Years ago it occurred to me that many of my patients rarely sweat. Think about it, most people wake up and take a shower, get ready for work, commute to work, work indoors, drive home, watch TV, go to bed, and repeat this routine 5+ days per week. The majority of the day is spent in a temperature controlled setting with little to no activity. Even if someone was a weekend warrior, and had a more active and sweaty weekend, this wouldn’t negate the negatives of 5 days of the typical American lifestyle. Did you know the average American sits for an estimated 6.5 hours per day? Did you know that the average American spends an estimated 4 hours per day watching TV? Let’s be honest, for most Americans, those hours watching TV are not while on the stationary bike or treadmill. Do you know how the body rids itself of toxins and waste? If you guessed through sweat, urine, bowel movements, and breathing then you guessed right.
One way the average American can increase their daily sweat is to incorporate sauna therapy into their daily routine. Sauna therapy dates back thousands of years over multiple cultures all over the globe; recognized in places like Russia, Finland, Native Americans, Central America, and Japan to increase lifespan and improve overall health. Sauna therapy can be defined as short term, roughly 20-40 minutes, of passive exposure to extreme heat in an enclosed space causing mild hyperthermia, increasing the body’s core temperature, resulting in perspiration, or sweating. Saunas are most often made of wood, but early forms of saunas were in pits and caves as well. In more modern designed saunas, we find new fabrics being utilized to offer more sauna design options; such as small collapsible single person options. Not only can saunas differ in building materials, but saunas differ in their heat source and humidity. Saunas can sometimes be heated by wood fires, but more often are heated by electric heaters, producing 158F to 212F, or infrared heaters, using incandescent bulbs, with temperatures generally ranging 113 to 140F. Electric heaters warm the air to a higher temperature, while infrared heaters emit thermal radiation heating the body directly with less air temperature increase. Sauna humidity is often controlled by splashing water on hot rocks. The high temps and humidity inside saunas will cause our millions of sweat glands to secrete mostly water, some salt, some oil, and toxins.
The Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study has been tracking over 2,000 Finish men since the 80’s, which is showing a correlation between using the sauna, a minimum of 2-3 times per week, and a reduced risk of death and disease; however the results seem to be better with more weekly sauna usage. Other studies have shown that with regular sauna usage you are less likely to develop cardiovascular disease, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and psychotic disorders, while physiologically we see an increase in heat shock proteins, increase in mitochondrial function, activation of Nrf2, increased heart rate, blood pressure reduction, increased cardiac output, increased immune system cells, reduction in inflammation, and improved exercise recovery. Additional studies showed saunas helped people with congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease, peripheral artery disease, dyslipidemia, hypertension, blood vessel health, reduced the blood marker CRP, promote growth of new nerves, less cognitive decline, less depression, possible help with mental focus, promotes growth hormone release, improved blood sugar regulation, improved physical fitness and athletic performance, reduced muscle loss, reduced pain in those with fibromyalgia, reduced fatigue, reduced anxiety, improved relaxation, lung function improvement and promotes detoxification through sweating (such as heavy metals, BPA, PCBs, and phthalate compounds). Some people even report saunas have helped them with skin issues and cellulite.
Like anything there are some precautions to be considered when considering sauna therapy. One study showed temporarily reduced sperm count and motility in men. Sauna therapy may pose risks with pregnancy, children under 2 years old are not advised to use a sauna, while children over 2 need to be under adult supervision. People with a current infection with a fever should avoid sauna usage, and people taking medications should consult with their doctor or pharmacist prior to sauna usage. Cardiovascular disease patients should consult with their cardiologist prior to sauna usage. One final warning, do not drink alcohol prior, or during, sauna usage.
For those of us living in a desert, that hits temperatures over 100F multiple times per year, it is hard to think about getting into a sauna. In my opinion, the benefits of sweating, and sauna therapy, for our health are undervalued in our American culture. It is interesting that a lot of what we see as the benefits of sauna therapy are quite similar to that of exercise, not that sauna therapy should replace a healthy lifestyle of clean whole food eating, daily exercise, and good sleep quality and quantity, but sauna therapy could certainly have a synergistic effect with the healthy lifestyle. Remember after a sauna therapy session replenish with water, salt, and other minerals. Until next time, yours in health. Dr. B
References
https://www.foundmyfitness.com/topics/sauna
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/saunas-and-your-health