Breathe in the soothing steam, close your eyes and feel how the warm air penetrates deep into your lungs. Then take a dip in the ice-cold plunge pool and your body is running at full speed. This is what a sauna session followed by a visit to the plunge pool can look like.
We hear from many quarters that saunas have health benefits. That's why we asked ourselves how exactly saunas affect us and why they contribute to a healthy lifestyle.
Firstly, regular sauna sessions improve the cardiovascular system: the high temperatures stimulate our heart to pump three times more blood through our veins than it would under normal conditions. But how exactly does this affect our body? The cardiovascular system is stimulated and strengthened by our heart's efforts to lower our body temperature. If you go into the ice-cold plunge pool afterwards, this effect is intensified and you get the maximum benefit.
Another benefit of the sauna is that it improves the appearance of the skin - when you take a sauna, the body sweats out a lot of waste products that have accumulated in the tissue. This works as follows: Under heat, the blood vessels dilate and the mucous membranes can more easily rid themselves of secretions and waste products. This natural process is intensified in the sauna, but it is important to make sure that the temperature is not too high and that you choose a sauna that is suitable for you.
The heat causes the blood vessels to dilate, which means that the skin is better supplied with blood and oxygen. When you come out of the sauna, the conditions change again and the blood vessels constrict. An excellent workout for our blood vessels! A sauna session can also help to remove dead skin cells and ensures deep pore cleansing. A regular sauna session is also very beneficial for dry skin: the high humidity in the sauna leads to the skin being supplied with more moisture and can thus prevent skin diseases such as psoriasis, acne and neurodermatitis.
Taking a sauna can also have a positive effect on the respiratory tract. The humid heat makes it easier to inhale more deeply, which in turn has a positive effect on the mucous membranes. The change in temperature trains our respiratory organs to be able to take in more air in the long term. Asthma patients, chronic bronchitis sufferers and other lung disease patients in particular can alleviate their symptoms by going to the sauna.
In some saunas, it is common for various infusions to be made, but what benefits do they offer? The infusion causes the humidity in the sauna to increase as there is more water in the sauna. This then turns into vapour and rises. An infusion is not a necessity, but merely has an intensifying effect.
Some infusions have a fragrant flavour, which is achieved by adding essential oils to enhance the positive effects of the sauna. The oils can also have a very beneficial effect on the respiratory tract and have a relaxing effect. Lavender, for example, has a pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effect in addition to its relaxing properties, making it the perfect addition to a sauna.
