Saunas and Stuff

If you just returned from a day at the spa, you may be dreaming of having a sauna in your own home. While adding a sauna to your home or patio is not an inexpensive endeavor, there are ways to fit such an indulgence into your budget.

If you play your cards right, you may be able to justify the cost of a sauna. After all, having a sauna in your very own home means fewer costly days at the local spa. Here are some tips you can use to fit a sauna into your budget and enjoy the luxury of heated steam and pore-cleaning moisture whenever you feel the urge.

#1. Do the Prep Work Yourself
If you are shopping for an outdoor sauna, you will need to prepare a suitable spot on your deck or patio or in your back yard. If you have unlimited funds to work with, you could hire a contractor to do the prep work for you, but if you are short on funds you can do a lot of that work yourself. From smoothing and grading the ground where the sauna will sit to taking down trees and bushes that need to removed, you can do a lot of the prep work on your own and save the cost of a contractor.

You will probably still need professional help for the wiring and plumbing part of the project, but doing the other work yourself can greatly reduce your sauna installation budget.

#2. Understand Your Needs
Think about what you want from a sauna and why you are thinking about buying one. Are you primarily interested in the health benefits of a home sauna, including clearer skin and more relaxed muscles? Do you want a sauna to help you relax and unwind after a hard day at the office? Do you picture your family sitting around together and enjoying a nice steam?

The answers to these questions will help you choose the best sauna for you and your family. Buying a sauna can be a life-changing experience, especially if you know exactly what you are looking for.

#3. Stick to the Essentials
It might be nice to have a high-tech stereo system piping music into your sauna room, but is it really necessary? It is important to look at your real needs and shop accordingly. You want to spend your money on the highest quality sauna. You can add your own stereo system and set of speakers.

If you really want a home sauna but do not have a huge budget, just stick to the basics. Think about why you want the sauna in the first place - namely relaxation and good health. The best quality saunas provide the most compelling health benefits, and that is the most important thing to focus on. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about saunas or if you need more information on any of our models.

#4. Choose an Energy-Efficient Model
The up-front cost of the sauna is one thing, and it is certainly the most visible thing. Even so, the expense does not go away when the sauna is installed in your home or on your patio.

All saunas use some power, but some models use more than others. Choosing the most energy-efficient sauna you can afford will reduce the strain on your electric bill, and that could save you more money in the long run. If you have any questions regarding the energy usage of any of saunas, you can contact us for more information. We are experts on every model we sell, and we can help you find the best sauna for your needs!

If you are thinking about adding a sauna to your bathroom, patio or back yard, you may be looking for reasons to take the plunge. A home sauna is no small investment, and buying one is not a decision to be made lightly. Even so, adding a sauna to your home has benefits that go far beyond mere relaxation.

Regular use of a sauna can actually boost your health, and that could tip the scales in favor of getting one. Here are five powerful health benefits you can get from your home sauna.

1. A Home Sauna Can Detoxify Your Body

From the food we eat and the beverages we drink to the very air we breathe, dangerous toxins are all around us. They seep into the plastic in our drinking cups and tableware. They come up from the soil and get into the crops we eat and the meat on our dinner table. They get into the air from factory smokestacks and car exhausts. You may not be able to eliminate toxins from your environment, but a sauna may help remove the toxic buildup from your body.

Commercial spas have been using saunas for body detoxification for years, and installing a home sauna means you can enjoy a cleansing detox whenever, and as often as you want.

2. A Home Sauna Can Make Exercising Easier and More Effective

You want to work out, and you have every intention of hitting the gym every day after work. After a couple of intense workouts, however, you find your body aching and it is all you can do to get out of bed and go to work.

Those aching muscles can be enough to drive you from the gym, but ending each workout with a relaxing sauna steam can prevent those painful cramps and make exercising more comfortable. There is a reason so many gyms have saunas in their facilities, and a home sauna gives you all of those benefits without leaving the house.

3. A Home Sauna Can Improve Your Skin

You know how important it is to open your pores and deep clean your skin. Over time, makeup, dead skin and other debris can really build up on your face and body, and soap and water can only do so much. If you want to get your skin truly clean, you need a way to open up your pores and let them breathe.

Steam is the perfect remedy for clogged pores, and a home sauna offers steam in abundance. Simply sitting in your home sauna for 15 or 20 minutes can leave your skin tingly and invigorated. You may even be able to cut back on that expensive face cream and enjoy regular sauna sessions instead!

4. Regular Sauna Use Can Boost Your Circulation

Nothing gets your blood pumping quite like spending time in your home sauna. Regular use of a home sauna is good for your circulation and may even help your heart.

Using a sauna on a regular basis can lower your blood pressure and help you relax and unwind. That relaxation and blood pressure control can provide a myriad of health benefits, and can really aid regular users in letting go of the stresses of daily life.

5. A Sauna Relaxes Your Body and Mind

A home sauna is good for your body and your mind. Taking a steam in your home sauna can lower your stress level and help you relax when you would otherwise be obsessing over your work or home life.

Regular use of a home sauna can also relax your mind and make it easier to fall asleep. Insomnia has reached epidemic proportions around the world, and getting a good night's sleep can be difficult. Relaxing in the sauna just before bedtime can relax your body and help you drift off to sleep and wake refreshed and ready to take on the day.

If you’re ready to purchase a sauna for your home, or have any questions about which model is right for you, give us a call, we’re happy to help!

There is one common element in fitness centers everywhere, and it isn't the weights or cardio equipment. Saunas are present in almost all gyms because they offer numerous health benefits. Spending time in the sauna, whether you've finished working out or went to the gym specifically for a steam, helps soothe your sore muscles and relieve arthritic pain. What if you don't have time to get to the gym on a regular basis?

Perhaps it is time to invest in a new home sauna. If it sounds like a lot of money, it may be time to reconsider that evaluation. There are a number of benefits you can enjoy after investing in a new sauna. The next time you see a sauna for sale, keep these five reasons in mind.

1. Privacy

Everyone has a different concept of decency in a public place. While some are comfortable with their body and not bothered by others, there are people who want to use a sauna without feeling like their privacy has been invaded. Part of the joy of a sauna is the ability to calm down, relax, and enjoy a steam in total silence. You cannot control who joins you, and how talkative they might be, in a public sauna. In your own home sauna though, you can get a steam without having to carry on a conversation the whole time.

2. Hygiene

One of the best reasons to purchase one the next time you see a sauna for sale is hygiene. Public saunas are used by countless people during the course of the day. You have no way of knowing who has been in the sauna recently, where they sat, whether they lay on the benches, or when it was cleaned last. In your own private sauna at home, you know all of these things before you take a steam.

3. Convenience

Once you've wrapped up your workout at the gym, it might take your body some time to cool down and for muscle soreness to set in. What happens if you've already showered and returned home before noticing muscle soreness? The sauna is back at the gym and you're settled in at home. Or worse, what if your arthritic pain flares up late in the evening? Do you really want to get dressed and go to the gym for a steam? With an in-home sauna, you can enjoy the benefits of a steam when you need to, not when you can arrange some time at the gym.

4. Health Benefits

Many of the health benefits of a sauna are already common knowledge, but there are some that remain little known. Among the biggest health benefits: stress reduction. Saunas help your body release endorphins that reduce stress and increase your energy level. Spending time in a sauna can also maintain or improve your skin complexion by opening pores and relaxing facial tissues. The heat in a sauna improves circulation by bringing blood closer to the skin and increasing flow to your extremities.

5. Return on Investment

Finally, purchasing a sauna for your home can help add value to your property over time. A sauna adds a unique, attention-grabbing feature to your home. Take caution when you install a sauna though. Avoid buying a sauna that has been customized to a high degree, because it may decrease the value of your home in the eyes of some buyers. Prebuilt saunas are a popular option because you can always uninstall it and take it with you when/if you sell your home.

There are countless amenities to outfit the modern bath.  From shower rooms to saunas, the only limitations are your imagination and your budget.

Saunas in particular are making their way into master bathroom suites – not just for the luxury aspect, but also for the myriad health benefits including:

• Improved blood circulation

• Natural detoxification of the body’s tissues

• Relaxation for the body and mind

While an installed home sauna may not suit the space you have to work with, an outdoor sauna can instead prove a very viable alternative.

Our favorite things about installing a backyard sauna?

1. The first one is the most obvious: you can enjoy a refreshing sauna day or evening without leaving the comfort of your home.

2. During the cooler (or depending on where you live!) the snowy months, there’s nothing like relishing the great outdoors from the comfort of a cozy sauna.

3. As the perfect companion to your pool – you can enjoy a refreshing sauna and then swim your laps for an invigorating start to your day, or to wind down from a stressful one.

4. You can take it with you! Outdoor saunas are typically portable so if you move to another home or decide to re-landscape or re-design your yard – the sauna can sit wherever it makes sense in relation to your house or your pool.

5. They’re decorative. Today’s saunas are not simply a big, ugly box that could easily be mistaken for a storage shed. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes (including custom) with optional features for the interior as well as decorative doors.

With an outdoor sauna you will have the ability to indulge in the benefits of a sauna and make it an essential part of your wellness and fitness regimen.

As a rule, “sweat” tends to have a bad connotation. Perhaps that’s because we take so many measures against it. We use deodorant, blast air conditioners to keep from perspiring, pat our bodies dry with thick terrycloth towels, and even don active wear that wicks sweat away from our skin.

But an “intentional” sweat is a key part of a healthy regimen. Incorporating a good sauna session will provide numerous benefits.

Our Top Five Favorite Things About Saunas:

1. They offer a very effective means of eliminating toxins from the body. We are exposed to more toxins than any of us are aware. (If we focused too much on them we would likely never leave the house!) However, because the skin is porous, it affords the perfect “medium” to literally transport toxins.

2. In the same way the human body naturally develops a fever to increase metabolism in an effort to ward off viruses; similarly, a sauna session can improve blood circulation and help bring oxygen to tissues. It also helps to clear nasal passages and drain clogged sinuses.

3. Infrared saunas in particular are especially effective at removing toxins from the body. Their dry and warming energy heats deep tissues and enhances the metabolic processes.

4. Drinking plenty of water to replenish lost fluids is part of a healthy regime, but a great “side effect” of incorporating consistent sauna sessions is embracing the importance of water throughout the day.

5. There are also reported benefits for those suffering from arthritis and muscle strain.

If you’ve never tried a sauna before, you will likely find it an activity you’ll wish to incorporate into a consistent regimen. Similar to the feeling of a runner’s high or the tranquility and “destressification” realized after a nice, long swim….the relaxation and detoxification you’ll feel will have you wanting to find more time to fit additional sauna sessions into your week.

Is it Safe for Children to Use a Sauna?

In Finland, more than 90% of all children use the sauna before the age of 7. Saunas are most definitely safe for children to use, and regular sauna use can impart health benefits to growing children.

That said, however, there are certainly some precautions to take when allowing children to use a sauna.

Take Precautions with Children in the Sauna

Young children have under-developed perspiration system and care should be taken that they do not remain in the sauna as long as an adult would. It is recommended that they remain in the sauna no longer than about 10 minutes and sit on the lower benches where the temperatures are lower. Children should never use the sauna alone. They should always use the sauna with adult supervision.

How Old Should a Child Be Before Using a Sauna?

It will really depend on the child. Before using a sauna, a child should be able to clearly express themselves and be able to state when they are physically uncomfortable. They should also be old enough to understand that they can exit the sauna as soon as they feel they are uncomfortable. If your child is not old enough to do these things, they are too young for a sauna.

Health Benefits for Children Who Use Saunas

Children who experience respiratory problems such as asthma or allergies often benefit from using a sauna. Breathing the hot air is less physically taxing for them than exercise or hot baths, and it activates muscles that open the upper respiratory tract leading to the lungs. Many children with respiratory ailments see improvement after repeated sauna use.

Some sources recommend such children use a sauna once a week for maximum health benefits.

In one German study, kindergarten children were divided into groups, with one partaking in a weekly sauna and the other not using the sauna at all. Over the next 18 months, the children who used the sauna regularly had half the number of sick days as the children who did not use the sauna. 

http://www.saunasociety.org/styled-6
http://www.terme-tuhelj.hr/gb/sauna-for-children-too--3367
http://www.bearanddoebanya.com/2013/04/05/10-health-benefits-of-the-sauna

This article is Part Four of our four-part series on the extraordinary effects of hyperthermic conditioning--or heat acclimation--through sauna use on athletic performance and general health. If this series doesn't convince you that a sauna should be a regular part of your health regimen, nothing will! We believe this information is so important, that we are featuring the series on both our Saunas US and Saunas Canada sites.

This series focuses on and breaks down the information provided by Dr. Rhonda Patrick in her YouTube video "Hyperthermic Conditioning for Hypertrophy, Endurance, and Neurogenesis". See the full video pasted below. Throughout the article, we will direct you to specific points in the video so you can jump straight there.

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Hyperthermic Conditioning / Heat Acclimation Through Sauna Use

Heat acclimation--or hyperthermic conditioning--through regular sauna use can have profound effects on health and athletic performance. Specifically, in the following areas:

1. increasing endurance capacity
2. increasing muscle mass
3. improving brain function, including neurogenesis (the creation of new brain cells)
4. causing the effect known as "Runner's High"

Refer to 1:08 in the video.

The Runner's High (10:11)

It's a common report among runners: they push themselves through a long and tough run, and then afterwards find that they feel really really good. Like maybe too good, as if chemically altered. This "high"--or euphoria--is sometimes mistakenly thought to be caused by endorphins, but it's not. Well, not really.

What happens is this: during a run, your body releases dynorphin, which is the opposite of endorphin. While endorphins make you feel good all over, dynorphins actually create a feeling of dysphoria. These dynorphins essentially "reboot" your system, making you more sensitive to endorphins.

You can get this "high" effect from activities a release of dynorphins, such as exercise, eating really spicy food, and--you guessed it--heat stress, such as you experience from a sauna session.

So if you'd like to experience this euphoria without having to run a marathon, have a seat in a nice hot sauna!

Be sure to check out the entire series on heat acclimation/hyperthermic conditioning:

1. Building Athletic Endurance Through Sauna Use
2. Increasing Muscle Mass Through Sauna Use
3. Improving Brain Function Through Sauna Use
4. The Runner's High Explained

This article is Part Three of our four-part series on the extraordinary effects of hyperthermic conditioning--or heat acclimation--through sauna use on athletic performance and general health. If this series doesn't convince you that a sauna should be a regular part of your health regimen, nothing will! We believe this information is so important, that we are featuring the series on both our Saunas US and Saunas Canada sites.

This series focuses on and breaks down the information provided by Dr. Rhonda Patrick in her YouTube video "Hyperthermic Conditioning for Hypertrophy, Endurance, and Neurogenesis". See the full video pasted below. Throughout the article, we will direct you to specific points in the video so you can jump straight there.

--------

Hyperthermic Conditioning / Heat Acclimation Through Sauna Use

Heat acclimation--or hyperthermic conditioning--through regular sauna use can have profound effects on health and athletic performance. Specifically, in the following areas:

1. increasing endurance capacity
2. increasing muscle mass
3. improving brain function, including neurogenesis (the creation of new brain cells)
4. causing the effect known as "Runner's High"

Refer to 1:08 in the video.

The Effects of Heat Acclimation on Brain Function (8:05)

The following effects occur during hyperthermic conditioning through regular sauna use:

1. Neurogenesis is increased. Neurogenesis is the creation of new brain cells.
2. There is improvement in learning and memory. The brain's ability to learn new things and retain memories increases.
3. Focus is improved. The ability to sustain concentration during a mental task is increased.

What Happens in the Brain During Sauna Use (8:14)

Regular sauna use causes a 3-fold increase in norepinephrine. Norepinephrine is the hormone and neurotransmitter most responsible for focus and attention and other cognitive functions. The increase in norepinephrine levels means a greater ability to focus and pay attention, as well as an increased capacity for storing information for later use (memory).

Norepinephrine is often given in drug form to treat ADHD, so it is suggested that increasing the levels more naturally through regular sauna use can relieve symptoms of ADHD and similar disorders.

Levels of the hormone prolactin are also increased, by a whopping 10-fold. Prolactin encourages myelin growth. Myelination is the formation of myelin around nerve cells. This process enables faster transmission of information and allows for more complex brain functions. More prolactin = more myelin growth = faster, more complex "executive" thought processes that exhibit as improved planning, decision-making, and reasoning skills, as well as improved impulse control and self-discipline.

Read This Part--It is Extra Amazing (9:14)

The stress of the heat during sauna use increases the amount of brain-derived neurotophic factors (BDNF) released (when combined with exercise). BDNF is amazing stuff. Increased BDNF levels do the following:

1. increase the growth of brain cells
2. increase the survival rate of existing brain cells (they live longer)
3. improve learning and retention
4. reduce depression and anxiety related to early life events
5. improve the ability of muscles to repair themselves throughout the body

That's pretty amazing stuff.

Be sure to check out the entire series on heat acclimation/hyperthermic conditioning:

1. Building Athletic Endurance Through Sauna Use
2. Increasing Muscle Mass Through Sauna Use
3. Improving Brain Function Through Sauna Use
4. The Runner's High Explained

This article is Part Two of our four-part series on the extraordinary effects of hyperthermic conditioning--or heat acclimation--through sauna use on athletic performance and general health. If this series doesn't convince you that a sauna should be a regular part of your health regimen, nothing will! We believe this information is so important, that we are featuring the series on both our Saunas US and Saunas Canada sites.

This series focuses on and breaks down the information provided by Dr. Rhonda Patrick in her YouTube video "Hyperthermic Conditioning for Hypertrophy, Endurance, and Neurogenesis". See the full video pasted below. Throughout the article, we will direct you to specific points in the video so you can jump straight there.

--------

Hyperthermic Conditioning / Heat Acclimation Through Sauna Use

Heat acclimation--or hyperthermic conditioning--through regular sauna use can have profound effects on health and athletic performance. Specifically, in the following areas:

1. increasing endurance capacity
2. increasing muscle mass
3. improving brain function, including neurogenesis (the creation of new brain cells)
4. causing the effect known as "Runner's High"

Refer to 1:08 in the video.

The Effects of Heat Acclimation on Muscle Building (4:40)

The following effects occur during hyperthermic conditioning through regular sauna use:

1. The production of heat shock proteins is induced. Heat shock proteins repair muscle damage, convert amino acids into muscle tissue, and increase muscle density.
2. Growth hormone levels are boosted. Growth hormone is responsible for cell growth and regeneration, and increasing muscle and bone density.
3. Insulin sensitivity is improved. Insulin is a protein critical to muscle building.

Muscle Mass Gains Through Sauna Use (6:30)

It was found that two back-to-back sauna sessions at 80 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes boosts growth hormone levels two-fold.

Two sauna sessions for one hour per day for a week cause a 16-fold increase in growth hormone levels. That's huge!

And You'll Live Longer, Too (7:38)

And if that's not enough, it was also found that heat stress, such as through sauna use, boosts lifespan by as much as 15%.

Be sure to check out the entire series on heat acclimation/hyperthermic conditioning:

1. Building Athletic Endurance Through Sauna Use
2. Increasing Muscle Mass Through Sauna Use
3. Improving Brain Function Through Sauna Use
4. The Runner's High Explained

This article is Part One of our four-part series on the extraordinary effects of hyperthermic conditioning--or heat acclimation--through sauna use on athletic performance and general health. If this series doesn't convince you that a sauna should be a regular part of your health regimen, nothing will! We believe this information is so important, that we are featuring the series on both our Saunas US and Saunas Canada sites.

This series focuses on and breaks down the information provided by Dr. Rhonda Patrick in her YouTube video "Hyperthermic Conditioning for Hypertrophy, Endurance, and Neurogenesis". See the full video pasted below. Throughout the article, we will direct you to specific points in the video so you can jump straight there.

--------

Hyperthermic Conditioning / Heat Acclimation Through Sauna Use

Heat acclimation--or hyperthermic conditioning--through regular sauna use can have profound effects on health and athletic performance. Specifically, in the following areas:

1. increasing endurance capacity
2. increasing muscle mass
3. improving brain function, including neurogenesis (the creation of new brain cells)
4. causing the effect known as "Runner's High"

Refer to 1:08 in the video.

The Effects of Heat Acclimation on Endurance (1:49)

The following effects occur during hyperthermic conditioning:

1. blood flow to muscles is increased, delivering nutrients and reducing dependence on glycogen stores during periods of activity, such as running
2. blood flow to the heart is increased, reducing strain and heart rate, which allows activity to be maintained over a longer period of time
3. blood flow to the skin increases, which aids in heat dissipation and helps keep the body's core temperature lower

Endurance Gains Through Sauna Use (3:22)

It was discovered that twelve 30-minute sauna sessions twice a week after an intense run led to a 32% increase in the distance run before exhaustion was reached, as well as a 7% increase in plasma volume and a 3.5% increase in red blood cell count, which aids in oxygenating muscles during exercise.

Heat acclimation through regular sauna sessions can help athletes improve overall endurance, particularly for cardio-related activities.

Be sure to check out the entire series on heat acclimation/hyperthermic conditioning:

1. Building Athletic Endurance Through Sauna Use
2. Increasing Muscle Mass Through Sauna Use
3. Improving Brain Function Through Sauna Use
4. The Runner's High Explained