Sanctimonious Sauna
Sitting in a wooden hut with a bunch of sweaty strangers doesn’t sound the slightest bit appealing but it is one of my most favorite past times. After a vigorous three hour gym session, there is nothing I look forward to more than sitting in a sauna perspiring myself in to a little puddle, followed by a 3 minute ice-cold shower. For some, it would seem like I’m putting myself through an ancient form of torture but hot and cold therapy is an ever growing obsession for fitness fanatics and there is good reasoning behind it.
Saunas have been used for centuries and I must admit, there is something about it that feels so primitive and natural. You get the opportunity to speak to other like minded people from different walks of life, stripped of their social status, relaxed and sharing their views with one an other. During these conversations, I find it very difficult to not mention at least one of the many positives of using this sacred space.
Our circulatory system is like the catacombs of Europe, vast amounts of underground passageways, continuously getting blocked off or collapsing. When we are putting our bodies through high levels of heat, we are encouraging our circulation to open up those passageways and repair any damage that may be occurring through time. The more blood vessels that get used, the easier it is for our blood to carry around important cells and signals to vital organs. When blood stops travelling and flowing as freely to certain parts of our bodies, these parts stop functioning at full capacity, gradually declining until our bodies stop using them completely.
Each day, we are surrounded by more and more pollution, we are consuming more chemicals and breathing in unnatural particles of air. That’s why it’s important to expose ourselves to extreme heat and sweat it out. By secreting fluid from our pores, we are allowing our bodies to cleanse our bloodstream and expel the toxins from our organs. It has been heavily documented through years of data collecting that using a sauna between 3 to 5 times a week for around 15 minutes per session can extend your life by around 22%. More so if you can last longer in the heat and go more frequently, it’s a no brainer, especially if your family has a history of cardio vascular disease.
After weight training and cardio, an increase in blood flow from extreme heat exposure will stimulate your hormones to repair your muscles, additionally, it will cause heat shock protein synthesis. These hormonal changes will help your muscles to grow at an accelerated rate, which in turn, will benefit your long term health. It’s all around beneficial because when muscles repair faster it also increases our endurance for cardio as well as weight training.
Unfortunately, saunas are not accessible to everyone and for a lot of cultures, it’s some what of a wealthy persons past time, however, do not be disheartened. For those of you that cannot incorporate a sauna in to their weekly schedule, you can substitute with the following methods:
Sauna blankets for between £50-£350
Make-shift/temporary steam room in your bathroom
A long, hot bath or shower
These alternatives are not as effective as a sauna but they will still stimulate some of the beneficial hormone releases.
