Myths about the sauna

Losing weight

You can’t rely on only using a sauna to lose weight. That’s because all the weight you lose by sitting in one is water weight. The heat makes you sweat and drop extra water that’s being stored in your body. You can lose even 1kg in one sauna session – or around  0.2 L, or a small cup of water, but when you start drinking fluids again, you’ll gain it back. A sauna certainly helps with relaxing you (if stress is a factor in your eating habits), and helps gives you a cardio-vascular workout, but the best way to lose weight is from a healthy, balanced diet, and increased exercise.

Children

Children have just as many sweat glands per square centimetre of skin as adults, so they can react to heat just as adequately. The only essential difference between children and adults is the surface area of their skin. Their heads and torsos are larger in proportion to their arms and legs, which mean they absorb and emit heat faster – particularly as they also generally have a thinner layer of fat. Children of all ages – including babies – may use the sauna. And they tend to love the experience! But they should always be accompanied by an adult, and they should never stay inside the sauna for too long. At Emerald Spa, we welcome families and users of any age, for private bookings, packages and day events.

Sauna detoxes you.

While sweating in a sauna can help eliminate some toxins from the body, it is in small amounts, and it is not a reliable method for full detoxification. The liver and kidneys are the primary organs responsible for detoxification in the body. Look after those organs by drinking enough water, and reducing your alcohol intake, and eat healthy food.

Saunas are only for the elite.

While saunas may have been historically associated with luxury, they are now widely available in many health clubs, hotels, and community centres and homes. At Emerald spa, we welcome anyone of any age, stage, style or background, 

You can only use them once a week

Many sauna health benefits are compound and require the use of sauna at least three times a week and sometimes more often. It is best to consider sauna use as a lifestyle choice, such as a regular exercise program that you do several times a week. 

Most studies suggest that sauna use is most effective when used at least 3 times a week for 20 minutes. If you choose to sauna daily, then it is imperative that hydration be maintained at all times. The greatest risk in regular sauna use is dehydration. So if you are using a sauna 4-7 times a week it is important to eat nutritious meals and drink plenty of water. 

If an individual chooses to sauna between 4-7 times a week and does so responsibly with enough water intake, it is possible to sauna daily or almost daily safely.  Always consult a medical practitioner if you are unsure if sauna use is safe for you. 

The Hotter The Temperature The Better

The hotter you set your sauna temperature does not necessarily mean the better the results will be. This is particularly true if you have children or elderly individuals using a sauna. Furthermore, the type of heat used in your sauna will also impact how important a high heat sauna is. 

Certain physical conditions respond better to lower temperatures over a longer period of time, rather than just short bursts of very high temperatures.

At Emerald Spa, our sauna sessions vary from lighter to heavier, lead by our expert sauna masters.

The Longer You Stay In the Sauna, the Better the Results

More frequent but shorter sauna sessions often produce better health results than trying to stay in the sauna for longer than feels comfortable. Most of the health benefits from sauna bathing result in the hormonal effect that takes place at the moment you start to sweat. The moments of discomfort just before a sweat is broken create pivotal changes in the body that begin the cascade of health benefits derived from the heat stress that occurs in sauna. 

Rather than pushing oneself to stay in a sauna for long periods of time, it is generally better to take shorter but more frequent saunas that allow more opportunities for the body to engage the necessary mechanisms for the cooling effect to take place. Consider taking 4-7 sauna sessions weekly, or during a special evening, for 15 minutes each time for the most positive health benefits

A Sauna is unhygienic

On the contrary, a well maintained sauna is clean and hygienic. Bathers will have showered before and afterwards, and will be sitting on a touch (finnish sauna) or a washed bench (steam room). With the aromatherapy oils used, the air should smell fresh and amazing. In terms of microbiology, a sauna does not pose a health risk, as the microbes that are typically found there are part of normal human flora. The amounts are usually too small to result in an infection, and microbes are unable to penetrate healthy, unbruised skin. Moreover, pathogenic bacteria are generally killed in relatively low temperatures within a short period of time.