How To Get The Max Health Benefits From Using Saunas

The benefits of using a sauna after you are done working out are numerous. Many people believe that using a sweat lodge will allow you to sweat out toxins from your skin, but if you follow the right technique, you can also boost your immune system.

Max benefits from saunas do not stop with physical, they are also great for mental health. There is really no greater feeling than a heavy session in the gym and then relaxing in a hot room allowing you to, in a sense, meditate on whatever you please.

Before we discuss how to get the max benefits from using saunas, you first need to understand how they work.

How saunas work to give you health benefits

When you first get in to an extremely hot room, your body is going to try to cool itself down. Your blood will come to the surface of the skin and your pores will open to sweat in an attempt to cool the body down.

Opening your pores and sweating out any dirt and toxins is important for skin health. What a lot of people do not realize though is it is just as important for your pores to close after you are in the sauna. If you can efficiently open AND close your pores, this will help increase your circulation which in turns gives you the benefit of an enhanced immune system.

Have you ever seen anyone at the gym attempting to close their pores as fast as they get them open by getting into the sweat lodge/sauna? My guess is no, you have not! so without wasting anymore time:

How to get the max health benefits from using a sauna

As soon as you get into a sauna, you want to get the blood to your skin and open up those pores. The best way to do this is slowly start massaging and rubbing your skin. When you do this, you stimulate your skin to open the pores. This helps your circulation and get the blood rushing. The same thing happens when you are getting a massage from someone. Combine that with an extremely hot room, and your blood gets pumping throughout your body even faster.

Once you start sweating, contaminants and perhaps toxins will come pouring out. Not only is this good for your body, but it should feel very relaxing. At the time you start sweating, feel free to stay in the sauna as long as it feels comfortable. Read the cautions at the bottom of this article to stay safe!

Important Next Step!

So you have sat in the sauna for a while. I usually do about 20 minutes at a time. That is a comfortable amount of time for me. What should you do next? Most people get out, dry off, and put their clothes on and leave. Is this the right way for max benefits? NO!

You want to get those pores closed up as fast as possible. This will keep more heat in your body. Keeping more heat in your body will keep your circulation increased for longer, as well as burn a few more extra calories! It will also keep you warm and help out your immune system.

This step is so important but 99% of people skip it!

How do I close my pores quickly after using a sauna?

This step is going to sound downright brutal, but the way to do this, is get yourself in the coldest water you can stand. After I have used the saunas for about 20 minutes, I will jump into an ice cold shower for a minute or so, which works perfectly. If you have an ice bath available, this would probably work a bit better.

Sounds painful right? It might be, the first few times you do it.

However, there are so many good benefits from doing it, and once you are used to the cycle, you will begin to enjoy it. It may just soon become your favorite part of your post workout ritual.

Some people have issues with this when the weather starts getting colder outside. This is the best time to do it though as it will keep the heat in your body and keep your warm. These months are also the months where your immune system is its most vulnerable so you want to do everything you can to keep it in tip top shape.

When doing this cycle, you can do it as many times as you want (sauna, get out, dunk yourself in cold water), but I like to do this about 3 times. You can do it a single time and still get the same benefits, it is just what I enjoy doing personally.

Get the same benefits of a sauna at your own home

Let’s say for a minute that you do not have a gym membership, or your gym does not have a sauna. If this is true, I think you should go find a new gym!

But for whatever reason, you just do not have a sauna available. That is okay! You can get the same benefits at home!

First, turn on your shower to the hottest setting you can stand without burning yourself.

Get in and start massaging your skin to get the blood flowing and the sweat coming out. Once you have stood in the water for as long as you can stand, flip the water to ice cold and get your pores to close right back up.

After you do this a few times, you will feel extremely relaxed! Some people have said they get too cold and cannot warm back up. It is okay to turn the water back to warm for a minute or so to warm up before you get out of the shower. You will still get the same benefits and will be warm in the process, it is a win – win.

Warnings

Here are some things you must be aware of when using any sort of sauna,whether it be a wet or dry one. You need to remain safe at all times.

• If you ever get dizzy or feel light headed in the slightest, get out of the sauna and do not go back in!
• Never use a sauna if you are pregnant or have low blood pressure. This is for your own safety. You do not want to pass out and not have anyone find you as this could lead to death.
• While using saunas can lead to many health benefits such as boosting your immune system, if you are feeling sick at all, do not use one. Your immune system is beaten down, you do not need to put more stress on it.
• Children should not use a sauna, period.
• Never use a sauna after drinking alcohol. This makes you dehydrated and sauna time could cause issues.
• Drink Water! Seriously, sip on water before, during, and after your time in the hot room!