The 6 Best Sauna Health Benefits To Support Your Well-Being

Have you been thinking about investing in a sauna, but want to know more about how they can support a healthy life before making the leap?

Saunas come in many shapes, sizes, and styles.

From infrared to traditional saunas, or the modern infrasauna combining both, there are ample sauna health benefits you can experience each time you settle in for a cozy session.

In this article, we’re going to share with you how saunas work to support your body, explore some of the most common sauna health benefits, and highlight some tips to take your sessions even further.

How Do Saunas Work?

No matter what type of sauna you’re relaxing in, they all have the same purpose: to raise your core temperature and induce sweating.

Traditional saunas do this via heated air and humidity, creating an atmosphere that will quickly lead to you sweating.

Infrared saunas, on the other hand, use specific wavelengths of light to heat your core directly, resulting in a comfortable dry heat that will slowly induce sweating.

Sweat is your body’s natural way of cooling itself, so every session in your sauna can help improve your temperature regulation while also supporting a range of other factors of your health.

Top 6 Emotional And Physical Sauna Health Benefits

No matter what sauna you’re settling into, the health benefits you can experience remain the same.

However, some promote additional effects based on their features, such as LED lights that make it possible to include light therapy in your session as well.

Here are six of the most common sauna health benefits you can experience from every style of sauna.

1. Supported Immune System

This is easily one of the most exciting health benefits, especially if you have young children who are constantly bringing home colds from school.

The heat your body experiences while you relax in a sauna can result in an increase in white blood cells, your body’s first line of defense against viruses.

This has a positive effect on your immune system and can increase your ability to combat the common cold.

Furthermore, as you sweat, your body is flushing out harmful toxins.

These toxins generally come from simply being exposed to the world day to day, such as from common pollution and car fumes.

Sitting in a sauna helps your body sweat out these toxins, which can result in supporting and strengthening your immune system over time.

2. A Healthier Heart

Various studies have shown that regular sauna bathing can have a positive effect on your heart, improving overall cardiovascular function.

In fact, regular sauna sessions have been linked to a reduced risk of stroke, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

As you enjoy a quiet moment in the heat, your heart rate will begin to climb, and your blood vessels will expand, improving your circulation.

Over time, this helps your heart become stronger and healthier because of the added work it’s having to do each time you step into the heat.

3. Pain Relief

Chronic pain has increased over the years, with over 50 million Americans reporting being plagued with it.

This kind of pain can negatively affect your quality of life, making it nearly impossible to do the things you once loved.

Unfortunately, this isn’t an uncommon result and has led many people in search of natural ways to relieve their pain and help them get back to enjoying daily life.

Spending just 20 minutes in a sauna can help improve chronic pain by increasing circulation and reducing inflammation in your body.

Additionally, the heat can help relax your muscles, improving mobility and reducing stiffness.

This gives your body the time it needs to relax and release the tension that may be one of the causes of your pain.

4. Better Muscle Recovery

It’s been shown that the heat your body experiences in a sauna can have a positive effect on your muscles post-workout.

One of the largest influential factors of this is the increase in your circulation because it promotes healing by directing oxygen-rich blood through your body and targeting the muscles that need support the most.

Additionally, the reduction in inflammation also helps improve recovery and reduces the overall stiffness you may experience after a difficult workout.

5. Improved Stress Levels

Saunas provide the perfect environment to disconnect from the world and give yourself permission to focus solely on yourself.

While the gentle heat wraps you in a blanket of warmth, you may quickly discover your body relaxing and your racing thoughts beginning to quiet.

If you live a high-stress lifestyle, including a quick sauna session at the end of each day to enhance your self-care routine can help support your emotional health just as much as it does your physical.

Better yet, the heat from a sauna promotes the release of endorphins in your body, those feel-good hormones that leave you feeling comforted and safe.

6. Relaxation

Possibly the most obvious sauna health benefit is its ability to promote relaxation throughout your entire body, resulting in the powerful changes to your emotional and physical health listed above.

Whether it’s through the quiet escape from the world, the toasty heat, or the simple act of giving back to yourself, saunas are the ultimate relaxation tool.

Tips For Using A Sauna

There’s more to using a sauna than simply turning it on and stepping inside.

Keep reading for some great tips for getting the most out of your daily sauna.

Additionally, if you want to take your sauna health benefits even further, there are optional steps you can take to transform each session to meet your fluctuating needs.

Essential Steps To Follow

Whether you’re a beginner or a long-time bather, there are some essential steps you’ll need to follow to ensure that your sauna session is as safe as it is relaxing.

While some of these steps are directed toward all sauna users, others are specific to beginners.

Take It Slow

If you’re only just beginning your sauna journey, you’ll want to take it slow.

Slowly introducing your body to the high temperatures of the sauna will give your body time to become accustomed to the extreme heat and the changes it causes in your body.

For the first few weeks, keep your sessions short, aiming for five to ten minutes at a time, working up to 20 to 25-minute sessions.

If the sudden change in heat is too much to handle all at once, you can also sit inside your sauna as the temperature rises.

This will slowly increase your body temperature and help you respond more favorably to the temperature of the sauna.

Don’t Forget To Hydrate

No matter how many times you’ve used a sauna, keeping your body hydrated both before and after is key.

This ensures your body won’t become dehydrated as you sweat, keeping you from feeling light-headed, dizzy, or nauseous.

If you suddenly find yourself experiencing any of these feelings, leave the sauna immediately and rehydrate while sitting down.

Wear Light Clothing

While in your sauna, you’ll want to ensure you’re not wearing any tight or restrictive clothing.

Try to aim for loose-fitting clothing made from natural fibers, like cotton.

This gives your skin room to breathe as it works to combat the sudden rise in body temperature and provide the most comfortable experience.

One of the best options is a cotton towel or robe, but many others enjoy wearing shorts and a baggy t-shirt during their sessions.

Allow Time To Cool Down

Giving your body time to cool down after your session is an important part of the process.

Trying to go about your day right after exposing your body to such an extreme temperature change isn’t a good idea, so ensure you account for extra time after your session to relax.

Once you leave the sauna, choose a comfortable place to sit, and rehydrate as your body temperature returns to normal.

How To Enhance Your Session

While the sauna health benefits above are amazing on their own, there are ways you can enhance them even further.

Try Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is a popular tool used by many, and including it in a sauna can help improve the relaxation benefits you’ll experience.

Adding some lavender oil to your wrists or eucalyptus leaves not only makes the room smell divine but also helps promote relaxation, as well as pain relief.

Add Some Blue Or Purple Lights

Both blue and purple lights are known to combat stress and anxiety and are the perfect addition to your sauna.

Some saunas include LED lights, making it easy to add the benefits of light therapy to your session, but if yours doesn’t, you can find LEDs that are safe for saunas and use those instead.

Listen To Music

Music can have a powerful effect on your emotions.

Try pairing your sauna session with a playlist that promotes the emotional response you’re hoping to experience while in your sauna, such as relaxation or mental clarity.

Saunas For Sale In Charlotte And Greensboro, NC

If you’re ready to bring your self-care routine to the next level, adding a sauna to your home is the way to go!

At Everything Billiards & Spas, our team of experts can help you find the perfect sauna for your lifestyle.

Offering both indoor and outdoor saunas, we carry a wide selection, including infrared saunas, traditional saunas, and infrasaunas.

Better yet, we also provide custom-cut saunas, giving you full control over your sauna style, size, and shape.

Our showrooms in Greensboro, Winston Salem, Huntersville, and Charlotte are stocked and ready for you to explore.

Contact us, or visit your local showroom to get started!