Benefit of Using a Sauna

Saunas are small heated rooms with either dry or wet heat depending on personal preference. They often are used to cleanse, soothe and energize the body and burn calories. Saunas should not be used by those with heart or respiratory ailments and women who are pregnant, and elderly people should limit their time in saunas. Drinking alcohol before entering a sauna will counteract the room's effects as alcohol is a depressant.

Burns Calories

• While sitting in a sauna, your blood vessels become more flexible as your metabolism and pulse rate increase. Your "extremities benefit from increased circulation," according to the Columbia University's health services program, Go Ask Alice, much in the same way your body benefits from physical exercise. You can burn as much as 600 calories from sitting in a sauna for half an hour.

Cleansing

• Relaxing in a sauna results in deep cleansing and nourishing of your skin's pores through intense sweating. This can help combat skin problems such as acne, which results when a pore becomes blocked. Heavy sweating also releases toxins from the body through the pores.

Soothes and Energizes

• Many who experience time in a sauna reveal that they feel relaxed and free of worries, thus easing anxiety and feelings of depression. This could in part be due to the relaxation of the muscles that can cause the mind to "follow suit," according to the Go Ask Alice website. Muscles are also warmed which can result in less injury from physical exercise.