Health Benefits of Regular Sauna Sessions You Need to Know
You can benefit from regular sauna sessions. They are a great way to relax your body and mind while improving your health.
Stress is a significant contributor to several illnesses. It can cause unwanted side effects, including muscle tension, gastrointestinal issues, and insomnia.
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Increased Blood Circulation
Regular sauna sessions and residential saunas help increase blood circulation throughout your body, which means that your organs and muscles have the proper amount of oxygen. This improves your energy levels, brain function, and overall health.
Regular sauna use can also help lower your heart rate and blood pressure. According to a recent study out of Finland, these effects are similar to moderate exercise and may be suitable for heart health.
Stress reduction is a significant reason many people spend time in the sauna. In addition to helping you feel calmer, stress relief can also help prevent the onset of many serious health problems.
Another benefit of regular sauna sessions in a sauna room is that they can boost your immune system. The heat helps the body produce more white blood cells to combat disease-causing bacteria and viruses.
Relaxed Muscles
The heat of a sauna releases the tension that your muscles hold on to when you’re stressed. Stress causes your neck to tighten, fists to ball up, and wrists and fingers to clench.
The release of this tension, combined with the increased blood flow from a sauna session, can help relax your body and mind. It also relieves pain and stiffness in your muscles.
If you are new to a sauna, limiting your first sessions to 20 minutes is recommended to get accustomed to the heat. Be sure to hydrate thoroughly before entering the sauna, and drink water or an electrolyte drink during your sauna session.
Cleanse Your Skin
Regular sauna sessions can help cleanse your skin of dead cells, clogged pores, and impurities. It also promotes hydration, which is critical to keeping your skin youthful and fresh.
The skin is our largest organ, and its appearance speaks volumes about our health. A clean, hydrated complexion will not only feel beautiful but look radiant as well.
Often our skin is deprived of nutrients due to hard work and harsh living conditions, but a sauna can replenish these vital nutrients to keep your skin healthy.
When you sweat in a sauna, your skin’s pores open, allowing essential fluid to rush to the surface, filling gaps between missing cells. This helps to build up collagen, thereby reducing sagging and wrinkled skin.
After a sauna session, it is essential to shower in cold water and moisturize your skin with a hypoallergenic lotion that does not clog pores. This will finish off the sauna and give you a healthy glow.
Improved Sleep
Sauna sessions can help you fall asleep faster and more profoundly. The calming heat of the sauna causes your body to release several natural opiates that promote relaxation and aid sleep.
The brain releases a higher level of serotonin, which regulates your mood and reduces anxiety. Another neurotransmitter, norepinephrine, increases your heart rate when stressed and decreases during a sauna session.
If you are having trouble falling asleep, consider a 15-minute sauna session before bedtime. The rising temperature of the sauna will help to induce a more relaxed state and promote sleep.
Several studies have linked regular sauna use with improved sleep. Finnish men between 42 and 60 years old who used the sauna four to seven times a week had a 66 percent lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.