The benefits of a sauna you didn't know about

A twenty-minute stay in a warm room relaxes muscles, relieves stress and accumulated toxins, strengthens the cardiovascular, immune and nervous systems and makes us more rested and beautiful.

Cryotherapy, acupuncture, hypnosis - these are just some "must do it" if we want to be healthy, fit and beautiful. These are trends that we can and do not have to follow, but there is something that will surely make us better, and that is the sauna. Mental and physical relaxation thanks to staying in a heated room, which encourages sweating and secretion of toxins, is an old method from the Scandinavian countries, which is especially pleasant at the end of the working day, especially in winter.

1. Recovery after strenuous exercise

After intensive training, you should spend at least 15 minutes in the sauna because the heat relaxes the muscles, reduces tension and eliminates lactic acid from the body. It also speeds up recovery from injuries, which is why it is recommended for athletes.

2. Regulates blood pressure

Just one visit to the sauna can lower blood pressure, a recent study on a sample of one hundred people showed. They spent 30 minutes in the sauna, after which their upper pressure was reduced from 137 (mmHg) to 130, and the lower from 82 to 75. As the upper pressure did not change for another half an hour after leaving the sauna, scientists believe that there is a long-term benefit from its use. However, people who have problems with high blood pressure should consult a doctor first.

3. Strengthens the heart muscle A scientific study published in the "Journal of Human Hypertension" showed that 15 minutes in the sauna acts on our body as a medium-intensity exercise lasting up to 30 minutes (swimming at 800 and 1,500 meters, running at 5,000 and 10,000 meters, or half-hour cycling or hiking). During such activities, the heart muscle is under exertion of prolonged duration, and the circulation is significantly accelerated.

4. Reduces the risk of dementia

A study was conducted at a university in eastern Finland, which showed that the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease was reduced by 65% ​​in people who visited the sauna at least four times a week compared to those who used it only once a week.

5. Treats headaches

Lady Gaga swears that nothing helps her like a sauna in the fight against fibromyalgia, a chronic muscular disease that causes pain in the whole body, headaches and insomnia, so she made one in her home. A recent study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine showed that this is not just imagination. The study involved 37 subjects who spent eight weeks and 15 minutes a day in the sauna and suffered from chronic headaches, and all stated that the sauna significantly reduced the intensity of their pain.

6. Build immunity Sitting in a sauna will prevent the flu? Unfortunately, it won't, but it will help the immune system. A study published in the Journal of Human Kinetics states that an increase in white blood cells was measured in the blood of athletes who spent 15 minutes in a sauna, and they destroy viruses and bacteria.

7. Maintains mental health People in the sauna are relaxed, satisfied, happy. According to the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, everyday stay in the sauna is very pleasant for depressed people. Each small escape from the real world has a positive effect on mental health and reduces stress levels.

8. An ally in weight loss Sweating, of course, loses only fluid, not kilograms, but it has been proven that the body also releases toxins, such as bisphenol, which disrupts the work of hormones and the endocrine system, ie slows down the metabolism, which affects the weight loss process. 9. Lowers cholesterol The International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health published a study stating that people who went to the sauna every other day for 20 days managed to significantly lower their cholesterol levels.