Sauna Health - Medical Fitness & Suitability

Heat exposure through sauna bathing causes short term stress to the body that triggers various protective processes. These small manageable controlled bursts of stress stimulate cellular processes that enhance overall health, slow ageing, and make you more resilient to future stress; this process is called hormesis.   Sauna bathing is a natural way to reduce stress promoting a relaxation response in the body, muscles relax in the heat, circulation is improved and the release of endorphins is stimulated causing an after-sauna glow. The biggest sauna benefits revealed in certain studies have shown that regular sauna bathing may even lengthen lifespan.

The heat from Sauna bathing helps relax muscles and eliminate lactic acid that builds up during sport and exercise. One of the sauna benefits is improved circulation, the heat promotes the release of endorphins and causes blood vessels to dilate which increases blood circulation and speeds up the healing process.  Endorphins have a mild numbing effect and can reduce aches, pain and muscle soreness.  Sauna bathing stimulates circulation and the increased flow of oxygen-rich blood promotes healing and helps to reduce inflammation and swelling alleviating chronic pain, promoting performance and recovery.

The heat from Sauna bathing will cause blood vessels to dilate (widen) which causes an increase in heart rate similar to what you may experience during aerobic exercise, this increases the amount of blood it pumps per minute. In a way sauna bathing tricks your body into thinking it's working out, regular sauna bathing has been shown to reduce high blood pressure and keep it stable.

Sauna bathing has been shown to improve respiratory health, the heat promotes bronchodilation, where the airways widen and the lungs relax, also inflammation can be reduced.  Speak to your doctor to see if regular sauna bathing could help improve your condition, such as COPD or asthma.  Regular sauna bathing, especially in the winter months can also help keep seasonal colds or pneumonia at bay, if you feel like you might be coming down with a cold, hop in a sauna to help ward it off.

Sauna bathing and the body's response to heat stress has been linked to improving symptoms of depression. An improvement in positive thinking, sense of well-being & feelings of happiness are some of the sauna benefits experienced when your body releases endorphins through heat exposure during sauna bathing.

Deep sweating from sauna bathing cleanses the skin, drawing out bacteria from the epidermal layer and sweat ducts, clearing pores and improving capillary circulation leading to clearer looking and softer skin.  Another sauna health benefit is great looking hair, heat activates the sebaceous gland in the scalp improving hair condition.

The intense sweating achieved in a sauna can reduce levels of toxins in the body. A number of toxins can be removed when we sweat heavily, sauna bathing can reduce levels of lead, copper, zinc, nickel and mercury found in the body; or the toxins found in alcohol. Regular Detox is highly recommended by medical professionals, sauna bathing is one of the easiest ways to do this and it's fun too.

It takes a lot of energy to reach the deep sweat process – burning calories.   Combined with exercise, sauna bathing can help with weight loss. Increasing your body temperature increases your cardiac output and heart rate meaning your body is working harder, this results in quicker metabolism and calorie burning. This sauna benefit is most effective with multiple intervals of heat exposure and cooling.

Regular sauna bathing is thought to enhance immune function by altering the body’s level of immune cells.  Reducing inflammation is thought to be one of the main reasons your immune system gets a boost.  It's often believed that regular sauna bathing especially during the winter months can help protect you from common colds. 

Sauna bathing can help you achieve a more relaxing sleep. There is a relationship between elevated body temperature achieved through sauna bathing and better sleep quality due to the release of serotonin and endorphins, which relax and prepare the body for sleep.

Sauna bathing has been shown to help improve attention, it can help boost the hormone norepinephrine (noradrenaline) which can help increase attention, focus, memory recall, and help you manage your emotions.   

There have been studies which show the sauna health benefits from regular bathing help lower the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease.