While saunas have been around for a long time, only recently have Americans re-discovered the health benefits of saunas in spas, retreats, and eventually, at home. Many benefits can come from regular use of a sauna, i.e.

Health Benefits
• Helps to relieve stress, tension, and fatigue
• Increases resistance to illness such as the common cold/hyper-thermia boosts immune response
• Increases metabolism & promotes weight loss by burning 300 or more calories in 30 minutes
• Improves circulation and promotes cardiovascular wellbeing
• Helpful skin care: adjunct in treating common skin ailments such as acne, eczema, psoriasis and cellulite
• Helps with Pain relief related to illnesses like arthritis, fibromyalgia, vascular disease, chronic pain, sports injury
• Instrumental in the healing process of physical injuries
• Useful in relieving allergic symptoms and sinus congestion
• Aids insomniacs by promoting sleep
• May be useful in drug rehabilitation and detoxification as toxins and impurities are expelled in perspiration (eg. lead and mercury poisoning)
• May be beneficial to kidney functions

Other Benefits
• Increases property value
• Low maintenance requirement

Which Type of Sauna Is Best for You: Wet or Dry?

The more standard US sauna for home and spa uses steam from water over hot rocks. However, up-to-date sauna technology ~ which is behind today’s portable sauna ~ uses non-steam heat. Both ceramic sauna heaters and electrical sauna heaters supply dry heat without steam. But even today, the traditional wet heat sauna kits are still available and popular.

The health benefits are different for each type of sauna ~ which is probably the more important consideration.
E.g. infrared saunas have excellent detoxification properties. Infrared saunas take the detoxifying load off your liver and kidneys by the direct elimination of toxins through the skin. Two to three times more sweat is produced in the far infrared sauna than is possible in traditional hot air saunas. Greater detoxification of heavy metals is achieved, including: lead, mercury, aluminum, cadmium, and fat-soluble toxins.

On the other hand, a steam room is said be particularly helpful for people with breathing troubles. So, the health benefits you are after should indicate which type of sauna you will enjoy most in your home for your own use.

If however you want to install a sauna to increase your property value or at least to gain an edge over competing properties, then perhaps it is useful to know that compared to a steam sauna room, it is easier to use an infrared sauna or other dry sauna at home. You can use a mobile unit and less modifications are required to your home to accommodate it. However, ease of installation should not be your main consideration when purchasing a sauna for your own personal use, of course.

Disclaimer by author & ownhomestyle.com: check with your own health care provider/doctor to see if sauna therapy is suitable for you and if there are any personal restrictions you should be aware of.

By Astrid Lee, copyright 2008