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Getting healthy in a hot box

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February 4, 2010
	Dr. Tim McCrossen : Head Fitness Ego

I must first ask you a question.  What is the human body’s biggest organ? No you can’t call a friend on this one!  No, it’s not your liver. It’s your SKIN!  When thinking of our series on detoxification the first thing I thought of was my experiences in a sauna.

I had the good fortune to have raced track for the United States in Finland in 1987. Finland is actually the birthplace of the Sauna and they take it seriously.  It is also the country with the most lakes per land size. We would take a sauna for 10 minutes at 200 degrees and then jump into a cold lake (can you say George Costanza ?) and repeat this three or four times. I never had such good night’s sleep in my life. 

So how does all this correlate? Your skin is the biggest elimination organ in the body. In other words, it gets rid of some bad stuff by sweating toxins out. Sweating is actually very beneficial and necessary for the health of you and your skin. When exposed to a sauna your pores dilate and because of the heat you begin to sweat. The sweat carries toxins out of your body.

Exposure in a sauna will raise your resting heart rate significantly causing circulation towards the skin which helps getting rid of toxins. Saunas will also burn calories, about 300 per session. Sitting in a sauna 15 minutes is almost equivalent to walking 2 hours. Other benefits include relaxation and better sense of wellbeing.

Studies have shown the body releases increased amounts of serotonin when exposed to this kind of warmth. They believe that the heat of the sauna alters the neural circuitry controlling cognitive function and mood. So if you’re depressed, jump into a sauna. (Note: you should not go in a sauna if you have a heart condition, been drinking alcohol, or are pregnant. The people in Finland don’t let their kids do it until they are 7 or 8 years old.)

The problem is many of us don’t take care of our skin. The use of many chemicals soaps and lotions as well as sunburns do not help it. Even wearing tight elastic clothing that doesn’t “breathe” is bad for the skin because it causes our skin to become inactive and it won’t sweat as much. Inactivity or lack of exercise is also bad for the skin because of less sweating. 

So instead of sweating to the oldies with Richard Simmons, try your local YMCA or health club sauna and you will feel better, from the inside out!

This post is proudly submitted for the Body Detox category of our 12 Weeks of Wellness