The
principle behind a sauna’s therapeutic benefits is based on the belief
that our mothers held when treating our fevers in the past.
Many of them wrapped us in thick blankets to induce heavy sweating
and to release the toxins from the body, helping us to feel much better
right after the unconventional practice.
When one sits in a sauna, the body is tricked
into thinking that it is experiencing a fever, speeding
up the production of white blood cells.
What happens to your body when you’re in a sauna?
The skin temperature is increased by about 3 degrees Centigrade,
simulating a fever and possibly killing bacteria, viruses, and toxins
inside the body.
During your time inside a sauna, you will be breaking out into a sweat.
As this happens, your body will require a larger amount of oxygen.
This sets off a chain of events, such as creating a demand for
the lungs to work harder and thus expel more toxins. Other
organs react similarly, that is, working overtime and squeezing out
more poisonous substances through sweat.
A good side effect is that the skin, which is incidentally
the
body’s largest organ – also gets a tune up as we perspire. Just as an
automobile becomes less efficient when not in use, so too will our skin.
Your heart rate increases even as you’re only sitting down, and your
circulation improves as well.
Lactic acid, formed during workouts, is also expelled during a sauna
session.
This is why it’s advisable to have a sauna treatment after
a heavy workout – but only after an adequate rest period
and a cold shower.
It is also said that a sauna treatment aids in the production of
interferon in your body.
This is a protein which is known for its anticarcinogenic properties.
Did you know that in Europe, clients are made to have a sauna session
prior to a body massage at spas?
This is because a sauna treatment prepares the body muscles by
loosening and relaxing them, making them more receptive to kneading and
massaging.
In the U.S., on the other hand, the sequence is reversed.
The massage is normally administered first, followed by a sauna
treatment to eliminate the toxins that have been freed with the massage
treatment.
“Can
I Lose Weight With A Sauna Treatment?”
First, a sauna or a steam bath is not a recommended method
for weight
loss. If it were, we’d probably see less people in the gym and more in
saunas.
Most, if not all, individuals want a loss of body fat, but the fact is
that water is primarily what’s lost during a sauna
session.
You become extremely thirsty after coming out of the steam room because
of the fluid loss through perspiration.
When you take water after the session, whatever weight you
lost will be regained.
When you take a high-calorie drink instead of water, however, you
may even end up gaining fat because of that drink’s caloric content.
This shows you that the weight loss after a sauna treatment is
merely a temporary loss.
Saunas are more beneficial in detoxifying the body
than in losing weight.
It is also great for giving the cardiovascular system a workout and for
improving blood circulation.
However, you can only stay in the sauna room for so long as there is
danger of dehydration and of overstraining the heart.
New technologies are being introduced to enable you to enjoy a sauna
for longer than 20 minutes, such as the infrared sauna.
Here,
the heat is able to reach into the body much deeper and you
can thus get a good cleansing sweat at only 120 degrees, as opposed to
traditional saunas where a temperature of 180 degrees has to be reached
before results can be seen.
