I'm surprised sauna's haven't been talked about here yet.
I try to get a session in at least a couple times a week, usually after a workout. I'm fortunate that my gym has a sauna in the change room, so I usually go for a bit after I'm done a workout before a shower.
I am familiar with steam rooms, but they aren't as common as dry saunas, so my experiences are largely based on the latter.
Saunas tend to be at or somewhere close to 100 degrees celsius, or 210 degrees fahrenheit. If you have never been before just know you will sweat more than you ever have before. Your body temperature shoots up as a result of the environment and your body's homeostatic systems go into overdrive to maintain normal temperatures through sweating. For this reason, it causes what I believe are a host of benefits to your body.
Upon a quick search, here are 10 benefits of sauna use. I will highlight in bold the ones I'd like to emphasize:
http://www.saunatec.com/lifestyle/healthwellness.htm
- Relieves Stress
- Relaxes muscles, soothes aches and pains in muscles and joints
- Flushes toxins
- Cleanses skin
- Induces deeper sleep
- Recreational and social benefits
- Improves cardiovascular performance
- Burns calories
- Fights illness
- Feels good
When I'm studying gruelling hours during exam weeks, I try to not miss workouts and I sometimes go out of my way to make it to the sauna. It's a great stress reliever, mainly because it relaxes you greatly.
If I'm sore, it helps with recovery.
My skin feels cleaner. My acne reduces in severity.
And it feels amazing. Couple all the benefits together and it actually makes going to the sauna an experience.
Heart rate also rises in the sauna. Your blood vessels dilate due to the increased body temperature and your cardiac output increases as a result. This means your cardiovascular system is at work, and due to the efforts required by the system due to the extreme temperature, your heart rate can rise to ranges of 130, 140 BPM (similar to jogging).
Just make sure you are hydrated beforehand or hydrate afterwards. Take breaks if necessary. And generally anything above 20-30 minutes isn't recommended unless you know what you're doing.
What are your experiences with saunas?
And if you haven't done so before, you should definitely give it a try.
I try to get a session in at least a couple times a week, usually after a workout. I'm fortunate that my gym has a sauna in the change room, so I usually go for a bit after I'm done a workout before a shower.
I am familiar with steam rooms, but they aren't as common as dry saunas, so my experiences are largely based on the latter.
Saunas tend to be at or somewhere close to 100 degrees celsius, or 210 degrees fahrenheit. If you have never been before just know you will sweat more than you ever have before. Your body temperature shoots up as a result of the environment and your body's homeostatic systems go into overdrive to maintain normal temperatures through sweating. For this reason, it causes what I believe are a host of benefits to your body.
Upon a quick search, here are 10 benefits of sauna use. I will highlight in bold the ones I'd like to emphasize:
http://www.saunatec.com/lifestyle/healthwellness.htm
- Relieves Stress
- Relaxes muscles, soothes aches and pains in muscles and joints
- Flushes toxins
- Cleanses skin
- Induces deeper sleep
- Recreational and social benefits
- Improves cardiovascular performance
- Burns calories
- Fights illness
- Feels good
When I'm studying gruelling hours during exam weeks, I try to not miss workouts and I sometimes go out of my way to make it to the sauna. It's a great stress reliever, mainly because it relaxes you greatly.
If I'm sore, it helps with recovery.
My skin feels cleaner. My acne reduces in severity.
And it feels amazing. Couple all the benefits together and it actually makes going to the sauna an experience.
Heart rate also rises in the sauna. Your blood vessels dilate due to the increased body temperature and your cardiac output increases as a result. This means your cardiovascular system is at work, and due to the efforts required by the system due to the extreme temperature, your heart rate can rise to ranges of 130, 140 BPM (similar to jogging).
Just make sure you are hydrated beforehand or hydrate afterwards. Take breaks if necessary. And generally anything above 20-30 minutes isn't recommended unless you know what you're doing.
What are your experiences with saunas?
And if you haven't done so before, you should definitely give it a try.