Are you someone who rarely takes time out for yourself?
Do you need a little extra motivation to do something good for your health and well-being? Well, here’s some health advice to steer you in the right direction: go have a sauna. According to researchers at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Arizona, taking a sauna could benefit your heart — especially if you’re having cardiovascular problems.
The researchers reviewed available studies for evidence of possible health benefits of using a sauna. They found that there were studies that documented the effectiveness of sauna therapy for people with high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and for post-myocardial infarction care.
The researchers also found positive results in people using sauna therapy to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic fatigue, chronic pain, or addictions. And finally, sauna therapy — because of its ability to cleanse the body of toxins — may be beneficial in treating patients with environmentally induced illnesses.
The researchers attribute the heart-healthy benefits of sauna therapy to its ability to increase vasodilation (the dilation of blood vessels, which helps to lower blood pressure). They also noted that taking a sauna could help boost left ventricular ejection fraction (the fraction of blood pumped out of your ventricles with each heartbeat).
They concluded that sauna therapy could:
— Lead to improvements in chronic heart failure-related symptoms from just 15 minutes in low-temperature sauna sessions, three to five times a week
— Lead to improved blood pressure in persons with hypertension
— Result in dramatic reductions in systolic blood pressure from regular sessions of 15-30 minutes
Along with a diet of heart-healthy foods, why not indulge in a sauna? It will be good for your heart and could also help erase stress and tension from your muscles and tendons.
For ideas on how to adopt a heart healthy diet, follow this link to learn about the “Mediterranean diet:” More Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet