Sweating is a natural physiological process and also a vital part of our daily routine. Therefore, when your body responds with heavy sweating due to increased body temperature, you should not take it negatively by using deodorants that will block the skin pores, which endangers your health.
Since ancient days taking sauna sessions was perceived as a culture, and it has evolved to the present day as an exercise and meditation.
Thus, due to technology, Sauna has evolved into various types, but one that is considered to be the best among them is dry sauna.
What is a dry sauna? How to use it? Everything you want to know is listed below:
What Is a Dry Sauna?
A dry sauna is heating the air around your body directly in an airtight room through the volcanic rock using an electric stove or traditionally burning the rock using woods or stove.
Dry Sauna normally operates between 65.6-90.6 degrees Celsius, with the other end being more of the average temperature. When you enter a sauna, the increased temperature causes an elevation in heart rate and increased blood circulation in the body, thus triggering the metabolism process to increase.
These physiological reactions open the skin pores to sweat and remove toxins as a natural way of maintaining normal body temperature.
Health Benefits of Dry Sauna
Being in an airtight room without moisture may seem stressful to your body, but it has the following benefits to your body.
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Helps in burning reserved body fats and excess calories
Due to an increase in body temperature, it will speed up metabolism; thus, your body will break down the body fat to provide more energy and water required in aiding the physiological body process. Thus the body will lose a lot of pounds through sweating.
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Purifies the blood
Since an increase in body temperature triggers the skin pores to be open to allow the body to cool through sweating naturally, it will also drain toxic substances and unwanted elements from the body.
If you keep up with the sauna sessions daily, your blood will get purified.
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Helps your body to relax
Traditional dry sauna was used as one of the meditation techniques before it became popular.
While in the sauna, the body will undergo stress; thus, it will adjust to the situation so the mind too. Thus, you find sauna sessions to be a place where you cool off your mind after a stressful day.
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It makes your body to be flexible
While the body undergoes heat stress, your skin pores enlarge; therefore, it opens the blood vessels, causing muscles and joints to be stiff. Thus, making you feel free, invigorated, and flexible.
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Enhances blood circulation
When the metabolism process steps up, the body will require a lot of oxygen supply for the process to be stable.
Hence, it will force the heart to pump out more blood through the body to provide more oxygen for the metabolic process. This can help poorer circulation by getting efficiently out of their feet, arms, hands, and legs.
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Reduces symptoms of asthma
Frequent sauna bath opens up the lungs, making it easier for those who have asthma to find it easy to breathe; thus, experiencing less wheezing.
Dry saunas bath promotes low humidity, which causes sweat to evaporate more quickly. Therefore, for those who suffer or struggle with skin problems aggravated by humidity, if they take frequent sauna sessions, they experience less skin acne and heat rash.
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Enhances mental wellbeing
Taking a sauna bath is therapeutic by exposing your body through a lot of heat processes that will let the body and mind start emulating and withstand the whole process with a lot of ease.
As a beginner, it may seem uneasy and suffocating, but as time goes, your mental attitude and stability will adjust to the condition inside the Sauna.
Dry Sauna vs. Wet Sauna
– Similarities
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The materials
Both dry and wet sauna materials are designed with durable and robust wood from either hemlock or Red cedar to ensure you get the best sauna results.
The majority of the units are made with double-sealed woods, a great tip for increasing circulation. They also use the same heating elements to provide temperatures. The wet and dry saunas are heated with sauna rocks or stove heaters.
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Health benefits
When it comes to health benefits, both dry and wet saunas have endless benefits. They help to improve good circulation in the body, detoxify, improve skin tone, weight loss and also for cleansing the skin, to name a few.
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Both have risks
Although dry and wet saunas provide significant health benefits, they also pose some health risks worth noting. One of the leading health risks associated with the sauna is dehydration, which occurs as a result of excessive sweating and less water intake.
Therefore, it is good to take water before going to the sauna, in between, and after using the sauna.
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Enclosed unit
Dry and wet saunas are used when the unit is fully enclosed to ensure no heat evaporates from the inside sauna. They also have a glass patented glass door that provides proper sealing.
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– Differences
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The heat
When it comes to the level of the heating interval between the two units, the dry sauna has a high level of heating level as compared to the wet sauna.
This is because the dry sauna only utilizes the heating elements such as the heaters or the sauna rocks to generate heat, which is later radiated in the sauna to provide temperatures. Therefore, you have to set high temperatures to fasten the healing process.
On the other hand, wet saunas use both heating elements and water, which is poured over the rocks or the stove to help in the generation of humid temperatures.
The added water to the heating elements helps to fasten the evaporation of the humid temperatures inside the sauna. Thus, with wet saunas, you don’t necessarily need to set up high levels of heating interval.
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Dry Vs. Wet temperatures
The addition of water to the heating rocks in wet sauna facilitates the production of humid in the sauna. Although the wet sauna enables one to sweat, the wet moist also causes one to soak damp while in the sauna.
The dry sauna only produces dry temperatures. Therefore, the process of sweating is facilitated by the high temperatures in the sauna.
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The temperatures levels
Dry saunas are hotter than the wet saunas. This is because the wet saunas produce humid temperatures, which reduce the level of heat penetrating in the body.
On the other hand, dry sauna only provides dry heat, which directly penetrates the body. The dry heat can penetrate up to 9 inches through the skin.
>> Check Dry Sauna vs Wet Sauna for more difference details between dry sauna and wet sauna.
Who Is Recommended for Dry Sauna?
Regular use of a dry Sauna is recommendable for people who are suffering from the following conditions;
- Cardiovascular disease
- Coronary heart disease
- Asthma
- Skin diseases are aggravated by humidity.
- Dementia
- Rheumatic diseases
Precautions of Using a Dry Sauna
If you have been in a Sauna, don’t be afraid of the unknown because a dry Sauna is safe to use as one way to help you maintain your body’s well-being.
However, it might be unsafe if you do not adhere to some precautions required to follow before and after entering a Sauna. These precautions are:
- It is recommendable to start with a shorter session as you progress up to the maximum time that your body strength can hold.
- Before you begin, check first with your doctor if you are pregnant, under medication, or experience abnormal heart rhythm condition, heart valve disease, unstable angina, or blood pressure.
- If you are doing more than one sauna session, it is important to step out of the Sauna to let your body cool down first immediately before proceeding to the second or third sessions. While your body is cooling, maximize on a cool break by relaxing and hydrating to provide you with enough energy ions to take you through the other sessions.
- It is also essential to carry a timer that will remind you of the sessions and when to take a break because you might get carried away or forget since the sessions are like meditation.
- Do not go over the recommended time to avoid dehydration since your body may strain a lot, which is unhealthy.
- Drink a lot of water before and after you are done with sessions to hydrate your body.
- Do not take alcohol before and after the sauna sessions. Alcohol dehydrates the body with a high percentage of water in the body due to overheating. Hence stepping in a sauna in that state will put your health at high risk by hydrating excessively and exposing you to cardiovascular complications.
- After leaving the Sauna, it is vital to let your body temperature to cool gradually for the physiological process to reduce {stress}, thus enhancing energy build up.
- Take a shower before and after your sauna sessions.
- Step out of the Sauna immediately you feel dizzy or nausea to allow the body to cool down.
The most recommended time for adults to take in a sauna is about 10-20 minutes, but you can decide to stay more than that depending on the level of your comfort and the stability of your body.
Furthermore, you can decide to break the longer session into smaller sessions with a cooling break between the sessions.
Conclusion
Besides your gym sessions and meditation, incorporate a dry Sauna into your exercise routine will unravel many opportunities for your physical and mental health.
However, keep in mind about the precautions for you to enjoy the maximum potential of engaging yourself in a dry sauna session.
