The days are getting shorter, the leaves are changing color and the first cool autumn winds are foreshadowing it: the cold days are coming. We long for coziness and warmth. Our European neighbors, the Finns, are showing us how to do it, and the whole world is diligently emulating them - off to the sauna. In Germany alone, around 30 million people sweat voluntarily. Would you have known? - Test your knowledge about sauna
The days are getting shorter, the leaves are changing color and the first cool autumn winds are foreshadowing it: the cold days are coming. We long for coziness and warmth. Our European neighbors, the Finns, are showing us how to do it, and the whole world is diligently emulating them - off to the best infrared sauna. In Germany alone, around 30 million people sweat voluntarily.
False tips about saunas still persist. It is important to separate the facts from the errors. We uncover and give tips for taking a sauna!
#1 The sauna helps you lose weight
Probably the most persistent sauna misconception revolves around weight loss after a sauna session. If a few kilos less stand on the scales after sauna, the joy is short. The quick and comparatively easy weight loss is due to the lack of water in the body caused by sweating.
Fat burning while taking a cheap sauna is therefore nothing but a stubborn myth. Nevertheless, a sauna visit stimulates the metabolism and can thus have positive effects on a diet and your health. Only a healthy diet and exercise can help you lose weight!
#2 Sauna is so healthy and prevents colds
Especially in the cold seasons, the question arises: can you simply sweat out
cold in the sauna and who should not sauna?
Basically, if the infection is already pronounced, the one person sauna should be avoided. In this phase, the body tries to heal itself and therefore needs all its energy to fight the viruses. A hot sweat bath with fragrant sauna infusions can be compared to a round of jogging and in this condition is an unnecessary strain on the ailing body. If you already have a cold, you should allow yourself as much rest as possible and avoid alternating between heat and cold to avoid putting additional strain on your cardiovascular system.
If a cold is slowly developing with coughs, colds and sore throats, a steam sauna should be chosen, as this has somewhat lower temperatures. There the mucous membranes are not so strongly loaded and less dried out. Also on the cold shower after the sauna should be renounced and rather slowly give the body the opportunity to cool down. In any case, if you have a fever, it is better to go to bed than to the sauna.
#3 Frequent sauna is healthy
Right. Visiting a sauna can have a positive effect on our health if we sauna regularly. A Finnish study showed that the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease decreases if you go to the sauna more than once a week. Nevertheless:
Sweating means hard work for our body, with stress on the cardiovascular system. Especially for sauna beginners, sauna sessions should be enjoyed in moderation. How long does a sauna session last? A session should not last longer than 15 minutes and should not include more than three sauna sessions in a row. Between sweaty sessions, it is important to take restful breaks.
#4 In the sauna dry out the skin and hair.
The assumption that a visit to the sauna dries out the skin or harms the hair is unfounded. On the contrary. Studies have shown that going to the sauna increases the moisture content of the skin.
The heat promotes blood circulation and contributes to beautiful skin. Creams, oils and makeup should be removed before taking a sauna, as the substances in essential oils or the ingredients in creams can cause great stress to the skin if the heat is too intense. Showering before taking a sauna is therefore necessary not only for hygienic reasons.
The hair is not necessarily at risk of drying out when saunas are taken regularly.
It is recommended to wash the hair with a mild shampoo before the first sauna session and to apply a hair mask after a visit to the sauna or steam bath, as this can penetrate the hair structure particularly well.
SAUNA TIP:
It depends on the correct sequence of care products.
# 5 Sauna detoxifies the body
Unfortunately only a myth. In the sauna, our body cannot sweat out harmful substances or so-called slags. Metabolic waste products or other harmful substances in the body are utilized by the kidneys and liver and are by no means sweated out during saunas. Detoxification by sauna belongs to the realm of legends. But even this myth contains a shred of truth. Besides water and minerals, our sweat also contains minimal traces of other substances. However, these quantities are so small that one cannot speak of detoxification in the sauna.
