Sauna- promotes physical and mental health
It has long been known that sauna sessions promote health. Not for nothing do the Finns, but also the Swiss and many other nations swear by the positive effects of the sauna. The following article summarises all the facts about the benefits for physical and mental health. Every single one of them a reason for regular sauna sessions for body, mind and soul.
Important: If you have an existing heart condition, you should always seek advice from your doctor before using the sauna for the first time. It may be that a lower temperature, such as in the bio or steam sauna, is more suitable for you.
Cardiovascular system
It is believed that sauna bathing can reduce the risk of vascular diseases. High blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, angina pectoris, heart attacks and sudden cardiac death are said to be preventable. The positive effect of regular sauna bathing at high ambient temperatures (80 °C to 100 °C) influences cardiovascular function, keeps the vessels elastic and can have a lowering effect on blood pressure. In concrete terms, it could be shown that the systolic and diastolic blood pressure of study participants was measurably reduced after a 30-minute sauna bath. The mean carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) also decreased.
The results show that regular sauna baths can be used as a supplement or in combination with exercise to improve high blood pressure. Those who go to the sauna at least four times a week can even maximise the effect. Men in the study had up to 47 % lower risk of developing high blood pressure in the coming years.
Important: If you have an existing heart condition, you should always consult your doctor before using the sauna for the first time. It may be that a lower temperature, such as in a bio or steam sauna, is more suitable for you.
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Relaxation and stress reduction
A high stress level makes people ill in the long run. Those who are not stressed or ensure regular relaxation phases therefore clearly live healthier lives. A low stress level lowers blood pressure, ensures mental health and general relaxation of body and mind. Statistically, people who are less stressed are less likely to fall ill and often look younger. -
Lung function
There is evidence that regular sauna use can improve lung function. This concerns ventilation, general lung vitality and volume. In studies, a slight improvement in lung function was observed in people affected by obstructive lung disease, including asthma or chronic bronchitis. In addition, the number of colds was halved in study participants who regularly went to the sauna. Overall, a reduction in the risk of respiratory diseases can be observed. -
Chronic headaches
Those who regularly suffer from headaches also benefit from the sauna. Due to the improved blood circulation in the neck and head muscles and the general relaxing effect of the sauna, chronic tension-type headaches were significantly reduced in one study. -
Dementia and Alzheimer's disease
Study participants who went to the sauna three times a week had a halved risk of developing dementia. This was not evident in participants who did not go to the sauna at all or only very rarely. This positive effect weakened further with increasing age, but was still detectable after 40 years of observation. -
Further positive effects
Other effects of regular sauna sessions were positive effects on various diseases of the muscles and bones, for example rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia or osteoarthritis. There are also assumptions that sauna bathing helps to alleviate mild depression. In general, better fitness and vitality, but also the reduction of too high cholesterol levels (total cholesterol, lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides) as well as a reduction of inflammation markers in the blood picture could be observed.
Conclusion
Regular sauna sessions are not only wonderfully beneficial, but also do something for physical and mental health. Even people with pre-existing cardiovascular diseases can benefit from regular saunas, according to studies, and use them as a complement to other therapeutic options.
