Experience Ultimate Wellness with Sauna Therapy
Sauna therapy is a practice that involves the influence of heat to initiate different changes in the body. These changes include both physiological and psychological changes, offering a range of health benefits.
While the physical benefits of sauna, such as athletic performance and recovery, are well known, many people don’t know that sauna therapy can also significantly impact mental well-being.
Sauna baths are silent rooms where you experience mental clarity, calmness, and focus. It works similarly to a meditation session where you get rid of unnecessary thoughts that burden your mind.
This article is an overview of different scientific studies on the psychological benefits of sauna therapy. It is also a guide on how you can incorporate sauna into your regular wellness routine.
How Sauna Therapy Works
When you sit in a sauna, you primarily expose your body to the heat. Studies show that exposure to heat raises your core temperature and increases your heart rate. Where else do you experience similar changes in your body?
You experience an increase in core temperature and heart rate when engaged in mild exercise. This shows that sauna therapy mimics the effects of exercise. A 2023 study shows that sauna therapy heat also triggers the release of hormones, such as endorphins, which naturally improve mood.
Since the body sweats a lot in the sauna, sweat helps release toxins from the body. It also increases blood flow, which has a range of health benefits.
Physiological Benefits of Sauna Therapy
Sauna targets and improves mental well-being by improving your psychological health. Here are some common psychological benefits of sauna therapy according to scientific evidence:
Sauna Therapy For Stress Relief
Stress is one factor that directly impacts mental well-being. A sauna benefits mental well-being by reducing stress and creating a sense of calmness. Studies show that people who practice sauna regularly experience decreased cortisol levels.
Since cortisol is a stress indicator, lower levels of cortisol indicate reduced stress. Regular sauna use may help lower cortisol levels and contribute to better emotional balance and mental clarity.
A 2019 study shows that frequent sauna sessions have an inverse relation with stress levels. The study further says that frequent sauna enhances relaxation, pleasure, and well-being.
Sauna Therapy for Anxiety and Depression
Although sauna therapy can not be a replacement for proper medical and rehabilitation care for anxiety and depression, it can help in reducing anxiety and depression.
A sauna session makes your body go into a deep state of relaxation, much like what meditation or deep breathing does. Sauna therapy calms down your nervous system by giving your body a state of relaxation. It makes you feel much more centered and much less nervous.
A 2019 study suggests that sauna therapy can positively influence hormones like endorphins. Endorphin is a “feel-good” chemical in your brain, and lower levels of it can cause depression. By improving endorphin levels, a sauna leads to improved mood and a reduction in depressive symptoms.
Sauna Therapy for Improved Sleep
Sleep has a direct relation with mental well-being, and studies show that getting quality sleep improves cognitive functioning.
A 2019 study by the Complementary Therapies In Medicine journal showed that around 84% of people who practiced sauna regularly reported improvement in sleep patterns. This is because the sauna relaxes your body, which contributes significantly to the sleep quality.
The sauna also impacts the sleep hormone called melatonin. An increase in this hormone production can be a major factor responsible for quality sleep in people who practice sauna regularly.
Sauna Therapy For Mental Detoxification
We all know how a sauna detoxifies the body through sweating, but the detoxification benefit of a sauna isn’t limited to physical health. Mental detoxification is also a major aspect of the psychological benefits of sauna.
When you sit quietly in a sauna room, it allows you to clear your mind and disconnect from the stress and distractions of daily life. The quiet environment and constant heat create a space for relaxation, making it easier to let go of negative and triggering thoughts. By giving yourself this mental break, you can come out of the sauna feeling refreshed and mentally clear.
Incorporating Sauna Into Your Wellness Routine
If the information about the psychological benefits of sauna made you consider incorporating it into your wellness routine, you might find yourself asking where to begin.
Initially, practice the sauna in less hot temperatures and keep the session durations shorter. It’s a good idea to start slowly and gradually increase the duration and temperature of your sessions as your body adapts.
But how often should you use a sauna?
For most, using a sauna 2-3 times per week would do it for them in order to experience improvements in their mood and relaxation states. However, if you’re new to saunas, you can take a once-a-week session to prepare your body for regular exposure.
Hydration is another very significant factor that would help in getting the best benefits of a sauna. Drink plenty of water before and after the session because high temperatures can cause a loss of fluids due to sweating.
Conclusion
Sauna therapy has a range of health benefits and is a very popular practice among different communities. The sauna heat makes you sweat a lot, detoxifying the body from harmful toxins. However, it is more than the physical benefits of the sauna that make this type of therapy worth considering.
Scientific evidence proves that a regular sauna is healthy for mental well-being. A sauna session works like a medication session, providing you with a calm environment to release all the stressful thoughts. Physiological changes from a sauna, such as the release of different mood-enhancing hormones, also promote mental well-being.
