous and surface tissue, resulting in glowing healthy skin.
*Saunas induce sweat which provides a comprehensive cleansing of the skin and sweat glands. Skin is the largest organ in the body. 30% of the body’s waste is passed through the skin. Profuse sweating enhances the detoxifying capacity of the skin by opening pores and flushing impurities from the body.
* When taking a sauna, skin temperature rises to about 104 degrees and the internal body temperature rises to about 100.4 degrees. Exposure to the high heat creates an artificial fever state. Fever is part of the body’s natural healing process. It stimulates the immune system resulting in increased production of disease fighting white blood cells, antibodies and interferon (an antiviral protein with disease fighting capability).
* Fitness centers and other therapeutic facilities utilize saunas in conjunction with massage to loosen fatty tissue in the battle against cellulite.
* Taking regular saunas and getting a “good sweat” at the onset of a cold or flu can help to relieve symptoms.
* They can provide relief from the pain and stiffness of arthritis.
* They can also revive tired an strained muscles after physical exertion (active recovery do to the elevated heart rate).
<a href=”http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&add=http://betzmethod.wordpress.com”><img src=”http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/tech-fav-1.png” alt=”Add to Technorati Favorites” /></a>
Recent Comments