“Leisure Sweating” and Infrared Sauna Benefits

For most Americans, sweating is simply an unwanted side effect of heat, exercise, or stress. While many of us may enjoy the beads of sweat dripping from our foreheads at the gym, taking it as a sign of a good workout, sweat and sweating is still something most of us would prefer to do without. However, in many cultures, sweating is not only a wonderful way to give your body and mind some much-needed downtime, but it also acts as an important healing process and necessary health retreat. Infrared Sauna Benefits, Steam Baths, warm showers, or even a jacuzzi all provide important space to improves one’s physical and mental health through leisure sweating.

Leisure sweating gives an impressive host of benefits for the user’s physical and mental health. For example, Medical studies have shown that repeated exposure to the heat and steam of a sauna, reduces the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, as well as sudden cardiac death1. The warmth causes deep relaxation and decompression of the user's muscles, helping to reduce tension in the body and recover from physical and mental stress2. Infrared Sauna Benefits may also help to keep the user’s pores from getting clogged, protecting and invigorating the user’s skin for a more vibrant and healthful look.

Saunas come from Northern Europe and served as an important refuge during the frigid winter months. They also served as a meeting place for family, friends, and the community to socialize. A Finnish proverb says that “One should behave in the sauna as in church”, keeping the same sense of tranquility.

Steambaths or bathhouses have a broader social history in Europe and the Middle East than in America of course, yet Americans are starting to recognize the important benefits of leisure sweating. More and more Americans are now moving these facilities into their own homes so that they can take part in this important healing practice solo or with their family.

Self-care practices such as meditation and yoga are gaining ever more currency in the United States, and saunas have become a space where many choose to conduct these sacred healing practices. Sauna health benefits are focused on giving a holistic recovery to the ailments afflicting your body, and mental health is most cases as significant as physical health, and in many cases even more so. Try it yourself when next in a sauna or a steam bath, focus on your breath so as to gently push away any unnecessary thoughts and try some gentle stretching.

Leisure sweating is a must-try for anyone who wants to find a way to relax and heal from the stresses of life. It can be very difficult to achieve full-body relief, yet this is where one of the main advantages of leisure sweating comes in, as the heat penetrates every nook of your body it induces relaxation. You will also come to love the purifying sensation of its heat. Best of all, leisure sweating is an opportunity to give yourself time for you.

References:
Laukkanen, T; Khan, H; Zaccardi, F; Laukkanen, JA (April 2015). "Association between sauna bathing and fatal cardiovascular and all-cause mortality events". JAMA Internal Medicine. 175 (4): 542–8.

2. Laukkanen, T; Kunutsor, S; Kauhanen, J; Laukkanen, JA (1 March 2017). "Sauna bathing is inversely associated with dementia and Alzheimer's disease in middle-aged Finnish men". Age and Ageing. 46 (2): 245–249.

3. Lim EC, Poh RL, Low AY, Wong WP (2011). "Effects of Pilates-based exercises on pain and disability in individuals with persistent nonspecific low back pain: a systematic review with meta-analysis". J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 41 (2): 70–80.