Sauna Benefits

Can a sauna cure what ails you? Well, yes and no. There is absolutely no question that when you go get out of a sauna you will feel better than when you went in. Whether it can cure diseases and induce rapid weight loss, that is a different story.

There is one thing for certain. Saunas are a good thing and the sauna benefits your health in several ways that medicine cannot. So if you are feeling a little down for whatever reason, a sauna will help you feel better.

Benefits of a Sauna
Let's take a look at some of the ways that a sauna can benefit your health.

Steam saunas may help you lose weight. Spending some time in a steam bath for can burn as many as 300 calories. Combine this with a healthy diet and exercise and you’ll be thinner in no time. The steam sauna can also tighten your skin, in that dirty battle against cellulite.

A steam bath will relax your tense and aching muscles. If you have had a long day (or month) at work, toxins can build up in your muscle tissue, causing you pain and discomfort. A steam sauna can force your muscles to relax, almost instantly releasing these harmful toxins. It is also great after a workout. The extra blood flow will speed up the repair of your muscle tissue, thus allowing you to exercise again sooner. Don’t take my word for it. The Finnish Olympic team takes a portable steam sauna to all competitions.

The steam sauna also cleanses your skin. The sweat opens your pores, thus flushing out unhealthy toxins and grime.

Steam bathing provides a cardiovascular workout without stress or strain on your joints. You heart rate will speed up 50-75% in a 20-minute steam bath. This goes a long way to speeding up your metabolism, thus helping you burn fat. It is about the same as going for a long walk. Some people are under the conception that steam baths raise your blood pressure. While this is true, it also expands your blood vessels to compensate.

In many ways the steam bath acts as a giant fever machine. While this may sound like pretty much the worst thing ever. When you think about it, it actually makes sense. You are sick, it is the virus that makes you feel bad. The fever is your body’s way to kill that virus. So, even if you are not feeling sick, getting into a sauna is like a pre-emptive strike against any viruses in your body.

Like the benefits of a sauna, but still not sure? Talk to others who have saunas in our Hot Tubs forum!