2989: Top 9 Benefits of Using a Sauna by Eric Leija on Cardiovascular Health and Muscle Recovery

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[00:00:55] This is Optimal Health Daily. Top 9 Benefits of Using a Sauna. By Eric Lea of ericlea.com. And I'm Dr. Neil, your very own personal narrator. Hey there, happy Saturday and welcome back to another weekend edition of Optimal Health Daily. This is where I read to you from some of the best health and fitness blogs on the web. Kind of like an ongoing audiobook. And always with a bit of my commentary at the end.

[00:01:20] I'm going to keep this intro nice and short, so let's get right to today's post as we optimize your life. Top 9 Benefits of Using a Sauna. By Eric Lea of ericlea.com. Working up a sweat has been used to improve health and cultures around the world for thousands of years. However, we're not talking about exercise-induced sweat, although we all know how important that type is.

[00:01:48] This sweat session is much, much hotter. And, as it turns out, offers an unbelievable amount of benefits. Welcome to the awesome world of the sauna. While you may think sitting in a hot room is doing nothing more than increasing your circulation a little or removing a few toxins, there's actually much, much more going on inside your body during a session. Think increased collagen production, immune support, and more.

[00:02:17] Here, we're going to dive into these benefits and why I use saunas. But before we do, it's important to know the difference between types of saunas. Types of saunas There are four main categories of saunas. 1. Traditional saunas Using a stove or hot rocks or coals to generate heat, these saunas maintain the highest external heat of the four categories. Unlike some other forms of saunas, like steam or infrared,

[00:02:46] the only thing heating your body is the external temperature, which may become more uncomfortable than some other types, especially if you're sensitive to dry heat. 2. Steam saunas Using some form of humidification device or process, steam saunas pump heated moisture into the air to force you to sweat. 3. Infrared saunas Unlike a traditional sauna, infrared saunas don't heat the air around you.

[00:03:14] Instead, they use infrared light to warm your body from the inside out. These light waves penetrate several layers deep into your skin. Don't worry, you don't feel anything. And may have significant benefits. 4. Dry saunas A dry sauna also uses a device, be it a stove, electric heater, etc., to generate warmth, but with zero humidity. Here, the temperature is lower than a traditional sauna,

[00:03:40] but the dryness can cause you to flush more water than steam saunas. While some types offer different benefits than others, there isn't necessarily a best when it comes to saunas. We'll break down the benefits of traditional and infrared saunas, so you can pick your ideal sweat. Benefits of saunas Traditional and Infrared Boost in circulation An increase in body temperature equals an increase in heart rate, which equals an increase in circulation.

[00:04:11] Why do you want to improve your circulation? Well-circulated blood ensures fresh oxygen and nutrients are able to reach your organs, muscles, and skin more efficiently, which can lead to enhanced repair and growth. Additionally, saunas also improve lymph circulation, which is an important fluid that transports toxins from your body. Think of your circulation systems like a vacuum cleaner. If it's emptied often, it may pick up more dirt. If it's never emptied, it can only pick up so much

[00:04:39] because it might be backed up with debris. 3. Saunas Help Keep Things Moving Supports Cardiovascular Health This perk has been revealed by way of some heavy research, but essentially, the heat from saunas is a catalyst to vasodilation, or dilation of your blood vessels, reduced arterial stiffness, and reduced blood pressure, as well as improved regulation of your autonomic nervous system.

[00:05:05] Ultimately, saunas can help your heart pump more blood efficiently through your body. Improve Flexibility and Recovery If you use your time in the sweat tank to drop into a few yoga poses or stretches, your heated, and therefore more pliable, muscles will respond with improved flexibility. In addition, the heat also flushes out lactic acid, which is responsible for delayed-onset muscle soreness,

[00:05:32] aka the thing that makes it hard to walk the next day after a killer leg session. 4. Clears Your Skin Like your vascular system, your pores also dilate in the heat. By hitting the sauna, you're essentially making way for your skin to release all that stuff under closed pores, which is a cause of some types of acne. 5. Reduces Stress Research shows that the heat from saunas can relax muscles and release endorphins, both of which can reduce stress.

[00:06:01] Not to mention, sauna time is usually a quiet time where you escape from the world for 15 to 30 minutes, which can also reduce stress hormones. Infrared Specific Benefits Infrared Light Panels Infrared light, in general, offers perks of its own, which is why so many yoga studios have swapped out traditional piped heating for the addition of infrared heating panels. Here are some of the reasons why. Immune System Boost

[00:06:29] Infrared saunas, in essence, induce an artificial fever, which is what our body uses to kill off viruses. This boost in internal temperature makes our antiviral and antibacterial immune responses more efficient, while generating low levels of internal stress that our body uses to practice a healthy response to external stressors, and helps lead our body into deep sleep, another critical factor for having healthy immune responses. More Collagen Production

[00:06:58] The combination of heat and infrared light boosts collagen production, which can reduce and prevent aging. In addition, infrared light waves can also reduce skin pigmentation, like dark or brown spots, while also reducing fine lines. Reduced Inflammation Research has shown that the infrared light can help reduce inflammation by penetrating into the deep layers of tissues, muscles, organs, and even cells.

[00:07:25] This is fantastic news if you have inflammation caused by injuries, and it can even help you recover faster from a killer exercise session. Even More Flexibility There is research that suggests that infrared heat can boost flexibility even further by up to 205% in just one session. Like with everything else though, consult with your doctor before hopping into a sauna. The intense heat can create an adverse reaction if you have asthma,

[00:07:53] heart disease, low blood pressure, high blood pressure, and other health concerns or are pregnant or taking certain medications. You also need to ensure you enter with proper hydration levels, so be sure to bring a huge bottle of water with you. Benefits of sauna overview To recap, sauna can reduce inflammation, boost collagen production, increase flexibility, boost recovery, reduce stress, boost the immune system,

[00:08:22] help clear the skin, and support heart health. You can find a local sauna near you by going online. Most of them offer a free first session, so you can try them out and get to sweating it out a few times a week or a few times a month. Pair it up with a cold shower, and you'll be a biohacking beast. You just listened to the post titled, Top 9 Benefits of Using a Sauna, by Eric Lea, of ericlea.com,

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[00:10:20] with the snack that packs a protein punch. Visit WonderfulPistachios.com to learn more. Dr. Neil here for my commentary. Saunas are fascinating, particularly because, as Eric mentioned, there are now these fancy infrared saunas. And Eric's absolutely right. Saunas aren't for everybody. Now, the data on infrared saunas are new and they're still being studied. So it's always a good idea to check with your doctor to make sure it's right for you.

[00:10:50] Now, if you and your healthcare provider decide it's worth a try, just like Eric said, be sure you're adequately hydrated before using any kind of hot sauna. Oh, and this is probably pretty obvious, but do not hydrate with alcohol. Consuming alcohol before a sauna is never recommended. And if you want my take on saunas, I did a Q&A episode way back when. It was episode 669. So if you wanna hear my take on it, check out episode 669 of this podcast.

[00:11:21] All right, that'll do it for today. I hope you have a great weekend if you're listening in real time. And I'll be back here tomorrow as usual where your optimal life awaits. All right.