The Health Benefits of Sauna Bathing

The sauna is known worldwide for the good feelings it gives its users, but a relaxing, reinvigorating sauna session does far more than just clear the cluttered mind and elevate the burdened spirit. The benefits to the body are nothing short of remarkable. Reacting naturally to the heat, surface blood vessels expand, bringing a large flow of blood to the skin. The hot skin warms the blood quickly, carrying the heat deeper into the body. Through perspiration, acid and waste residue are removed from the blood, increasing the kidneys' capabilities to filter out impurities. After a few trips into the sauna, pores that have been closed for years may open up, expelling old cosmetics, blackheads, and acne-producing bacteria. Dead skin cells may loosen up, allowing for them to be scrubbed off later. Adolescents will appreciate how the sauna helps to keep their skin cleaner and clearer, and adults will be pleased to look and feel healthier and more youthful. Increased blood flow benefits the body's muscles through the elimination of excess lactic acid accumulated from strenuous exercise. Athletes often use the sauna to relax their sore, tense and tired muscles and relieve stiffness in their joints. Increased circulation (hyperaemia) also promotes the healing of skin cuts, as the stronger blood flow brings a greater supply of red and white blood cells to the areas where they are needed. Not to be dismissed are the sauna's proven abilities to help relieve tension headaches, backaches, colds, sinus congestion, arthritis, rheumatism, sleeping difficulties, and minor respiratory ailments. For people who are caught up in the high pressure and extreme stresses of 21st century society, the sauna offers problem-free peace and a plethora of other perks and privileges, not the least of which are the indisputable health benefits. Yet, many of those lacking accurate information still refuse to accept the fact that sauna enthusiasts are generally healthier and suffer from fewer colds than people for whom the sauna is not part of life's routine.