SHARES
“I find sauna very relaxing. More importantly, I feel healthy. It feels good sweating myself out especially when the weather is cold. My favourite routine includes a warm bath and a little swim right after a session to warm down my body. Finally, the best part is to hydrate myself with a refreshing cup of fruit juice!” Anna loves the feeling of her heart pumping fast in a sauna.
What is Sauna?
In the cold temperate parts of the world, it is common practice to build small room that traps a lot of heat. It becomes a simple luxury in life to enjoy a sweaty experience in a highly heated room. In fact, in Finland, almost everyone has a traditional sauna at home. Usually, they would heat up piles of stones and bring up the room temperature to 75 to 110 degree Celsius! However, there is no worry of hot steam scalding their skin because the weather is very dry. They would even pour water onto the hot stones to enjoy a little steam! In modern days, this becomes the basis for dry sauna.
Nowadays, there are countless types that use different technology to produce heat. For wet sauna, usually temperature is kept lower at about 40 degree Celsius but with lots of steam (about 80~100% humidity). Nowadays, medical researchers are paying attention to this old practice, particularly dry sauna, as they uncover is the numerous health benefits derived from it!
Photo by Meridian Fitness on Flickr
Health Benefits of Saunas
1. Reduces Your Risk for High Blood Pressure
Studies are showing that 30 minutes of sauna can readily reduce your blood pressure. People who have frequent saunas are less likely (~47%) to get high blood pressure too. Moreover, frequent sauna can also improve your blood lipid profiles.
2. Good for Your Heart!
During sauna, your heart will pump fast to dissipate the body heat. This is similar to the effect of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercises. In this context, 20 minutes of dry sauna about 2-3 times per week, can decrease your risk for heart attack. On top of that, do keep up with your muscle strengthening exercises as well as healthy living and eating habits to keep your heart pumping strong!
3. Frequent Saunas for Healthy Brain
According to Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease study, people who had 4-7 sessions of sauna per week are less likely to develop dementia (about 66% less) and Alzheimer disease (~65% less). In addition, your risk for stroke is also lowered by having frequent sauna.
Photo by Thomas P. Rothlisberger from Flickr
Are Saunas Safe?
Most studies found that dry sauna (80-100 degree Celsius at 10-20% relative humidity) for 5-20 minutes, 2-3 times per week is safe and healthy. However, health benefits from other type are yet to be confirmed. Similarly, more studies are needed to confirm the optimal frequency and duration too.
Caution! Be aware of these risks. Remember to hydrate yourself sufficiently before and after sauna as you are likely to sweat a lot during the session. On top of that, give your body enough time to warm down after that. Do not get into cold bath or swimming pond immediately afterwards.This rapid temperature change can trigger irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and affect blood flow. This can be life threatening especially for people with uncontrolled high blood pressure and heart problem.
Besides, for pregnant woman, observing the safety limit is important. In a dry sauna of 70 degree Celsius at 15% relative humidity, take no more than 20 minutes. This is because a body temperature of 39 degree Celsius and above may potentially harm the baby. Also, pregnant woman are more prone to fainting during first trimester due to the already widened blood vessels, which is an effect of high hormone level during pregnancy.
Photo by World Class from Flickr
Conclusion
Dry sauna has various health benefits such as lower risk for heart attack, stroke, dementia and Alzheimer disease. Keep up with strengthening exercises and healthy eating habits because they maintain your health and well-being as a whole. Also, remember to warm down your body after each session and to hydrate sufficiently. Last but not least, enjoy your sauna!
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References
- Hussain J, Cohen M. Clinical effects of regular dry sauna bathing: a systematic review. Evid Based Complement Alternat. Med. 2018;2018:1857413.
- MacReady N. Saunas linked to numerous health benefits [Medscape]. WebMD LLC. 2020. [Available from: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/900044#vp_2; last updated on 2018 Jul 31; last accessed on 2020 Jan 11]
by Chang Xian
View all articles by Chang Xian.
