All About Sauna

Being used for a long period of time, saunas are known to be popular and helpful for human’s health. Spending time on saunas brings about not only relaxation but also many other health benefits. If you have never tried sauna or have curiosities about its advantages, this article is for you.

What is a sauna?

The Finnish came up with sauna many years ago when pouring water over heated rocks in an enclosed room to produce very hot and dry heat. The typical sauna’s temperature ranges from 70 to 100 celsius degrees and its humidity often falls between 10 and 20 percent. In today’s modern society, there are a variety versions of saunas around the world. The skin temperature when taking sauna can be raised up to 40 celsius degrees, which causes the heavy sweating.

Health benefits of using sauna

The health effects of different types of sauna are the same regardless of the temperature and the humidity level. Some of the general health advantages that sauna brings to you include:

Sauna may help lower the risk of death related cardiovascular disease. When using a sauna, your heart rate may reach 150 beats per minute, pumping more blood to other parts of the body. The increased circulation brings in the same effects on the cardiovascular system as moderate exercise does. Moreover, lowering stress levels while taking sauna may also contribute to the reduction of the cardiovascular diseases. A study in Finland conducted on more than 2300 men aged 42 to 60 over a 20-year period of time about effects of sauna showed the positive impact. Participants taking sauna twice or three times a week had 22% lower risk of sudden cardiac death compared to those who only took it once a week. For those taking sauna more frequently, the result is greater. Therefore, there is a link between increased sauna using and decreased risk of fatal heart disease.

Types of sauna

The types of sauna vary according to the way people heat the room. They include some of the following versions:

Wood burning. This type of sauna uses wood to heat the room and the rocks. Wood burning saunas have low level of humidity and high level of temperature.

Electrically heated. This type has the same index of humidity and temperature as wood burning ones. To heat the room, an electrical heater attached to the floor is used.

Infrared room. This type of sauna is totally different when using light waves only to heat the body, not the room. The temperature in the room is lower than other types, usually 60-celsius degree.

Steam room. Steam rooms don’t use dry heat. High humidity and moist heat are the two key factors of this type.

Although sauna has been proven as a safe therapy for almost people, it is advisable to take precautions to avoid the unexpected situations. Before entering any sauna, you should avoid alcohol consumption. Staying hydrated and controlling the sauna time are also important. People with illnesses should wait until getting fully recovered. Pregnant women or people with certain health condition should ask for a consultation with their healthcare providers before sauna.