In simple terms, similar to exposure to hot weather or exercise, sauna use increases your core body temperature and heart rate, which dilates your blood vessels, increases your blood flow, and lowers your blood pressure. These physiological changes give your body a healthy type of stress that can have a balancing and healing effect.
How Sauna Therapy Affects Your Body
Recent research suggests saunas can induce positive changes in human metabolism and can have a regulating effect on the immune system and nervous system. Natural stressors, like cold or heat exposure — called “hormetic stress” — mimic the natural stressors our human ancestors were often exposed to. A systematic review reported that the health benefits of regular sauna use likely comes from the biochemical cascade caused by healthy heat stress
The heat stress caused by sauna therapy can:
Improve cardiovascular health and reduce high blood pressure
Reduce stress and chronic pain
Improve metabolism markers, like fasting blood glucose
Increase fat burning, weight loss, and exercise performance
Increase antioxidant production
Support healthy detoxification of chemicals such as heavy metals.
