Sauna Benefits You Never Knew About

In general, people’s understanding of saunas is limited to what they see in movies: steamy rooms containing sweaty people in white towels. And we never learn why those characters went into the sauna in the first place, do we? This being the case, we don’t realize that modern sauna technology and sauna benefits are much more sophisticated than the stuff we see in pop culture. Here are some well-documented sauna benefits that you, likely, never knew about.

Pain Relief

We often see saunas installed in gyms as part of a post-workout regimen. This is because the penetrating heat from saunas helps increase blood flow, thereby releasing muscle tension and temporarily relieving joint pain. By sitting in a sauna after fatiguing physical activity, you help accelerate the recovery process and, thus, enable yourself to engage in another round of exercise sooner.

Stress Reduction

Research shows that sauna sessions help stimulate the “feel good” chemicals dopamine and serotonin in your brain and reduce the release of the stress hormone cortisol. These chemical responses translate into reduced stress and mental fatigue. 

Furthermore, the secluded, high-heat environment of a sauna provides an opportunity to unplug from technology and other distractions from everyday life. Even as few as ten minutes is enough for sauna users to slow down their thinking and refocus on themselves enough that they are less likely to feel overwhelmed when they return to their daily activities. 

Improved Cardiovascular and Respiratory Health

Saunas offer multiple benefits promoting a healthy heart. For one thing, saunas are shown to dilate blood vessels, improving circulation in their users. The increased blood flow also extends to lipids like fat and cholesterol. Research shows sauna users report lower LDL (i.e., “bad”) cholesterol levels – all of which is great news for your cardiovascular system!

Your lungs are also grateful sauna beneficiaries. The elevated warmth of a sauna is shown to help relax and open the lungs. Asthma patients often find themselves in saunas for this reason.

Increased Metabolism

When you sit in a sauna, particularly an infrared or full-spectrum sauna, your inner core temperature increases. This, in turn, heightens your metabolic rate in addition to boosting your circulation and sweat production. That means your body is burning more calories – a critical component of weight loss.

Detoxification

A host of man-made chemicals make their way into our bodies through multiple means: the food we eat, the products we apply to our skin, pollutants in the air, etc. These toxins especially like embedding themselves in our fatty tissue. However, sweating in the sauna is a trusty way to excrete these toxins, which contributes to better neurocognitive function and reduced fatigue. 

Better Sleep

It’s remarkable how many of our physical woes we would cure simply by getting better sleep. Yet so many of us let sleep fall on our list of priorities. As a result, we struggle to get high-quality sleep when we finally do give it a chance. A sauna session can help with that.

A key component of a good night’s sleep is cool body temperature. If you use the sauna before bedtime, your body will cue itself to cool down after experiencing the intense heat. Consequently, your thermoregulation processes are quicker to convince your brain that it’s time for bed.

Sauna Benefits from Wellis New England

These health benefits, and several others, become more pronounced when you use an infrared or full-spectrum sauna, like those made by Jacuzzi Clearlight Saunas® that we sell at Wellis New England. Their heating technology promotes the raising of internal body temperature without profound heating of the ambient air. As such, you are far more likely to experience expedient physical improvements without the threat of overheating. Stop in our showroom today to see how this advanced technology can put you on the fast track to a healthier, rejuvenated you!