Having a sauna in your home can elevate your “me time” by making you relaxed and feel like you’re at a spa retreat at a fraction of the price. It also acts as a private space to help you relieve stress and ease the pain. But, these are just a few small sauna benefits out of many that can elevate health and wellbeing.

To know more, keep on reading. 

7 Home Sauna benefits you need to know about 

To give you an idea of why you should have one in your home, let’s look at the major sauna benefits first.

1.  They can better your heart health

It’s believed that a sauna may help you have a healthier heart. When you expose your body to high temperatures, it causes your skin’s blood vessels to dilate, increasing blood flow. Research conducted by the University of Finland also supports this, as they studied 2,300 middle-aged men across 20 years. 

They placed the males into categories based on their sauna usage each week. The studies revealed that those who visited the sauna the most had lower death rates and were less likely to die from cardiovascular conditions or strokes.

So, simply by having frequent saunas, you could likely dramatically reduce the risk of major cardiac incidents happening.

2.  It betters your overall well being 

The benefits of using saunas are nothing new. In fact, over 40 clinical studies have been conducted supporting its ever-expanding range of benefits. 

In particular, it can help with detoxes, antiaging, pain reduction, better sleep, relaxation, stress management, skin rejuvenation, weight loss, and more.

Because of this, many physicians advise you to add it to your health and wellness plan. Who wouldn’t want to try this with all those sauna benefits? 

3.  It could help with skin problems

Saunas can help your skin as the sweat can help flush out toxins lingering in your pores. Plus, once you have fewer toxins in your skin, you will likely suffer from fewer clogged pores and have smoother skin.

Because of this, many people choose to use infrared saunas to help clear up their psoriasis. 

4.  They may make you feel more relaxed 

If you suffer from high-stress levels, a sauna could be a good way to destress you.

Part of the reason for this, as your blood flow increases during sauna sessions, your sympathetic nervous tends to work harder to keep a better temperature balance. As a result, your endocrine glands start to work, and you start to become less responsive to pain, more alert, happy and relaxed. 

5.  It could contribute to better breathing 

The hot and dry air a sauna provides can help soothe your lungs easily and provide instant relief to people who suffer from asthma and bronchitis. The high heat a sauna operates in makes the air nearly sterile, reducing your risk of coughs and colds. 

In addition to this, it’s also believed it can help open your respiratory tract, reducing inflammation and providing relief to people who suffer from sinusitis. 

6.  It can help towards pain relief

A dry sauna might help ease up any symptoms of pain you have. This is because they can stimulate the rate of blood flow, increasing the supply to joints and muscles that have a lot of tension in them. It’s also thought that saunas can benefit people who have arthritis and chronic pain. 

There is research that shows that saunas can ease up symptoms associated with musculoskeletal diseases like ankylosing spondylitis and arthritis over a 4 week period. Mainly people experience less fatigue, stiffness, and pain. 

7.  It may help preserve muscle mass

Using a sauna after a workout might help you reach your fitness goals more easily. There has been a study conducted that shows that having a sauna might help preserve your muscle mass and lower inflammation. 

Who can benefit from a home sauna?

You don’t need to venture far, to enjoy all the sauna benefits; you can simply get one in your home. A home sauna isn’t mainly for a specific type of person; it can benefit many people. 

In particular, scientific studies show home infrared saunas help alleviate symptoms of chronic fatigue, lower blood pressure, and reduce muscle soreness. Basically, if you suffer from lots of stress, work out regularly, live a fast-paced lifestyle, and want healthier skin, then a home sauna can do you wonders.

Home sauna types 

If you’re interested in getting a home sauna, here are some different types to consider:

Wood burning sauna

This is a dry sauna, which means there’s little, if not any, humidity inside. It mainly operates from a small fire inside a wooden stove. The stove heats stones which generate heat in the sauna. A bucket and ladle are used to pour water over the stones to create steam. This sauna can heat up to 140-200 degrees Fahrenheit. These types of saunas are best suited for outdoor environments. 

Electric sauna

An electric sauna is slightly similar to a wood-burning sauna; however, there is no fire. Instead, electricity heats the stove and stones to operate the sauna. You can still use water to pour over the stones to create steam. 

Infrared sauna

These are indoor saunas that directly heat your body instead of the air. It allows you to feel the same benefits as a sauna, just in a less hot and easy to tolerate environment. They’re often cheaper than other types of sauna. 

Smoke sauna

These saunas have no chimney or stove. Inside these saunas is a fire lit under a pile of rocks. When the rocks are heated, the fire is extinguished, and smoke is released beginning of the sauna session. 

Shower sauna 

If you want to have a steamy shower and enjoy a sauna but don’t have much room in your home, you should consider a shower sauna. These allow your shorter area to convert into a sauna. 

Home Sauna alternatives

You can still enjoy the benefits of a home sauna without spending much money installing one or traveling to use one. Here are some effective alternatives that you may also want to consider: 

Hot tub

If you don’t have the indoor space to fit a sauna, you could always opt for a hot tub. After all, they do have slightly similar benefits. Hot tubs can help lower your blood pressure, make you feel more relaxed, provide a sense of pain relief and lower your stress levels. They can get quite hot too, reaching up to 104°F. There are even models which come with spa jets, making you feel like you’re having a massage. 

Portable sauna

A portable sauna is probably the closest and most effective experience you can get to having an actual sauna. They’re practical and can fit in any space, as they can be easily folded or dismantled after use. Plus, they’re a lot more affordable, costing around $150 upwards based on your brand. Portable saunas also provide the same benefits like pain relief, reduced inflammation, lowered blood pressure, relaxation, and more. 

Sauna blanket

Sauna blankets are another inexpensive alternative costing between $100-$500. They are portable and can be used anywhere, on a chair, floor or bed. Sauna blankets work by using infrared heat to heat your body. They can help ease pain relief, lower your blood pressure, reduce inflammation and help with your detox. 

Steam shower

If you want to clear your sinuses, lower blood pressure, and have better skin and circulation, then you might want to consider getting a steam shower. These showers allow steam to be generated through the head at the push of a button. For them to work, they require a fitting of a steam generator which can cost on average $1000-$4000. 

Final thoughts

Overall, there are way more sauna benefits for your health and wellness than the 5 we mentioned above. Just visit a spa or gym and try out their saunas to notice the others. However, if you don’t have time to travel, there’s a variety of home sauna types you can get for your home. Home saunas are perfect for people who suffer from high-stress levels, chronic fatigue, work out regularly, have skin problems, and more. 

Regardless of what sauna type you use, you must consult with your doctor first before using if you have high controlled blood pressure or heart disease. Otherwise, you’re good to go and start using them if you don’t. Have you tried a sauna before? Share with us your experience in the comments.

FAQs

What is the benefit of having a good sauna?

Using a sauna has many benefits such as increased metabolism, better skin, improved sleep, helping you relax, better cardiovascular function, higher metabolism, and more. 

What is the average cost of a home sauna?

On average, a home sauna can cost between $3000-$6000 based on the type you want to install. The price can also vary based on the size and features you want the home sauna to include.

What is the difference between infrared and dry sauna?

While both saunas can heat your body, the main difference is an infrared sauna causes your body to be warmed directly by infrared lamps. On the contrary, dry saunas mainly heat the air around.