IMPROVE CARDIOVASCULAR PERFORMANCE     

The high temperature of a traditional or infrared sauna causes skin to heat up and core body temperature to rise.  As a result, the blood vessels near the skin dilate and “cardiac output” is increased.   Medical research tells us that the heart rate can rise from 60-70 bpm (beats per minute) to 110-120 bpm in the sauna (140-150 with more intensive bathing), and can sink to below normal after the cooling off stage.  Regular sauna usage not only trains the heart the heart muscles and improves the heart rate/cardiac output, but it also helps the body’s regulatory system.

Multiple sauna bathing sessions provide even more cardiovascular conditioning, with sessions in the sauna separated by a cool shower or a quick dip into a cool pool or lake.   Each time body temperature is rapidly changed (from hot to cold or vice-versa), the heart rate increases by as much as 60%.  This is very comparable to the increase experienced during moderate exercise.