Know the Risks and Benefits of Sauna 

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The sauna regime comes with multifaceted benefits, including psychological and physical. You will experience the benefits after you start taking a sauna for few times a week for three consecutive months. Initially, start the sauna for ten to fifteen minutes, then gradually increase the time frame according to your comfort level. But while in sauna sessions, some precautions need to be followed, applicable to both traditional and infrared saunas. Keep your body hydrated as you elect profuse sweating by drinking adequate water before and after the sauna. If you feel uneasy in the sauna, leave immediately and drink water. If the trauma continues, consult a doctor.

Enhance Cardiovascular Activity

With precautionary measures, you can get multiple benefits from the sauna. It not only detoxifies the body but also helps you to attain the fitness goal sooner. A study conducted in 2021 reveals it can promote muscle mass and extend lifespan with vigor and fitness. Sauna may enhance cardiovascular activity and lower resting heartbeat over time. The radiant heat progressively increases both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. But after the sauna session, both HR and BP decreased considerably compared to baseline. The sweating mechanism is different in the sauna compared to workouts. In the sauna, there is no muscle exercise, so it is not a standalone fitness regime. Click here to learn more.

Improve Skin Health

The sauna can drastically improve skin health. The effect varies on skin type. The sweating sheds off dead cells and promotes collagen production, and the humidity brings back moisture to dry skin. The sweat cleans the skin pores giving a glowing look, but people suffering from skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis are recommended not to sauna as it can aggravate the episode. If you have a chronic skin condition, consult a dermatologist before taking the sauna. As public saunas are moist, those places can be breeding grounds for bacteria and molds.

Unwind 

The sauna is a great place to unwind, especially after a hard day in the evening. But whenever you enter a sauna, it is necessary to keep yourself hydrated and restrain from alcohol. The heat generated from Epsom salt bath is believed to have a therapeutic property to relieve muscle pain and aches. It is assumed dry saunas have the same effect of relieving pain and soreness. Try a few sessions in the sauna to observe if it gives relief to muscle and lower back pain, and if it does, make it a staple routine.

Potential Risks 

But sauna can have side effects if you are doing it too often or in the wrong sauna place. As you profuse sweat in the sauna, there is a potential chance of dehydration, so do not consume alcohol prior to the sauna. The Thumb rule is to drink twenty ounces or more water an hour and continue sipping water before a sauna session. If you feel dizzy in the sauna, that implies getting out of the place to breathe fresh air. Some may experience low blood pressure and airway irritation during a sauna session. A study shows some males may reduce sperm count during a sauna session, though the effect subsides quickly. If you have heart and blood pressure issues, keep the sauna session short and restricted to twenty minutes. To learn more about the benefits and side effects of a sauna, log on. 

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