Saunas Are Hot

No one can say sitting in a sauna helps with Covid, but it does provide people who want to live a healthier lifestyle overall with another activity you can experience at home. Since March, people have looked for things to enhance house and health- so wellness exploded. With winter now upon us- and the pandemic still surging- home saunas provide a good way to get warm, and enthusiasts swear there’s no better place to shut out- and sweat out- the world’s current cares. Spending a lot of money in an uncertain economy may be a concern, but prices keep dropping. Infrared units bear little similarity to the traditional Finnish-style sauna. They heat up to around 150 degrees Fahrenheit, instead of over 200, and light wavelengths warm the body. There is no blast of hot air, no pouring water on heated rocks for steam, and users can sit safely for extended periods of time. The myriad benefits of saunas have been documented in numerous studies. Relaxing in one is said to- among other things- improve insomnia, inflammation, pain, blood pressure and brain function. Near infrared has been touted to help heal skin ailments from acne to psoriasis to surgical scars, and, particularly in Japan, as therapy for heart patients. Heat also increases blood circulation and gives off that healthy, sunkissed glow.

Some liken sweating in a sauna to passive cardiovascular conditioning, which may interest anyone who has packed on pounds in quarantine- who hasn’t? And frequent sauna use can reduce risks of all-cause mortality, therefore sauna’s current appeal ranks up there with Peloton bikes, fire pits and outdoor heat lamps. Most people have stayed at home this year, not spending money like they used to- shopping, travel, or going to shows. Like gyms, such sauna studios- Perspire, HigherDose, SaunaBar, Glow- are closed, at least here in California, and with no other social activities, personal saunas are the new Soul Cycle. Instagrammers including Gwyneth Paltrow and Lady Gaga- who uses hers for chronic pain relief- have posed in their structures. For those with less space, Sunlighten sells a portable Solo sauna, which looks a little like a fancy human pet bed. Can’t afford a sauna of your own? Rental is also an option. Stay hot.