Posts Tagged ‘sauna’

Home Sauna| Indoor Sauna

Friday, June 19th, 2009

Nowadays many of us find it difficult to find spare time for attending gyms, saunas and spas to ensure that we are fit and healthy.  This is mainly because of the busy lives we lead and all of us would like to have access to such facilities inside our home. The following reasons make the home sauna beneficial to the mind and body:

•    The heat inside the sauna induces sweat thereby cleaning your body; your skin will become clean and smooth.
•      The cleansing process occurs by inducing thirst and thus, cleansing the inside of your body as well;
•    You tend to lose weight because certain amount of calories is burnt during the cleansing and sweating process.

A sauna is benefit for relieving stress as well and therefore a great asset when you access it in the comfort of your home. Availability of a home sauna provides you all the benefits of a sauna in a short period thereby refreshing and rejuvenating you so you can counter another day’s tough schedule.

In home saunas will be enjoyed by the entire family as well as friends. Often friends organize sauna evenings in order to relieve some stress and catch up with the latest news and gossip. Home saunas come in various sizes and  2 to 6 people can be accommodated in a home sauna, depending upon it’s size.  If you have allotted bigger space you could have a home sauna that can accommodate a larger number of people. ) However, once you have a sauna you will be glad you took the time and spend the money on it as the benefits and enjoyment will be well worth the while.

If you have heart disease/ BP, if you are pregnant and if you take drowsiness causing drugs you should always have somebody accompanying you; otherwise it could be life-threatening. It is dangerous to allow children to either activate sauna or use sauna without the guidance of adults.

In order to access the door from outside ensure that your home sauna doors open outwards; the door should not get locked accidentally and hence avoid providing any automatic locks; providing alarm button will help in case an emergency situation occurs.

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Finnish Traditional Saunas Provide Health Benefits

Thursday, March 19th, 2009

Saunas and steam baths originated in Finland.The traditional Finnish sauna is a very important part of their way of life. Saunas are not a luxury for the Finns, it is something they use everyday.

The sauna culture in Finland is almost well established. In fact every apartment/residence there has well built saunasCultures in every corner of the world have recognized and adopted the sauna.

Cultures from all over the world have caught on and enjoy the benefits of using saunas, although how they are perceived, their customs, and the etiquette involved in using saunas vary greatly. The reason that saunas have become so popular recently is because more and more people are realizing their benefits. Apart from stress reduction and relaxation, people now know the other benefits that saunas provide.

Using a traditional Finnish sauna has a cleansing effect on the body. It is considered as the best natural treatment for the skin. It not only cleanses but also regenerates the activity of the skin from inside out.
In addition, the Finnish sauna provides a great cardiovascular work out.It is also an immune system developer and provides refreshment for the mind.

Basically, the traditional Finnish dry sauna is a hot air bath in warm and very low humid condition. So steam bathers sweat a lot. Many people find that they sweat excessively while bathing. You may find that you have to use a sauna regularly for 2 to 6 weeks to become adapted to it. This sweating will actually help you become habituated to the hot and dry environment of the traditional Finnish dry sauna.

There is usually only dim lighting which lends to providing you with a quiet and relaxing atmosphere. A sauna’s temperature is usually kept between 80 and 110 degrees Celsius.

Some traditional sauna bathers make for themselves what is called a vihta, where they bind fresh birch branches together with their leaves and tie it around themselves and the other bathers in the sauna. Many believe that using the vihta improves circulation and provides a pleasing aromatherapy effect which aids in relaxation.

Although steam bathing is advantages, it is always necessary to take precautions. The hot temperature increases the cardiovascular activity. As a result, people who have heart disease or other heart-related health issues should not use saunas.

In addition, it is advisable for the people with high blood pressure to consult their doctor before they decide to take the dry sauna bath.  A hot dry sauna should also not be used by the elderly, pregnant women, and children.

You should also avoid a sauna after a strenuous work out. Be sure you have given you body enough time to cool down before relaxing in the heat of a sauna bath. So just consider these precautions and you can always enjoy the relaxing sauna bath.

The said benefits of the Finnish home sauna are authentic, emotional and physical. Post sauna experience makes you feel and look better.You will find that your body works more efficiently and, maybe more importantly, a hot sauna will make you feel more relaxed and mentally at ease.

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The Health Benefits of a Home Sauna

Friday, March 6th, 2009

Now you can enjoy the advantages of a home sauna more conveniently than ever. These days, there are many different kinds of portable saunas available. All you have to do is take one home and plug it in.

The home sauna is becoming much more popular these days, and it’s not hard to figure out why. There are many health benefits associated with sauna use. One of these is the acceleration of the heart rate. Therefore, your blood is able to more efficiently move oxygen and nutrients throughout your system.

Your pores respond to the sauna’s heat by opening up and perspiring. This encourages the process of detoxification throughout your body. Toxins are expelled, along with the harmful effects of alcohol and nicotine in your system.

The penetration of heat right into your body can result in fat stores and cellulite being loosened. Many people consider saunas to be beneficial for weight loss. However, the loss is usually only temporary and will quickly be regained once the body’s fluids are restored.

Your skin will also reap some benefits from being exposed to the heat of a sauna. Your accelerated heart rate helps to deliver nutrients essential to your skin’s health. With regular use of a sauna, you will find that your skin has a healthy glow and fewer blemishes.

As the heat of the sauna elevates your internal temperature, your body starts to produce more white blood cells. These help to fight infections and other bacteria. Many people with debilitating diseases experience relief from their symptoms with regular sauna use.

Infrared saunas give you even more health benefits. Instead of heating the air around you in the sauna, infrared light heats your body itself. This means that your respiratory system won’t be adversely affected. The heat won’t enter your lungs when you inhale as is the case with traditional saunas.

Some of these home sauna units are just big enough for one person, while others can accommodate four or more people at a time. They are easy to install anywhere in the home. In fact, some portable saunas can be set up either inside or outside the house.

Infrared saunas use up to 90 percent less energy than a traditional sauna. Another advantage is that they heat up much more quickly. It’s the easiest way to reap the healthy benefits of a sauna in the convenience of your home.

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Sauna Health Benefits - How Using A Sauna Might Improve Your Health

Saturday, February 21st, 2009

Many enthusiasts claim that sauna health benefits include relief from arthritis, headaches, colds, hangovers and many other ailments.

Many claims are true, but there are also many exaggerated claims. Still, there appears to be a good amount of research that proves there are real health benefits you can enjoy from sweating in a sauna.

Sweating & Health

We live in a very sedentary age and many people just don’t sweat enough. That only highlights the importance of taking steam and sauna sweat baths.

Like eating and breathing, sweating is very important for your health. Yes, it’s that important.

Without sweating, your skin pores become clogged up by stuff like artificial environments, antiperspirants, smog, etc.

Many health and wellness professionals agree that heavy sweating in a sauna will help rid your body of harmful material.

I’ve even read that some physicians recommend home saunas to supplement kidney machines because sweating is such an effective detoxifier.

Depending on the individual, about a liter of sweat can be excreted during a 15-minute sauna.

Heat Effects On Various Systems & Organs

Kidneys. During sweating, blood is sent away from your kidneys and toward your body’s surface. This can help unburden your kidneys and help remove toxins through sweating.

Liver. Congestion of blood in your liver is reduced while you take a sauna. This may improve your liver’s detoxification ability.

Cardiovascular System. During a sauna, both your pulse and stroke volume increase. Surface vessels dilate as blood is shunted from your internal organs to the surface.

Repeated sauna use may help decrease elevated blood pressure by enhancing elasticity of your arteries, removing toxins from your kidneys and helping to reduce excessive sympathetic nervous system activity.

Immune System. Heating your body several degrees may increase white blood cell activity and destroy heat sensitive microorganisms.

Nervous System. Using a sauna inhibits your sympathetic nervous system while strengthening your parasympathetic nervous system. This means a sauna has a strong calming effect on your nervous system.

Detoxification - An important sauna health benefit

You’ve probably read that saunas are good for detoxification.

First of all, heating your body several degrees dramatically increases circulation.

According to Dr. Lawrence Wilson, this helps remove toxins from hard to reach places like bones, sinuses, and teeth.

Many forms of bacteria are heat sensitive, so a sauna’s heat can weaken or kill some of them.

Also, cells damaged by toxic metals and chemicals are weaker than healthy cells. Exposure to some intense heat may be a death sentence for those weaker cells.

Sweating

Sweating is a great method for removing toxins.

Many substances eliminated through your kidneys may be eliminated through your skin instead. In this way, sweating helps unburden your kidneys.

In case you’re wondering, sweating from exercise is not the same as sweating in a sauna (or steam room).

First of all, saunas conserve your body’s energy by providing external heat. This leaves more energy for detoxification.

Second, exercise induced sweating activates your sympathetic nervous system. This reduces the activity of your eliminative organs (liver, kidneys, colon).

Parasympathetic Nervous System Enhancement

Stress from any source increases sympathetic nervous system activity.

For the best detoxification results, your body should be as parasympathetic (or relaxed) as possible. Why?

Parasympathetic activity activates your liver, kidneys, and other organs to help eliminate toxins.

Deep Tissue Penetration

Infrared saunas in particular heat tissues from the inside. Some researchers believe this inside-out heating assists with deep tissue detoxification.

Conclusion

I hope this article helped shed more light about the subject of sauna health benefits.

If you have any health conditions, please consult your doctor before using saunas on a regular basis.

Read more about sauna benefits and how to use a sauna

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