Real Relaxation by Konstantin Koss

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Sauna is not a modern-day invention. It has been enjoyed for many years in Finland, where it originated. The word sauna comes from ’savu’, the Finnish term for smoke. This is due to the use of steam as a form of bath to induce profuse sweating. For the uninitiated, this may seem like some form of punishment but the sauna is actually a technique to improve health and wellbeing. Here are some of its benefits:

1. Improved Blood Circulation

Saunas expose the body to temperatures that are higher than the body is normally used to. Dry type saunas, for example, are used in temperatures ranging from 110 – 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Wet type saunas, on the other hand, go much higher – from about 180 to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.

These temperatures increase heart rate, which in turn encourages the blood to flow more quickly because it causes the blood vessels to dilate. This helps the blood circulate more efficiently.

Improved blood circulation caused by the sauna in turn produces excellent benefits. It helps strengthen the immune system which encourages the body to heal itself. A strong immune system also helps the body recover more quickly from injuries.

2. Relieves Stress and Tension

Another benefit of the sauna is its ability to induce relaxation. The sweating and initial discomfort gives way to a feeling of well-being, which explains why many people use the sauna to help relieve any feelings of stress and tension.

Followed by a cold shower, the sauna experience helps induce a more relaxed sleep. In fact, many sauna users report that their sleep patterns have significantly improved from regular use of the sauna.

3. Relief from Pains and Aches

Saunas are often used by people suffering from painful conditions mainly for its relaxing properties. However, heat also has the ability to relieve pain and thus, saunas provide a means to alleviate muscle pains and aches.

4. Alleviate Sinuses

Another important benefit of saunas is its ability to help relieve nasal decongestion and sinus discomfort. The steam helps open up nasal passages and bring relief. People who use saunas and have sinus problems often find that the experience helps them breathe a little easier.

5. Weight Loss

It is believed that another benefit of the sauna is its ability to help people lose weight. Because it helps encourage metabolism, people are more likely to burn calories more efficiently and thus regulate their body weight.

True, all that sweating in the sauna causes the body to lose water (which reduces the weight slightly) but it’s also true that the average guy can burn up to 400 calories by spending just 25 minutes inside a sauna. With proper diet and some exercise, those calories can stay off, which helps a person lose weight more efficiently.

6. Body Cleansing and Detoxifying

Since the heat within a sauna is way above body temperature, it stimulates sweating. This is how the body responds to heat. Sweat helps cool down the body’s cells and bring down the temperature. By doing so, it helps pump toxins and other impurities out of the body.

A good indication of this is the skin. After using the sauna, you will notice that your skin is smooth and its pores look smaller or tighter. The truth is that clogged pores (which tend to look bigger to the eye) are cleansed from within because sweat pushes the dirt and oils out. The result is a smoother and visibly improved complexion.

Regular use of the sauna also helps develop the body’s ability to produce sweat. As a result, the body becomes more efficient in cleansing itself of toxins.

A Word of Caution

Anyone can use the sauna, provided they are reasonably healthy. This is an important thing to remember. People with blood circulation problems, develop allergies quickly or have high blood pressure or multiple sclerosis may have to avoid the high temperatures found in the sauna. If you suspect you have a condition, always check with your doctor first prior to using the sauna.

Pregnant women should also be careful about using the sauna. Although women in Finland used saunas to give birth in, pregnant women who have never experienced the sauna before must always have their doctor’s approval first.

The type of sauna you’ll be using might also have certain uncomfortable effects to your body. Some people, for example, find that dry type saunas such as infrareds tend to irritate their respiratory passages. Try to experiment which type works for you best to maximize the benefits of the sauna to your health.

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There is no need to ask as I am sure you are one of the millions of people who are stressed every day from work. You may even be a little bit overweight because all your waking hours are spent sitting in the office and laboring with household chores when you get home so there is really no time to go the gym for a workout or go out and do sports.

What if I tell you that there is an easy but sure way to burn those excess fats and rejuvenate your whole body? Would you be willing to try it?

Here is the good news… Have you heard of the Infrared Sauna Therapy? No, it’s not like the traditional sauna therapy that uses different types of heaters, warming stones and the air in a room.

How Infrared Sauna Therapy Works

The infrared sauna therapy uses heaters of either the carbon heaters that directly heat the body through infrared waves or the steel incoloy rods or ceramic heaters. These types of heaters produce heat from between 120 and 140 degrees in Fahrenheit or between 43 to 54 degrees in Celsius, emitting infrared rays directly to the body. The infrared rays are like the heat of the sun but without the harmful ultraviolet rays. The infrared heat, which produces invisible band of light, warms the body and makes it sweat profusely without hurting the skin.

Health Benefits and Effects

Infrared sauna therapy has a lot of health benefits to offer. The first and foremost benefit is that it helps relax and calm the body and the mind, distressing you from all your cares and worries at home or in the office. So you feel light and relaxed. The second benefit is detoxification of your body. The body absorbs a lot of toxins each and every day, with all the smoke, dust and the unhealthy food people eat. Since we can’t avoid these pollutants getting into our bodies, we need to detoxify it by cleansing it. And this is where infrared sauna therapy can help.

Infrared sauna therapy is one of the most effective and safest ways of eliminating toxins in our body like chronic infections and toxic metals. The infrared heat is absorbed by the body causing it to perspire and expel the toxins out from the skin. Since the body absorbs 93% of the heat, it increases the body temperature by up to three degrees. The body temporarily goes into a fever-like state, activating its immune system, which defends the body against diseases and illness. This process helps the body speed up the healing procedure of small ailment in the body.

Another benefit of the infrared sauna therapy is its cardiovascular workout property, which helps the body lose weight and get rid of ugly cellulites. Regular infrared sauna therapy rids your body of excessive salt, moisture and subcutaneous fat. This is achieved by the infrared rays’ deep penetration into the body, creating a deep heating effect in the internal organs and muscular tissues.

As a reaction, the body increases the heart rate and volume through a hypothalamic-induced response. This process provides the necessary cardiovascular conditioning while the body tries to cool itself. The best thing about it is that people with physical disabilities, who are stuck in their wheelchairs and can’t do exercise, can now get the cardiovascular workout they also need. Since they cannot run nor do physically vigorous activities, infrared therapy would do them good because they also need exercise for their hearts.

The weight loss is achieved by making the fat water-soluble when the temperature reaches 100 degrees in Fahrenheit. The infrared heat dissolves the fat, which in turn enters the bloodstream and ready to be expelled from the body through sweat. One sauna session for around 20 to 40 minutes can burn as much as 200 to 500 calories.

For people undergoing physical or massage therapy, Infrared sauna therapy helps as a pre-warm up, calming and readying the body for the actual sessions of the physical or massage therapy. Moreover, it also helps people suffering with severe cough by loosening the lungs’ secretions and stimulates it to discharge and expectorate the mucus out to the throat. The infrared heat helps dissolve the thick mucus that is filling the lungs, making it easier to breathe.

(2nd Photo by keko)

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