To say the sauna is a foundational element of Finnish society would be an understatement. Some even view it as a holy place and behave as they would in a church. It’s no wonder. More than just a place to feel good, the sweat-inducing heat helps to balance many health concerns including hypertension, fatigue, discomfort, and even certain cravings.
Benefits of Using the Sauna
Many formal studies have set out to determine the health benefits of using a sauna, and the outcomes have been very positive.
Fibromyalgia Symptom Support
The Department of Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine at Japan’s Kagoshima University conducted a study with 44 females who had fibromyalgia symptoms. Three days a week, the participants took part in daily sauna sessions combined with twice-a-week water exercise sessions. Researchers reported that this combination improved the participants’ quality of life and fibromyalgia symptoms.
Promotes Heart Health
Some critics have unduly fingered the sauna as being too stressful on the heart. However, according to Finland’s UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research, responsible sauna use is highly unlikely to cause any cardiac concerns. In fact, research by the Cardiovascular and Prevention Centre at Quebec’s Université de Montréal found that exercise and sauna bathing provided a 24-hour window of symptom improvement for persons with hypertension. One word of caution, however, is advised before participating in the old tradition of jumping from the sauna into the snowbank, as the immediate, extreme cooling can increase the risk of cardiac arrhythmias.
Improves Endurance
A New Zealand study involving distance runners found that sauna bathing increased run time to exhaustion by 32 percent. Additionally, plasma and red-cell volumes increased by 7.1 percent and 3.5 percent, respectively. Researchers concluded that increased blood volume was likely the reason why post-exercise sauna bathing significantly enhanced performance.
Might Reduce Incidence of the Cold
Austria’s University of Vienna designed an experiment to determine if sauna use impacted the incidence of developing the common cold. Over six months, a group of 50 subjects was split into two groups: 25 used the sauna, and 25 did not. At the end of the study, the sauna group experienced much less incidence of the common cold than the control group. Researchers concluded that regular sauna bathing might reduce the incidence of common colds.
Assists Detoxification
Research has repeatedly shown that sweating in a sauna can help detoxify the body of toxic agents such as lactic acid, sodium, and uric acid, which routinely accumulate in the body. Toxins stored in subcutaneous fat are released through perspiration. As these toxins pass through perspiration, those stored at deeper levels of tissue throughout the body will move up and continue to be released through sweat. Circulation increases when you’re in the sauna, and increased blood flow improves blood oxygenation. Enhanced oxygen levels can assist in the dissolution of hidden toxic agents in the blood.
According to the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, sauna bathing is an effective component of purification and cleansing protocols and is very effective for flushing out fat-soluble chemicals and toxins.
Unfortunately, law enforcement officers are often at risk for exposure to harmful substances such as methamphetamine and the toxic chemicals used to create it. This exposure can lead to chronic symptoms that may be disabling. To find new ways to combat this issue, 69 officers participated in a study conducted by the Utah Meth Cops Project. Subjects followed a multi-faceted detoxification program that included exercise, nutrition, and sauna therapy. Following the detoxification routine, significant health improvements were observed. Researchers concluded that sauna and nutritional therapy might improve some symptoms of methamphetamine-related exposure for affected officers.
