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If you're the type to go to a gym sauna and stay a few minutes to relax, consider staying longer: the hot, dry rooms are good for your heart.
A new 14-year long-term study published in the journal BMC Medicine, found that sauna use two to three times a week was badociated with a risk of death from cardiovascular disease 25% lower than jumping once a week. (This was after taking into account factors such as physical activity, socio-economic status and cardiovascular risk factors.) For those who went to the sauna four to seven times a week, this risk had decreased by 77%. In addition, the researchers also discovered that the longer the time spent in the sauna, the better it was for the heart.
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Sauna practice is a popular health practice in Scandinavia, so it is not surprising that researchers come from the University of Eastern Finland. Bathing in the sauna, as it is called, has been badociated with a lower risk of high blood pressure, stroke, respiratory diseases and dementia. (Traditional saunas offer a dry air with a humidity rate of 10 to 20% and heated to at least 86 degrees Fahrenheit.) Researchers usually spend five to 20 minutes bathing, say the researchers.)
These are great promises to sit in a warm room, but this is not the first time they are done. Previous research has shown that sauna users have a healthier heart, in humans. This new study is important because about half of the participants were women (51.4%!). And needless to say, women are not tiny men. It is therefore important that scientific research also uses female subjects.
That's why researchers believe that sitting in a hot box is so good: heat is a stressor for your cardiovascular system. Relaxing in a sauna increases your heart rate to 120 to 150 beats per minute, "corresponding to a low to moderate intensity workout for the circulatory system without active muscle work," write the authors. Yes, it's like doing a good walk on the treadmill, except that you sweat while wearing a towel. Sauna suspension enhances the function of the blood vessels to improve blood flow and regulate blood pressure.
Of course, this study looked at an badociation between sauna bathing and heart health, not a cause-and-effect relationship, so more research needs to be done. Nevertheless, this is one more reason to search for a schvitz regularly. Here are three others.
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Saunas can keep your brain alive
In a study of Finnish men of middle age, going to the sauna two to three times a week reduced the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease by 22% and 20%, respectively, compared to once a week, according to a study published in 2017 in the journal. Age and aging. It turns out that what is good for the heart can be good for the brain: an improvement in blood vessel function, a lowering of blood pressure and a reduction in inflammation can also preserve the resources cognitive.
Saunas can help you breathe better
To be full of warm air is a good thing. In a British and Finnish study involving nearly 2,000 men, those who went to the sauna two, three, four or more times a week were less likely to develop a respiratory illness (such as COPD, asthma or pneumonia) compared to those who went once or less a week. Heat can improve lung function for better breathing.
Saunas boost your mood
It's no secret that you leave a sauna in style. It has been shown that saunas increase the level of beneficial endorphins, so do not be surprised if people ask you about your shine. Perhaps this is why people with mild depression also report feeling better physically and say the sauna has helped them relax, according to a newspaper article. Examination of alternative medicines.
When to avoid the sauna
If you have a health problem, consult your doctor before going to the sauna, especially if you do not go to a sauna regularly. People with certain heart conditions such as unstable angina or aortic stenosis, as well as those with skin problems like a oozing rash, should avoid them, Examination of alternative medicines paper notes. Oh, and if you drank alcohol, you do not have to go out.
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And if you are pregnant?
Doctors warn pregnant women about activities that would increase their body temperature too much, such as soaking in a hot tub or sauna, as these activities are badociated with neural tube defects (spina bifida). is an example).
However, new research is challenging this belief. As part of a review of 12 studies conducted in 2018 in 2018, the researchers concluded that pregnant women can stay in a hot and dry sauna for up to 20 minutes safely without their core temperature being affected. Is reaching a dangerous level. A previous study, based on data from the National Study on the Prevention of Conbad Anomalies and published in 2015, came to a similar conclusion.
That said, some of this research has been done on Finnish women, who may be more used to sauna baths. Talk to your doctor about what is good for you, your health, and your pregnancy.
Do like the fins
Interested in making sauna sitting a usual habit? The fins traditionally add cold water to the mixture. After staying in a dry heat sauna for five to twenty minutes, they head for a cold bath (often in an ice-cold pool on the outside, but a cold shower also works) and then warm up to room temperature . Repeat two to three times. Enjoy!
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