Did you know that living a healthy lifestyle can be as simple as relaxing? Yes, you heard that right! Regularly relaxing in a sauna can reduce your risk of hypertension! So, if you’re looking for an easy way to benefit your body and supplement your exercise and healthy eating, then using a home sauna is the way to go!
What is hypertension?
Hypertension is essentially abnormally high blood pressure, meaning that the force of the blood against the artery walls is too high and is persistently elevated. With more than 3 million cases in the United States per year, it is considered a very common condition. However, it is very serious! The increased pressure in the arteries makes the heart work harder to pump blood throughout the body and can eventually lead to very dangerous conditions such as heart disease, heart failure, stroke, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), and kidney disease.
Hypertension requires a medical diagnosis and can be treated by a medical professional! Diagnosing hypertension is directly correlated to measuring your blood pressure:
Normal blood pressure: less than 120/ 80
Elevated blood pressure: 120-129/ less than 80
There are four stages of hypertension that you should be aware of:
Stage 1 (Prehypertension): 120/80 – 139/89
Stage 2 (Mild Hypertension): 140/90 – 159/99
Stage 3 (Moderate Hypertension): 160/ 100 – 179/109
Stage 4 (Severe Hypertension): 180/110 or higher
You should consult your doctor if you are in any of the 4 stages stated above so that you can discuss ways to lower your blood pressure from altering your diet or exercise routine to medications and home sauna use.
What causes hypertension?
In most cases, it is impossible to discover the exact cause of hypertension but there are many factors that have been linked to the development of hypertension such as:
- Stress
- Smoking
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Being overweight/ obese
- Older age
- Lack of physical activity
- Genetics
- Too much salt in the diet
How can you reduce your risk?
First things first, you can reduce your risk of developing hypertension by exercising regularly, eating a healthier diet with less salt, and taking certain medications (after consulting a medical professional).
A study has also shown that sauna health benefits include a reduction in the risk of hypertension! In this study, participants who reported using a sauna 4 to 7 times a week had a significant reduction in the development and progression of hypertension. The researchers conducting this study have linked home sauna use as a protective factor against cardiovascular diseases. They have concluded that this sauna health benefit is due to heat therapy that is a sauna session. They believe that the heat you are exposed to can improve your vascular endothelial function which is the inner lining of a blood vessel. So in other words, the heat is thought to improve the function of the blood vessels in patients that are at a higher risk of developing hypertension.
This study also linked the ability of a home sauna to stimulate and affect the autonomic nervous system to the reduced risk of hypertension. The autonomic nervous system is essentially the control system of the body that regulates bodily functions such as the heart rate, respiratory rate, digestion, etc.
Overall, hypertension is a serious and dangerous condition that should be treated as soon as possible so that it doesn’t develop into a greater health issue. Although there are many methods you can use to help lower your blood pressure and prevent hypertension, the easiest and most relaxing way is regular sauna use! This should be supplemented by other healthy lifestyle choices! Be sure to contact a medical professional and get your blood pressure checked! Now, sit back and relax in your own home sauna while you reap the sauna health benefits!
