Georgia Birnie (left), of Dunedin, and Renee Smith, of
Melbourne, enjoy the infrared sauna at Vibra-Train in the
upper Octagon. Photo by Craig Baxter.
The sauna - wonderful for relaxation and said to be
brimming with health benefits. But is it
just a load of hot air? Laura Hewson looks at what's hot and
why when it comes to saunas.
While the word sauna may conjure up images of Scandinavian
men sweating it out in wooden cabins in the snow, many
cultures have a tradition of heating for therapeutic, social
or spiritual reasons.
American Indians had their sweat lodges, the Greeks and
Romans complemented saunas with bathing, the Russians and
Turks loved their steam baths, and the Finns, who are
credited with spreading the sauna to the world, liked to
follow a session in the sauna with a good dip in freezing
water or a roll in the snow.
Saunas were not, however, as big a hit with the British,
which may explain why Kiwis haven't embraced the practice.
Sauna: what is it good for?
The core idea behind saunas is to build up a sweat, which
apparently in these times of antiperspirants and
labour-saving devices we don't do enough.
Sauna proponents say sweating excretes toxins and heavy
metals through the skin (giving the liver and kidneys a
rest), regulates body temperature, and keeps skin glowing and
healthy.
In The Holistic Handbook of Sauna Therapy, author
Nenah Sylver claims saunas are beneficial for people
suffering ailments including blood and cardiovascular
disorders, digestive and gastrointestinal problems,
reproductive problems, joint and tissue damage, brain
disorders and skin conditions. They're even said to help your
sex drive.
Saunas are also often credited, rightly or wrongly, with
leading to weight loss.
While a lot of what is lost is just water which will return
once you are rehydrated, Sylver argues that the body must
work to produce sweat - it doesn't just happen.
No matter what you believe about the health or weight loss
benefits of saunas, at the very least they're wonderful for
relaxation.
They make sore muscles and joints feel better and - as long
as you have no serious health conditions - they won't hurt
you.
If you do have any medical issues, are on medication or are
pregnant, check with your doctor before using the sauna and
limit the time of sessions.
Etiquette and advice
Before
- Eat something an hour or so before your session but nothing
heavy. You want to make it easy for your body to sweat not be
conflicted between sweating and digesting.
- Make sure you are hydrated before going in.
- Don't drink any alcohol. It will dehydrate you further and
can lead to burning or worse.
- Consider doing some cardio exercise to help speed up the
sweating process but allow some cooling off time before
entering if you are already overheated.
- Remove any jewellery or glasses. Jewellery can heat up and
glasses may react to a sudden change of temperature.
- Have a quick shower first to wash off any toxins and, if
using an electric sauna, leave a light layer of water on your
skin to help the sweating process.
During
- Start with shorter sessions and build up both time and
heatTake a towel with you to sit on, especially if it is a
communal sauna If you can't sauna au naturel, wear loose,
lightweight clothing or a towel.
- Have a supply of drinking water at hand. You can lose
anywhere from 0.5-1.5 litres of sweat per 15 minutes in a
sauna.
- If you start to feel overly hot or dizzy leave the sauna
immediately and take a shower or just cool off a bit.
- If you still don't feel well then check with your doctor
before trying it again.
- Don't get up too quickly.
After
- Drink water. You want to replace the water you've lost. You
may also want to replace lost minerals and vitamins.
- Don't cool off too fast, especially if you have any kind of
health condition. There are benefits to alternating hot and
cold temperatures but be sensible.
- Have a shower and brush your skin with a loofah.
- Sit for a while and relax.
