You may have heard that entering a hot sauna after a workout can be both relaxing and detoxifying for your body.
Saunas have been used by Scandinavians for hundreds of years for their purported benefits of cleansing, relaxation, and weight loss. Sauna use begins in childhood in Scandinavian countries.
However, the current research on the benefits of saunas is conflicting. If you’re thinking about incorporating a sauna into your health and wellness routine, make sure to first assess your specific health needs.
According to Healthline, when you step into a sauna, your skin temperature rises, your pulse rate increases, and your blood vessels dilate. This occurs as your heart starts to pump more blood. Of course, you start sweating.
Here are a few benefits of sauna bathing:
Relaxation
Saunas have traditionally been used to induce relaxation. Blood flow to the skin increases as your heart rate rises and your blood vessels dilate. Saunas can also help with blood circulation.
In order to maintain body temperature balance, your sympathetic nervous system becomes more active. This response begins to involve your endocrine glands.
Pain relief
People who use a sauna may feel energized. Because the blood vessels relax and dilate in a sauna, blood flow increases, and the experience can help relieve joint tension and sore muscles.
An older 2008 study found that sauna sessions improved pain, stiffness, and fatigue in people with chronic musculoskeletal diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis over the course of 4 weeks.
Written by Ncumisa Lerato Kunana.
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