Most people take a sauna after a workout just to relax the muscles, but expert users report a host of other benefits including reduced blood pressure, strengthened immune systems and lower stress. However, the sauna experience is not for everyone, and safety should be the primary consideration if you are considering a sauna regimen.
History
The earliest saunas were developed in Finland primarily to combat the bitterly cold winters. Early incarnations were little more than pits dug into hillsides. The Fins warmed the enclaves by heating rocks with wood-burning fires for up to eight hours, and then released the smoke before entering. A properly heated pit-sauna could provide up to 12 hours of heat.
Advances in building techniques led to above-ground wooden structures that operated on the same principal. The industrial revolution ushered in the use of metal fireboxes with chimneys, but the structures still remained detached from the house to be close to natural water supplies like a nearby creek or pond. These saunas were often the cleanest room on the property, so Finnish women often gave birth in them. Saunas are still a part of many modern Finns' daily lives.
Benefits
Saunas are a place to clear the mind and stimulate circulation to the skin. The Finnish technique of using birch branches to lightly beat the skin to clear dead cells and open the pores is still in use today in traditional spas.
The medical establishment maintains that careful use of saunas for those without certain risk factors is a safe and effective way to relieve muscle tension, especially around arthritic joints. However, saunas are not an effective means of weight loss, nor do they rid the body of toxins as many proponents argue, according to the University of Alabama Birmingham Medical Center.
Contraindications
Saunas are not recommended for people over 65, especially those with heart conditions or high blood pressure. People of any age taking medication should seek a doctor's advice before using a sauna. In particular, people taking medications for heart disease, high blood pressure or those who have already suffered a heart attack should either avoid the sauna, or discuss a regimen in detail with a physician.
Sauna use is not recommended for pregnant women as animal testing strongly indicates a link between hyperthermia and birth defects, according to the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists.
Precautions
You should never sauna alone. There is a risk of fainting in the high temperatures, particularly if you haven't had enough water prior to entering and you experience severe dehydration. Never drink alcohol or eat a heavy meal before entering a sauna as these can exacerbate the effects of dehydration.
You should cool off completely after exercise before entering the sauna, and allow your body temperature to regulate after sauna use before getting in cold water. The cold water can help prolong the soothing effect of a sauna on aching joints, but jumping in immediately can shock the system.
Variations
Infrared, or IR, saunas achieve the same result as a regular sauna, but in a different way. Rather than heating the air with radiant heat from the rocks or steam from a cold water splash, IR saunas project infrared radiation that heats objects, like your body, rather than the surrounding air. The same general safety warnings apply to IR saunas, but additionally, anyone with silicone implants should avoid infrared radiation or at least consult a physician before doing so. Hemophiliacs should avoid IR sauna use as thermal heating dilates the blood vessels.
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