5 Health Benefits of Regular Home Sauna Use

You may already love using the sauna because of how relaxed and refreshed you feel after you exit the room, but regular sauna use also offers a host of benefits that can boost your health! Every new medical study about saunas is helping us learn more and more about how sauna bathing can improve your health. 

Saunas are famous for bringing on a “deep sweat”, and it’s true that sweating does offer some health benefits (more below), but even more importantly, saunas increase blood flow and exercise our blood vessels and cardiovascular system. It’s that process that offers some of the biggest health benefits of all. 

Regular Sauna Use is Great for Your Heart

While you’re relaxing in the sauna, your heart and cardiovascular system are getting some exercise. The sauna increases your heart rate to an average of 120-150 beats per minute, which is similar to doing moderate aerobic exercise. Studies have also shown that sauna bathing can improve artery “compliance”, meaning arteries are better able to handle stress and adjust to different blood pressures. 

We can’t leave stress out of the equation either. Stress is a well-known contributor to heart disease. It can cause high blood pressure, damage your arteries, affect your heart rhythm, and contribute to coronary artery disease, among other heart-related issues. However, using your sauna can help manage stress! As Finnleo® likes to say, “Step into a Finnleo sauna, and close the door on the rest of the world.” Your sauna creates a warm, quiet place for you to unplug from the world and recharge with some solitude. 

Sauna Use Provides Pain Relief

Whether you’re sore from an intense workout or you live with chronic pain, sauna bathing can help in a couple of ways. First, your circulation increases. That extra blood flows to painful joints and muscles, which aids your body’s natural healing process. Second, the warmth relaxes and soothes aches and pains. Finally, sauna bathing releases endorphins, known as an all-natural “feel good” chemical. These endorphins work kind of like an opioid does, providing pain relief. 

Regular Sauna Use May Reduce the Risk of Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

A Finnish study that included over 2,000 men over a period of 20 years found participants who frequently used a sauna had remarkably lower instances of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Specifically, men who used a sauna for 4-7 days each week had a 65% lower risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease than those who used the sauna once per week. 

Saunas Help You Sleep

Using a sauna in the evening can help you fall asleep faster and sleep better. Naturally, your body temperature falls when it’s time to sleep. Raising your temperature by sauna bathing amplifies this natural process. Also, the gentle decline of those endorphins we talked about provides better sleep, too.

Regular Sauna Use Fights Illness

Would you like to make it through cold and flu season without getting sick? Make time to frequently use your sauna! As you relax in the calming heat, your body produces white blood cells more rapidly than normal, which will amp up your body’s ability to fight sickness and even to kill viruses. 

The health benefits of sauna bathing are many! This is only a partial list; if you’d like to learn more ways a Finnleo Sauna can boost your health, check out this article. The key to enjoying these health benefits is following recommended sauna guidelines, like boosting your water intake and moderating how long you stay in the sauna at one time (too much heat is dehydrating after all!). Plus, if you have a medical condition, seek your doctor’s advice to decide if a sauna would be a good idea in your case.

There is one catch. You can’t enjoy frequent, private sauna bathing if you have to head to the public gym or spa every time! If you want to get the maximum sauna benefits, bring home a sauna all your own! We carry a wide range of Finnleo saunas to fit your lifestyle and home, including models small enough to fit in a closet and full outdoor sauna rooms, so without a doubt, we have just what you need. Visit us and we’ll help you pick the perfect Finnleo Sauna for YOU.