There have been some suggestions from different camps that sauna benefits—particularly health benefits—have been exaggerated or overstated from time to time. But don’t underestimate the health benefits you can gain through regular sauna use. Originating in Finland, saunas have been valued for centuries for a variety of wellness benefits, and numerous studies over the years have confirmed these benefits. The regular use of a sauna is a natural way to improve your health in a variety of ways without medication. What are some of these benefits? Let’s go over just a few of them here.

HEART AND CIRCULATORY BENEFITS

The warming of the skin and promoting of perspiration offer a number of benefits to the heart and circulatory system. Warming the skin cells encourages oxygenation and causes the dilation of the blood vessels, encouraging increased blood flow and heart rate (not dissimilar to a cardio workout, but obviously with a lower impact). Over time, this can result in lowered blood pressure and healthier blood flow overall.

While some have questioned sauna benefits regarding weight loss, it is scientific fact that perspiration and increased heart rate cause an increase in the burning of calories. Relaxing in a sauna obviously promotes both.

Perspiration is the body’s natural way of releasing harmful toxins from the tissues of the body, so regular sauna use offers a natural way of detoxifying. Infrared saunas can enhance this benefit because infrared rays penetrate deeper into the skin where more toxins can be released from the tissues and disposed of by the body. (More on infrared saunas momentarily.)

Sauna use promotes the release of endorphins, which are natural chemicals produced by the body to help relieve pain. Sauna users regularly experience relief from joint and muscle pain, as well as deeper sleep at night due to endorphin release.

At this point it’s worth mentioning that while you can gain all these benefits through the use of traditional saunas, it has been shown that infrared saunas can enhance these benefits significantly. We’ve already mentioned that infrared saunas can increase detoxification benefits, but since infrared saunas are based on warming the skin rather than the air, the deeper heating of the tissues can promote even greater weight loss, pain relief and heart health as well. The air in infrared saunas does not get as warm as that of the traditional variety, so infrared saunas may take a little getting used to if you are a regular sauna user. However, many find it to be a more relaxed experience, and the sauna benefits can be enhanced through the use of infrared technology.