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More than a third of Upper Austrians go to the sauna regularly. The heat stimulus, in combination with cooling, strengthens the immune system and also the cardiovascular system. Cardiologist Matthias Michlmayr from the Ordensklinikum Linz explains what you should pay attention to.
“In the sauna we strengthen our immune system. The temperature change from hot and cold is good for the immune system. Going to the sauna can also lower blood pressure and has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system – similar to Kneipp,” says the internist. Anyone who goes to the sauna regularly supports their body in staying healthy. The combination of relaxation and sweating is also positive.
Sauna is as strenuous as sport
At the beginning you should take it slowly: two to three sauna sessions per day are enough for beginners. “A sauna session of around 15 minutes acts like a small sports session. That’s why it’s important to carefully get your body used to the sweat chamber,” says Michlmayr.
“Start in the steam bath or, if possible, in the organic sauna at 60 degrees. It’s best to take a break of around 45 minutes between sauna sessions, drink plenty of water and cool down in the fresh air. Then take a lukewarm shower before “Slowly step into a cold plunge pool.”
Drinking enough fluids regularly is particularly important: a healthy person loses around half a liter to a liter of fluid during just one stay in a 90-degree sauna with infusion.
Recognize warning signals
“If your heart starts to race and you feel unwell, please leave the sauna chamber in good time. Just always listen to your body,” says the doctor. In most cases, even those who are sick should avoid going to the sauna because the heat treatment puts too much strain on the body. “If you have a fever, you belong in bed and not in the sauna. Since the immune system is already running at full speed in such cases, going to the sauna with a feverish infection would put additional strain on the body,” says Michlmayr. It’s different with respiratory infections: “When a respiratory infection subsides, a visit to the sauna can have a positive effect on the body.
Steam baths or organic saunas with high humidity and essential oils are ideal for this.” Patients with accompanying or previous illnesses should consult their doctor before visiting a sauna and then dose the sweat baths correctly.
The doctor strongly advises against drinking alcohol during sauna sessions: “Alcohol boosts your circulation, your heart rate increases faster, your blood vessels expand and you lose even more fluid than usual. That’s why people who go to the sauna while drunk risk headaches and, in the worst case scenario “It could even lead to a collapse.” Ideally, you should only drink water while taking a sauna. Afterwards, the doctor recommends a fruity drink or a non-alcoholic beer.
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