Don’t Sweat It- The Science Behind Sauna Use
The use of saunas is an ancient practice that has been around for thousands of years. Now modern science is proving that this tradition can have a positive effect on mental, physical, and emotional health.
The Finnish people are credited with popularizing the modern use of saunas, and they have become a great way to relax and unwind.
While there are many different types of saunas on the market, infrared saunas are particularly effective at providing these health benefits.
Unlike traditional saunas, which use steam to heat the air, infrared saunas use infrared light waves to directly heat the body. Far infrared saunas in particular, emit a certain wavelength of light to penetrate deeper into your body.
Infrared saunas have skyrocketed in popularity over recent years because of the many benefits they offer.
Research has shown that regular sauna use can extend life expectancy, prevent dementia, depression, inflammation, and muscle loss. It also optimizes stress responses and helps the body flush out toxins which can be extremely beneficial in preventing cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's Disease.
Let’s explore why regular sauna use is so beneficial for our wellbeing, and why I personally bought an infrared sauna for my house.
Stress Relief
A major benefit associated with using an infrared sauna is stress relief. The heat from the infrared light works to relax tense muscles and ease stress levels, allowing you to relax and unwind after a long day or week.
Sauna use is also thought to increase levels of endorphins, which can boost mood and promote relaxation.
Improved Circulation
The heat exposure from saunas can cause subtle changes in the body that help reduce inflammation and improve blood flow.
This helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.
Improved circulation means more oxygen-rich blood is getting to all parts of your body, which can help reduce fatigue and soreness while also helping boost recovery time after workouts or other strenuous activities.
Improved Respiratory Health
Regular sauna use was associated with a significant reduction in the incidence of acute respiratory infections such as pneumonia.
Sauna use also improved lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Increased Immunity
Sauna use can help to boost the immune system. The study found that after just four days of daily sauna use, there were profound increases in white blood cell, lymphocyte, neutrophil, and basophil counts.
The heat of the sauna helps to increase production of heat shock proteins, which play an important role in protecting cells from stress.
Detoxification
One of the primary benefits touted by those who promote infrared saunas is detoxification. Most notable, saunas help expel heavy metals from your body.
What Are Heavy Metals?
Heavy metals are any metallic chemical element that have a relatively high density and are toxic or poisonous at low concentrations.
Some examples include lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and uranium.
These heavy metals can accumulate in our bodies over time due to air pollution, food contamination, water pollution, occupational exposure (for example from working with metal alloys), or even from certain medical procedures (ex. metal fillings for cavities).
This buildup of toxins can cause a variety of chronic health problems.
How Sweating Helps
Detoxify Heavy Metals
Did you know that sweating is actually the best way to naturally detoxify many of these heavy metals?
According to this study, sweat was found to be more effective at detoxifying heavy metals compared to urine:
52x better at detoxifying copper;
25x better at detoxifying manganese;
15x times better at detoxifying cobalt;
13x better at detoxifying nickel and uranium;
11x better at detoxifying cadmium;
5x better at detoxifying lead.
Additionally, this study found that with the exception of lead, more heavy metals were excreted from sauna sweating than from sweating from exercise.
This means that regularly getting into a sauna or doing some other type of exercise that makes you sweat can help your body detoxify from these harmful toxins. It’s important to note however that the amount of toxins eliminated by sweating varies depending on how much sweat you produce during your activity and how long it lasts.
Where to Find a Sauna
With all these amazing benefits it’s no wonder that people are making regular sauna use part of their everyday routine!
To get started with your own routine you should first find a nearby spa or wellness center that offers the type of sauna you want — whether it’s traditional steam or infrared — then book an appointment!
If you don’t have access to a spa or wellness center near you then don’t worry; there are plenty of home models available online as well!
Read This Before
You Buy a Sauna
I did a ton of research before I purchased my home sauna. DO NOT just buy any sauna. It may do more harm than good.
Here’s what you have to consider before buying an infrared sauna:
Energy efficient and plugs into a standard outlet.
Certified untreated, chemical-free hemlock/cedar wood. Make sure the company is also able to verify it is VOC-free from an independent company. The last thing you want to do when trying to get healthy is breathe in unhealthy chemicals.
High max heat temperature (140 degrees).
Has a foot warmer add-on. This increases your internal temperature.
Make sure it is a FAR infrared sauna. It is the one that provides the most benefit.
I bought a low EMF sauna, which essentially produces less electromagnetic fields. It’s not essential to get low-EMF however, but it is worth considering.
Here is company that I suggest you buy from and the sauna that I personally have.
Conclusion
From reducing the risk of respiratory illness to increasing immunity through heat shock protein production, there are many surprising health benefits of regular sauna use.
Not only does it provide short-term physical benefits such as relaxation and improved circulation; regular sauna use can also have long-term impacts on your overall well-being at a low cost!
So if you’re looking for an easy way to boost your health without making any major lifestyle changes – give the sauna a try!
