TRADITIONAL SAUNAS

Under the perfectly distributed heat provided by a Finnleo® sauna, the body releases endorphins. Endorphins can have a mild, enjoyable “tranquilizing effect” and the ability to minimize the pain of arthritis and muscle soreness just like an intense physical workout. Your body temperature rises from the heat of the sauna, this causes blood vessels to dilate, increasing the blood circulation to your whole body. This increased blood flow speeds up the body’s natural healing processes, soothing aches and pains and speeding up the healing of minor bruises or cuts. After participating in physical sports, use the heat and steam of a sauna to promote muscle relaxation, helping to reduce muscle tension, eliminating lactic acid and other toxins that may be present.

Many – if not most – of us do not actively sweat on a regular basis. Sweating deeply,  has multiple proven health benefits. Benefits derived from a good sweat can be achieved via regular sauna heat bathing due to the penetrating heat of a sauna, our core body temperature begins to rise. The blood vessels begin to dilate, causing increased blood flow. As heat from the blood begins to move toward the skin’s surface, the body’s nervous system then sends signals to the millions of sweat glands that cover our bodies. As the sweat glands become stimulated, they produce sweat. Sweat production is primarily designed to cool the body, by evaporation. Deep sweating in a sauna can help reduce levels of lead, copper, zinc, nickel, mercury and chemical – which are all toxins commonly absorbed just from interacting in our normal daily environments. There is no shortage of information from Doctors and practitioners, who describe the benefits of detoxifying our bodies regularly. Many doctors agree, a big reason for the popularity of the recommendations by health practitioners to regularly use saunas is it’s one of the best ways to help detoxify our bodies and feel well.

Heat bathing is one of the oldest beauty and/or health strategies in terms of cleansing one’s skin. When the body begins to produce sweat via deep sweating, the skin is then cleansed and dead skin cells are replaced – keeping your skin in good working condition. Sweating rinses bacteria out of the epidermal layer and sweat ducts. Cleansing of the pores has been shown to improve the capillary circulation, while giving the skin a softer-looking quality.

Dr. Ben H Douglas, a professor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and author of “Ageless: Living Younger Longer,” attests that “Sweating is a way of energizing the skin almost the way exercising a muscle energizes it.” He goes on to explain that, when you sweat, the rush of fluid to the skin “bathes skin cells with a liquid rich in nutrients,” which “fills in the spaces around the cells” and even “plumps up” tiny wrinkles. He also mentions that the nutrients and minerals in sweat “are essential to maintaining the collagen structure of the skin.” Bathing skin in sweat on a fairly regular basis, deters collagen breakdown that can ultimately result in wrinkles and sags. Flushing individual cells naturally, one eventually brings back vitality, tone and a healthy glow to the skin. Sauna usage conditions acne, can be very helpful – due to the deep cleansing it provides from a deep sweat, cleaning the pores from the inside out.

Research has shown that a deeper, more relaxed sleep can result from sauna use. In addition to the release of endorphins, body temperatures rise in the late evening while fall as we enter sleep. This slow, relaxing decline in endorphins and temperature is a key in facilitating sleep. Numerous sauna bathers worldwide recall the deep sleep experiences that they felt after bathing in the calming heat of a sauna or spa.

While the social benefit is rarely talked about, it’s really quite important. The sauna can be a private, personal area of relaxation and solitude. However, it can just as easily be a relaxing environment for socializing with family, friends and soon-to-be friends. The sauna room environment is conducive to open, intimate and quiet conversation or reflections.

In the high temperatures of a traditional or infrared sauna, skin heats up and core body temperature rises. In response to these increase heat levels, the blood vessels near the skin dilate and “cardiac output” increases. Medical research has told us that the heart rate can rise from 60-70 bpm (beats per minute) to 110-120 bpm in the sauna (140-150 with more intensive bathing), and can often sink to below normal after the cooling off stage. With regular sauna usage, we not only train our heart muscles and improve the heart rate/cardiac output, but we also help the body’s regulatory system. Even more cardiovascular conditioning takes place when the sauna bathing is taken in multiple “innings”, with sessions in the sauna separated by a cool shower or a quick dip into a cool pool or lake. Each time you rapidly change temperature your heart rate increases by as much as 60%, which is very comparable to the increase experienced during moderate extended exercising.

Outlandish claims are often made by some sauna sellers (primarily those who sell infrared saunas) to promote saunas as an end-all weight loss tool. While some individuals may experience high amounts of calorie burn at first – particularly those individuals in poor shape to begin with – over the long term, saunas are simply treated as one of many tools in our arsenal when it comes to burn additional calories.

The sweating process itself requires a notable amount of energy. That energy is derived from the conversion of fat and carbohydrates in a bodily process that burns up calories. According to U.S. Army medical research (Ward Dean, M.D.), “A moderately conditioned person can easily sweat off 500 grams in a sauna in a single session, consuming nearly 300 calories in the process. ”The body consumes said calories due to the acceleration of heart activity (the cardiovascular section).  As heart activity increases and as these processes demand more oxygen, the body begins to convert more calories into usable energy.

German sauna medical research shows that saunas were able to significantly reduce the incidences of colds and influenza among participants. As the body is exposed to the heat of a sauna and steam (in the case of traditional saunas), it produces white blood cells more rapidly, which in turn helps to fight illnesses and helps to kill viruses.

In addition, saunas can relieve the uncomfortable symptoms of sinus congestion from from colds or allergies – especially when used with steam (tip: add eucalyptus to the water for added benefit and overall enjoyment). The steam vapor action helps to clear up unwanted congestion and is a wonderful aspect of the Finnish sauna experience.

A sauna not only feels good, it’s good for your body. Whether it’s the physiological changes that occur during the warmth of a sauna, or if it’s simply the time spent in the calming and still retreat of the sauna, every seasoned sauna bather agrees – it feels wonderful! As we progress through our stressful everyday lives, the sauna provides a pampering retreat – where we can relax and restore body and soul. Sauna bathing truly makes you “Feel Better”, “Look Better” and “Sleep Better”!