It’s no secret that stretching or doing exercise with warmed up muscles is better for your body than moving without preparing yourself physically. Often movement without the right preparation can result in injury. Which is why warming up in your sauna or doing some daily deep heat stretching can be just as good for your body as it is for your mind. Which is why it’s no surprise that hot yoga is all the rage right now. But what are each of the benefits you can expect aside from injury prevention? Let’s take a look…
Improvement in flexibility - deep heat stretching creates an environment that allows your muscles to relax and fold into the stretch deeper than what you would’ve been able to achieve at room temperature. This is because the body is more relaxed and essentially more nimble. Overall this will slowly start to improve your range of movement inside and outside of your sauna.
Burn more energy - It goes without saying that the higher the temperature, the higher your heart rate will increase. Add in some gentle stretching and you’ve got yourself the equivalent of a lite workout.
Boosts cardiovascular function - Some studies have suggested that challenging deep heat stretching is said to give your lungs and heart the same effect as a brisk uphill walk. Think along the lines of some standing yoga poses held for a minute or longer.
Supports bone density - If you are holding a challenging pose for a longer period of time, this can have positive impacts on your bone density as you’re supporting your own body weight, essentially simulating a light weight training session. This is a great form of light exercise for adults given bone density declines as you age.
Download our e-book for some simple stretching exercises to get you started in your sauna. Be sure to hydrate and listen to your body when it comes to deep heat stretching.