Health Benefits of a Dry Sauna

For centuries, saunas of all kinds have been used in different cultures because of the health benefits they offer. Perhaps the most popular is the Finnish sauna, created and used by the people of Finland for over 1,000 years. In today's modern world, you can find dry saunas in most gyms and spas in every city ,while many people have chosen to purchase them for their own homes for convenience and more frequent use.

Function

• A sauna is simply an enclosed room that is heated with an electric heater, woodstove, or infrared heater. The temperature can be made more intense by adding steam, or it can be left dry; this varies depending on the user's preference.

Detoxification

• The high temperature a dry sauna produces opens the pores, allowing toxins to leave the body as the bather begins to sweat. These toxins include lead, mercury and cholesterol.

Fat Loss

• Once you enter the sauna, the increased temperature makes the heart work harder to send more blood through the capillaries. The energy needed for this to occur burns more calories, which results in the loss of fat.

Kills Viruses

• The high temperatures in the dry sauna create a fever reaction, which kills dangerous bacteria in the body. It also increases the number of leukocytes in the blood, ultimately resulting in a stronger immune system.

Pain Relief

• Dry saunas stimulate vasodilation of peripheral blood vessels. This relieves pain caused by arthritis and bursitis and speeds the healing process of sprains and pulled muscles.

Considerations

• To achieve the maximum health benefits of a dry sauna, you should use it regularly for a period of 10 to 20 minutes, and then rest outside of the sauna for that same period before re-entering. It is also important to drink plenty of water before, during and after use to avoid becoming dehydrated.

Fun Fact

• Saunas are so popular in Finland, where there is an approximate population of 5 million people, that they have 700,000 saunas, which is one sauna for every seven people.