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If you are unfamiliar with the experience, the idea of paying money to sit in a room that is very hot and where you continually sweat may seem puzzling. The first visit to a sauna is often a step outside the comfort zone, but most people ultimately acclimate and enjoy the experience. The important thing to understand about saunas is that they are more than a modern trend or a vanity practice. There are some very real benefits to sauna visits that we will point out today, and you can take advantage of them in the comfort of your home with a home spa.
- A place to meet and communicate
Most saunas consist of one or multiple rooms with sitting spots for groups of 5 to 15, so you can usually expect to have some company during your visit. Naturally, you may prefer solitude and choose a secluded spot inside the sauna room, but if you are open to new acquaintances and conversations, you will likely soon realise that a sauna is a great place to meet new people. For some enthusiasts, visits to the sauna begin as an activity to improve health, but they end up motivated to visit again regularly to catch up with the new friends they made there.
- A reprieve from workout pain
The muscle soreness and pain felt after an intense workout session can be rough, and the first instinct of some athletes is to relax for the rest of the day or sleep it off. However, there are several solutions available for relieving the pain without taking up the rest of the day, and they include a sauna session. This is because the sauna environment reduces inflammation and drives out lactic acid from the body.
- A boost to the circulatory system
After entering the sauna, it can take some time for the health benefits to become prevalent. However, if you spend enough time in a sitting to begin intense sweating (usually up to 30 minutes), this will mean that your body is responding properly. Your stress should fade away, and the circulation in your body should improve. In the long term, this strengthens your heart and prevents illness.
- Driving out the toxins
Another one of the benefits of saunas lies in driving out toxins from your body. As we go about our daily lives, our skin gets covered by dirt and dust, while our pores become blocked and toxins accumulate under the skin. However, in a sauna, your pores should open up, and the accumulated dust, oils, and toxins should be washed away with your sweat.
- Weight loss
Sauna treatment may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of weight loss practices, but the science behind saunas and weight loss is established. Even though you are sitting most of the time in the sauna, you will still be burning calories and losing weight from the sweat, old skin, and toxins washing out of the body.
- A ward against Alzheimer’s disease
While the specifics of the link between sauna visits and risk of Alzheimer’s disease is still being investigated, several studies have suggested that those who visit saunas for times a week or more have a lower risk of experiencing the illness and dementia.