Infrared Saunas and Heart Health: Understanding the Cardiovascular Benefits

Infrared saunas can promote heart health. The heat discharged from the sauna has been found to reduce inflammation and enhance circulation. These functions are vital for battling cardiovascular disease. Previous studies have revealed the effectiveness of saunas for post-myocardial infarction care and on people with congestive heart failure and hypertension.

Sauna therapy activates the production of nitric oxide, increasing vasodilation. It also enhances the rate of the left ventricular release from the heart. Researchers opine that patients with congestive heart failure symptoms reported improvement after getting three to five infrared sauna sessions per week. The infrared sauna can improve systolic blood pressure after a 20-minute sauna session. Let’s discover more details about the infrared sauna and cardiovascular health. 

Understanding Cardiovascular Health

Cardiovascular health is the condition of your blood vessels and heart. The cardiovascular system comprises the capillaries, arterioles, arteries, and the heart. The heart pumps blood across the body, delivering essential nutrients and oxygen to the organs. Other body organs can't function appropriately when the heart isn’t functioning well. Good heart health is vital for overall health. Some of the key benefits of good heart health include:

• Reduced risk of heart attacks
• Low blood pressure
• Preventing low or high insulin and blood sugar levels

Infrared Saunas for Cardiovascular Health

Saunas have been used for years to relieve symptoms of physical conditions, socialize, and relax. In the ancient days, people relied on fire to produce heat and raise the temperature within the environment. As the years evolved, the early versions of infrared saunas emanated from Japan. Instead of external heat, infrared saunas rely on infrared waves to penetrate your body and raise your core temperature.

The benefits of infrared sauna heat surpass relaxation, circulation, stress reduction, and detoxification. It’s worth mentioning that people with existing cardiovascular issues should consult their healthcare provider before using the sauna. When using the sauna, you must listen to your body and customize your sessions to fit your goals, heat tolerance, and overall health. A full spectrum infrared sauna aids heart health by: 

·       Reducing Stress

Chronic stress can contribute to heart disease. Research suggests that men working within a stressful environment are likely to develop heart disease. In another study, researchers established that the leading cause of at-work fatalities among firefighters is cardiometabolic disease. However, regular infrared sauna sessions have been found to reduce the risk of heart disease and enhance the overall health of people working in high-stress jobs.

Sweating in a sauna can reduce cortisol levels, also known as the stress hormone, and promote the production of endorphins, or the body’s feel-good hormones. This relaxation reaction helps ease mental tension and stress, which is beneficial for heart health. 

·       Detoxification

The accumulation of heavy metals and toxins in the body can pressure the cardiovascular system, causing inflammation. Sweating in an infrared sauna allows your body to flush out these substances, also known as detoxification. When your body is toxins-free, your heart health and overall well-being will improve.

Infrared heat penetrates deep into your tissues and muscles, stimulating your sweat glands at a cellular level to promote intense sweat. This enables your body to flush out more impurities, heavy metals, and toxins, leaving you feeling more rejuvenated. It also reduces oxidative stress and inflammation, which can be risk factors for heart disease. 

·       Reduced Blood Pressure

High blood pressure forces your heart to work extra hard to pump blood throughout the body. This results in thickening and enlargement of the left ventricle, which increases the risk of heart failure or heart attack. The heat from an infrared sauna results in vasodilation, or widening of the blood vessels, reducing blood pressure. Regular sauna sessions can reduce arterial stiffness and blood pressure and allow for more blood vessel pliability. 

·       Cardiovascular Fitness

In the same way your heart rate rises during a workout, sweating inside the sauna can elevate your heart rate. The increased heart rate imitates the cardiovascular reaction to moderate-intensity exercise. An infrared sauna session gives you an exercise-like stimulus for the heart muscle. The cardio benefits are even more if you combine the workout and the sauna. Research has established that a workout followed by a brief sauna session enhances cardiovascular and respiratory fitness more than working out alone. 

·       Improving Circulation

Research has revealed that far infrared therapy can boost peripheral blood circulation and artery blood flow. Sauna heat increases body temperature, triggering an increase in blood flow that simulates the benefits of passive cardiovascular exercise.

Regular sauna use has been found to improve blood flow even after leaving the sauna. Improved circulation also speeds up muscle recovery after strenuous workouts; the heat from an outdoor infrared sauna reduces pain and inflammation and accelerates healing. 

Alternative Methods of Improving Cardiovascular Health

Besides saunas, here are alternative ways to improve your heart health.

·       Quit Smoking

If you smoke, the best thing you can do to improve your cardiovascular health is to quit immediately. Quitting smoking can be daunting. However, it will make you feel better and save you from heart-related complications. Tobacco has various damaging effects on your circulatory system and heart, including damaging the blood vessels and elevated blood pressure. Thankfully, your body will start healing itself immediately when you quit smoking, and your blood pressure will return to normal within a short time. Lung function will recover in three months, while your heart health will be restored after a year of not smoking. 

·       Check Your Diet

A healthy diet doesn’t have to be bland or time-consuming to prepare. Many natural and tasty foods support heart health. Instead of drastically changing your diet, incorporate a few heart-friendly foods into your daily meals and reduce your intake of the less healthy options. Watch out for hydrogenated fats and processed carbohydrates since they can affect cardiovascular health. Consume foods with healthier fats such as olives, flaxseed, avocado, nuts, and oily fish. Ensure your diet is balanced, and do not forget vegetables and fruits. 

·       Engage in Physical Activity

Exercise is vital for good cardiovascular health. You don’t have to be a gym enthusiast to enjoy the benefits of exercise on your cardiovascular system. All you need to do is engage in regular exercise. Cardiovascular health and exercise are connected. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly. This means walking or performing any other moderate activity for 30 minutes five days every week. Apart from walking, you can consider dancing, cycling, or swimming, 

·       Monitor Your Cholesterol Levels

Track your triglyceride and cholesterol levels to understand the health of your cardiovascular system. Ask your healthcare provider to perform a fasting lipoprotein profile test every four to six weeks, which checks good and bad cholesterol levels. If your bad cholesterol is high or good cholesterol is low, you could be at a higher risk of developing problems with your circulatory system and heart. Improving your cholesterol levels is vital for your cardiovascular health. 

·       Reduce Your Sodium Intake

A study conducted in 2017 revealed that over-consumption of sodium causes the heart to retain water. When this happens, your heart must work harder to distribute the extra fluid across your body. Opt for foods labeled “no added salt” and avoid foods with over 400 milligrams of sodium for every serving. Do not consume more than 1500 milligrams per day. Replace salt with spices and herbs in your cooking. 

Finally

Infrared sauna sessions can help improve heart health by stimulating vasodilation, which reduces blood pressure. Saunas promote the elimination of toxins from the body, whose accumulation in the body can lead to cardiovascular complications. Consult your doctor before incorporating saunas into your heart health management routine. Remember, you should use the sauna to complement your conventional medication if you have heart disease.