While I felt relaxed, my skinand schedulepaid a price.
(Pun absolutely intended.)
Something about squeezing into a public sweat chamber among scantily clad strangers seemed like a unique flavor of torture.
So I decided to go to the sauna nearly every day for a month.
Heres what it did for my body and mind.
Austrian doctor of human medicine and medical director ofLanserhofLongevity Clinic in Lans, Austria
About 10 minutes in, I started toreallysweat, which is also when some discomfort set in.
Despite that, the itchiness subsided after a shower and I slept like a baby.
Google suggested I put atowel over my hairso I gave it a shot.
Not only did itprotect my hair from the heat, but my headaches disappeared.
Sauna rule #3:Wear a towel or hat.
(Thank me later.)
By week three, my acne noticeably started flaring up and I wrote it off as hormonal fluctuations.
But when it progressively worsened, I came to the sad realization that the sauna may be the culprit.
Other than my skin, I was loving my time in the sauna.
Austrian doctor of human medicine and medical director ofLanserhofLongevity Clinic in Lans, Austria
I started sweating more, and faster, which is important fortemperature regulation4and removal of waste from the body.
I even noticed I was sweating more with other physical activities like rock climbing andweight lifting, too.
It felt like the noise in my brain was turned down, which then improved my sleep.
A lot of people went in with friends while others struck up conversations with strangers.
Other at-home setups can be anywhere from $3,000 to $6,000.
The downsides?
Another small downside of sauna therapy is the time commitment.
Hydrate and go slow
My biggest practical tip is to hydrate before, during, and after sauna usage.
Additionally, it’s important to remember that the goal isn’t to push yourself to the extremes.
Saunas can be easy to overdo and lead to things likeheat exhaustionif you are not careful.
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