It’s likely that when you picture a sauna you are thinking of winter time. There’s good reason for that, sauna is a wonderful way to beat the winter blues and has been primarily used in countries with long cold winters (Finland/Scandinavia). Winter suits some people but it is a time of year when we need to be careful of our health and moods. Here are some important reasons to consider buying a sauna or visiting a sauna regularly in the winter.
One of the issues of winter in our modern world is the shifting ourselves from the cold outdoors to very warm homes, malls, workplaces, etc. Sauna use helps our body deal with temperature acclimation. Our bodies use a lot of energy in thermal acclimation normally. By using the sauna we are able to train our bodies to acclimatize to heat changes more efficiently.
The Finnish have a saying “If a sick person is not cured by tar, spirits or sauna, then they will die.” While this may not be totally true, it shows the amount of respect the sauna earned as a cure to ills like this. An Austrian study tracked 50 people for 6 months and found a 50% reduction in getting a cold than the control group. Other studies have backed up this research.
Most people end up getting sick with the common cold at least once a winter. The symptoms of the cold can make the day hard to deal with and can last for weeks. Saunas have won a reputation to help beat your cold symptoms fast, this has now been backed up by research. Sauna use provides drainage for our sinuses and many believe the high temperature will weaken the flu or cold virus in our bodies.
The winter is a hard time for our skin. Dryness indoors, wind, cold, a lack of sunshine. This is a recipe for tired looking skin. According to dermatologist Dr. Erin Gilbert, MD, PhD, using sauna is like exercise for your pores. Sauna use causes pore dilation in reaction to the heat which is good for avoiding clogging and creates smoother skin. The heat also activates blood flow to the skin which increases collagen and elastin. Finally the act of sweating in the sauna increases skin-cell turnover which is beneficial and helps give us a post-sauna glow. However people with rosacea and atopic dermatitis are advised to avoid sauna use
Many people find themselves getting less exercise and gaining weight in the winter simply because they are unable to pursue their usual outdoor activities like running or outdoor sports. While sauna shouldn’t 100% replace your normal exercise it can certainly help keep your cardiovascular system and muscles from that winter slump. Saunas have been proven to approximate a cardio workout by increasing your heart rate to normal workout level and work to prevent muscle atrophy largely due to heat shock proteins.
Winter can carry on a little long and many people suffer from seasonal affective disorder or just a normal case of the winter blues from being . In Finland, the home of sauna, sometimes deep in winter the sun barely rises at all. Sauna has several positive mental effects. It promotes Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor which boosts moods, as well as releasing beta-endophins. Read more about it here.
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