With the popularization of detox programs and hot yoga, the idea of heat has become synonymous with healthy. Before you add a soak in the hot tub or session in a sauna to your exercise routine, educate yourself on the potential risks, benefits and expert advice that can ensure your time is both safe and relaxing.
Benefits And Myths
While it might seem logical that the heat of a sauna or hot tub can melt away fat, in effect making your exercise session more effective, they do no such thing. Sweating in a hot environment also does not detoxify your body. The fat loss and detox powers of the sauna might be myths, but a stint in the steam does offer some benefits. Both hot tubs and saunas promote relaxation, provide temporary relief of muscle aches from exercise and help lower your blood pressure.
Dangers
Combining exercise and extreme heat, no matter what the order, can raise serious health risks if you're not careful. When you exercise, your body loses water in the form of sweat. If you notice a drop in your scale weight after spending time in a sauna or hot tub, what you're seeing is water loss. When you combine the water loss from exercise with that from sweating in a sauna or hot tub, you're left with a recipe for dehydration. When exposed to high temperatures, your body begins to sweat and the blood vessels in your skin dilate to help maintain a normal temperature. Prolonged periods in such an atmosphere can exhaust the body's ability to cool itself, and as your internal temperature rises, you're at greater risk of heart, brain and kidney damage.
When to Use the Sauna or Hot Tub
The fluid loss and drop in blood pressure that come with hot tub or sauna use can cause you to feel lightheaded, dizzy or weak. Exercising in this state can lead to poor form and injury. If you choose to use a hot tub or sauna, do so after exercising and only after you've given your body time to cool down. Drink plenty of fluid after exercising and before entering the sauna or tub to prevent a sudden drop in blood pressure due to dehydration and dilation of your blood vessels.
Satety Tips
Limit your time in the sauna to 15 minutes and the hot tub to 10 minutes. If you begin to feel nauseated or dizzy, get out right away. Never use hot tub or sauna facilities by yourself. Bring a friend who can help in case you experience adverse side effects. When you're finished, allow your body to cool to a normal temperature before going outside into cold weather, as the sudden temperature change puts stress on your heart.
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