People use saunas for many years now and they’re known as one of the best ways to help you relax and unwind after a hard day. According to doctors, sweating is extremely healthy, regardless of which way you choose to do it. Either by exercise or sauna, it is totally up to you.
A fun fact is that saunas are very popular in Finland. Statistics show that at least one out of three Finns use them daily. That’s a pretty big number. In the United States, there are about a million registered saunas.
Before we start going in-depth about why and how you should use the sauna, we advise you to keep reading this article in order to avoid any potential risks and dangers that might occur. Let’s begin.
What is a sauna?
A sauna is a room that’s heated to a higher temperature which usually ranges from seventy Celsius up to a hundred Celsius. The room in which you’re supposed to sit and relax is usually uniquely designed in order to provide maximum comfort and the sense of relaxation and ease.
Img source: kitzski.at
A sauna will raise your skin temperature by a big amount and therefore cause you to sweat a lot. As your skin temperature rises your heart rate will also rise in an attempt to cool off your body. By spending a short time period in a sauna you burn off a lot of calories and extremely sweat.
What are the health benefits of using a sauna regularly?
There are many health benefits of sauna usage and we’re going to list some of them.
Saunas help to ease the pain, muscle soreness and improve joint movement. It also helps us reduce stress levels, promote relaxation and improve our circulation. By reducing our stress levels, doctors believe that the risk of cardiovascular diseases is also greatly reduced. It is also said that people who regularly use the sauna will have a much lower chance of dying from a cardiovascular complication or failure. Regular sauna usage is also believed to be related to lowered blood pressure and enhanced heart function.
It is important to note that even though there are many health benefits of sauna regarding enhanced heart-work and things of that nature, it should never replace regular physical exercise and cardio training. Just like food supplements, the sauna should be used to enhance your healthy lifestyle, not serve as the complete source of your well-being.
What types of saunas are there?
There are different types of saunas which are based on how the room is heated. The wood burning sauna uses wood that heats up below you and also sauna rocks. These types of saunas are usually low in humidity and can reach pretty high temperatures.
Then there are the electrically heated ones. They are simply powered by an electrical heater that is attached to the floor.
Img source: druzbahotel.sk
Infrared saunas are different from the previously mentioned types. They are powered by special lamps that use light waves in order to heat your body, not the entire room as a whole. These kinds of saunas produce lower temperatures than other saunas but the person that’s in them sweats the same.
Last but not least there are the “Steam Room” types of saunas. Instead of producing dry heat they utilize high humidity and moist heat.
