Good Morning Baddies,
We hope you all are having a great 2022 so far! Honestly, holy sh!t...how is it almost March. For this blogs topic, we wanted to discuss something that is super beneficial and something we have been recently incorporating into our weekly routine.
THE SAUNA. First off, saunas use dry heat. They are typically heated between 180°F and 195°F and are heated by wood, gas, electric, or infrared technology (using light to create heat).
So what are the health benefits of saunas?
1) Lowers Blood Pressure
People can see improved cardiovascular health from sauna use. Research shows that people who regularly use the sauna (at least four times a week for 20 minutes) have a significantly lower risk of heart attack, stroke, and dementia, says Dr. Parikh.
2) Stress Relief
The heat generated by the sauna will also help to relax muscles and relieve tension throughout the body, allowing you to relax and de-stress. Dr. Wilson writes that research has shown that sweating increases relaxation, which reduces anxiety and the feeling of frustration.
3) Releases Impurities
One major benefit of using the sauna is detoxification. When your body does not sweat enough, it holds onto potentially harmful toxins, chemicals, and impurities that were meant to be eliminated through sweat. Sweat production is primarily designed to cool the body, and is composed of 99% water. However, deep sweating in a sauna can help reduce levels of lead, copper, zinc, nickel, mercury and chemicals - which are all toxins commonly absorbed just from interacting with our daily environments. These impurities may come from the food you eat, the air you breathe, the liquids you drink, and anything else you may ingest. Making sure that your body can eliminate these toxins correctly is one of the best ways to stay healthy and support your immune system. A 20-minute session in a sauna allows your body to flush these impurities out so your immune system has less to fight off.
4) Cleanses Skin
Heat bathing/soaking is one of the oldest beauty and/or health strategies in terms of cleansing skin. When the body begins to produce sweat via deep sweating, the skin is then cleansed and dead skin cells are replaced. This helps keep your skin in a healthy and positive working condition. Sweating wipes bacteria out of the epidermal layer. Cleansing of the pores has been shown to improve the capillary circulation, while giving the skin a softer-looking quality.
5) Increases Deep Sleep
Research has shown that a deeper, more relaxed sleep can result from regular sauna use. In addition to the release of endorphins, body temperatures that become elevated in the late evening, fall at bedtime. This slow and relaxing decline in endorphins is key in facilitating sleep.
6) Increases Production of White Blood Cells
The heat generated by a sauna stimulates energy at a cellular level which increases the body’s production of white blood cells. These cells form a component of your blood and act as your immune system’s first line of defense when an infection hits. When a harmful substance enters your body, white blood cells detect it and control the immune system’s response. Clearly, these cells are critical when it comes to the functionality of our immune system. An increased production of white blood cells, as stimulated by sauna use, can help the body to more effectively fight off illnesses.
A baddie tip: Bring a bottle of ice water to stay hydrated, a towel, and some lip balm for the perfect sauna session 💦
So as you can see sitting in the sauna has a variety of benefits that can help you in many ways. It can help deduce stress and anxiety, help lower your blood pressure and risk of stroke and/or heart attack, helps you sleep better at night, helps your immune system stay stronger, releases toxic impurities, and cleanses your skin. To reap these benefits it is recommended to use the sauna 4 times a week for 15-20 minutes. Let us know if you start incorporating the sauna in your weekly routine.
We hope you have an amazing start of Spring!