Modern saunas exist in places like gyms, health clubs, hotels and private homes; they are often electric. The dry air of a sauna combined with high temperatures produce a physical state that can provide numerous health benefits.
Mechanism of Action
Temperatures in a sauna can reach 185 degrees Fahrenheit, causing the heart to pump extra blood to the skin, giving it a flushed appearance. This fever-like state causes the internal organs to speed up and produces extreme sweating.
Sweating
Sweating serves three purposes: ridding the body of waste products, regulating body temperature and cleansing the skin. A 15-minute sauna produces around one liter of sweat.
Detoxification
The skin is the body's largest organ, and holds many toxins. In a sauna, the toxins that are trapped in pores and sweat ducts are released, preventing blemishes and dry skin.
Traditional Saunas
In Finland, women traditionally gave birth in traditionally-built saunas believing that spirit would grant them and their child protection while reducing the pains of childbirth. After birth, saunas were taken to stimulate breast milk production.
Warnings
Saunas have uncontrolled effects on blood pressure. Do not take a sauna if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs as it may cause you to pass out.
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