Health Benefits of Saunas
Saunas, rooms where the temperature is set at approximately 70 degrees to 100 degrees Celsius (158 degrees to 212 degrees Fahrenheit), have been in use for at least 3,000 years. They're extremely popular in Finland, where about 1 in 3 people uses a sauna.
Health benefits of saunas may include:
Decreased Muscle Soreness
Decreased Arthritis Pain
Improved Joint Mobility
Improved Asthma Symptoms
Decreased Stress
Lower Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Lower Blood Pressure
Greater Exercise Tolerance
Relief of Chronic Fatigue
Relief of Chronic Pain
Possible Reduced Risk of Alzheimer's Disease
Increased Heart Rate
As MaryAnn de Pietro writes on the website Health News Today, sitting in a sauna causes the heart rate to increase. This increased pressure on the blood vessels causes them to expand in the same way that cardiovascular exercise causes the blood vessels to expand. Effects of this blood vessel expansion can include decreased muscle soreness, decreased arthritis pain, and improved joint mobility.
Asthma Symptoms
People who suffer from asthma may experience relief of their symptoms. Specifically, saunas can help loosen phlegm and open airways.
Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Events
One of the main effects of sauna use is decreased stress. De Pietro writes of a study in Finland suggesting that Finns who use sauna may be at lower risk for cardiovascular disease than their peers who don't use saunas. Using a sauna 2-3 times per week was linked with a 22% decrease in likelihood of having a fatal cardiovascular event. Those Finns who used their saunas 4-7 times per week had an even more dramatically decreased risk of death from cardiovascular disease, a lowering of 63%.
De Pietro points out that scientists can only point to a correlation between sauna use and cardiovascular disease, not necessarily that sauna use causes the lower rates of fatal cardiac events. More research is still need into the relationship between Finnish lifestyle factors and the chance of having heart disease.
Far-Infrared Saunas
Although the immediate effect of sauna use is an increase in blood pressure, it appears that sauna use may lead to lower blood pressure in the long term. Far-infrared saunas (abbreviated as FIRS) in particular may offer benefits for people with congestive heart failure and other forms of cardiovascular disease. The use of FIRS has also been associated with greater exercise tolerance and reductions in chronic fatigue and chronic pain.
Alzheimer's Disease Risk
In addition, using a sauna may help reduce one's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. According to de Pietro, a 2016 study done in Finland showed that those who used a sauna at least twice per week had a 20% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than their peers who didn't use saunas. Again, further research is needed to confirm the link between Alzheimer's disease risk reduction and sauna use.
Cautions
Those who've had cardiovascular health issues in the past should talk to a health care provider before using a sauna. Switching between a hot sauna and a cold-water swimming pool is not recommended because of a risk of high blood pressure. It is also important to stay hydrated when using a sauna, since water and electrolytes are lost through sweat when one uses a sauna.
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