A sauna is a room or a smaller house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions or sometimes called heat baths. Saunas used to use an open fire, but a sauna manufacturer today will use an electric heater to heat stones. These stones produce a dry heat to warm the room to temperatures usually about 176°F/80°C although some saunas will go over 212°F/100°C. Water is thrown over the hot stones creating moisture in the air and allowing the room’s occupants to remain relatively comfortable in this level of heat. A sauna session is usually a social affair in which the participants disrobe and sweat. This induces relaxation and promotes good health.
Created before the birth of Rome, the sauna is an ancient from of bathing that continues to be popular worldwide. In which part of the world it originated is not known, but who made it an art is universally agreed on. This honor goes to the peoples of Finland, Norway and Sweden who even today have taken sweat baths to a new height of luxury and enjoyment.
Saunas throughout the millennia have provided a place for those in the community to meet and engage in conversation, relaxation and even healing as they enjoy the warm and seething heat.
Saunas soothing heat provides a multitude of benefits to the body. Here is a short list of some of the best:
Flush Out Toxins:
A major release of toxins happens through the skin when we sweat. Saunas cause profuse sweating and as a result you will release toxins from your body through the skin.
Better Respiration:
If you have clogged nasal passages from a cold or allergies, the sauna can help. Its dry air will dry the congestion in the nasal passages and lungs and allow you to breathe more freely.
Increase in Energy:
The heat from saunas will also widen the blood vessels allowing you to have better blood flow throughout your body. Increased blood flow means more energy, so you will feel energized when you take a sauna.
Loosen Tight Muscles:
The heat from a sauna will help your muscles to relax. If you have tight muscles, cramps or lingering muscle pains, a sauna can be a great remedy for you. Its deep heat with cause your muscles to loosen and stay that way.
Exercise Recovery:
Overstressed muscles build up large quantities of lactic acid which cause them to not be as efficient and to feel fatigued. A short time in the sauna helps to release lactic acid in your muscles and have your muscles begin to repair more quickly. Many professional athletes use saunas as part of their recovery regimen.
Stress Relief:
Those who use saunas regularly report that they leave feeling totally relaxed and de-stressed. The heat from a sauna gets deep into the muscles and pores relieving tension and anxieties. The result is lower blood pressure and much better sleep.
With all of the wonderful benefits from a sauna, I am sure that you are wondering why you have waited so long to experience one.