For ages the sauna has been considered the very source of energy and health in Finland, and even today the average Finn finds the question of sauna´s health risks rather amusing than serious. By an old Finnish saying: an illness was to cause death if liquor, tar and sauna did not help.
Sauna has been a subject of scientific medical research for a couple of hundred years. Here are some findings of these studies:
For any healthy person the sauna bath presents no health risk but rather gives a pleasant, relaxing and refreshing experience beneficial to both body and mind. It cleanses the pores of the skin, alleviates aches and pains and helps many people sleep more soundly. The golden rule with the sauna is the feeling of comfort: you can go to the sauna as often as you wish, stay there as long as you wish and repeat the hot-cold cycle as many times as you wish so long as it feels comfortable. Beginners may start with a recommended procedure until they learn the way they enjoy the sauna best.