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Heat therapy is becoming increasingly popular, with many athletes turning to saunas and steam rooms to repair sore muscles. But heat therapy can also help your mental health, allowing you to heal both your mind and body with some dry heat from a sauna or a steamy session in the steam room. We are often asked how some heat can help with your mental health, and we are here with the answers you want. Today, we break down the most common ways heat therapy can help with your mental health so you can see if it's a viable option for you or not.
What is Heat Therapy?
Heat therapy, or thermotherapy, involves applying heat to your body or placing your body in a heated environment to help reduce pain, ease sore muscles, and increase blood flow. Heat therapy is often used in conjunction with cold therapy to improve its benefits and results, where it has been proven to help with chronic injuries or pain.
Heat therapy can involve applying heat directly to sore areas or using hot compresses, hot water bottles, or heating pads. You can also expose your entire body to heat through saunas and steam rooms. These rooms will be heated to a specific temperature, allowing your whole body to sweat and soften and helping ease sore muscles. Alongside the physical benefits, heat therapy also supports your mental health. Spending time quietly in these saunas and steam rooms can help you achieve mental clarity, improve your mood, and even improve your sleep. The most common benefits of heat therapy are detailed below.
They Offer a Mood Boost
Saunas, steam rooms, and other forms of heat therapy can trigger a surge in endorphins, your body's natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins perform as pain relievers and mood enhancers, helping to improve your mood and provide a sense of calm and well-being. The instant rush of endorphins will last after your heat session, too, and can sometimes last the entire day, helping you feel happier.
They Help Reduce Anxiety and Depression
Another excellent way they help is to reduce anxiety and depression. Research into heat therapy has found that regularly using a sauna or steam room can reduce your overall anxiety levels, helping you feel calmer day to day. They can also alleviate some symptoms of depression, helping to improve your quality of life.
Many people experience moments of clarity in a sauna or steam room, where their minds feel calm, and they can work through their feelings without the stress of daily life. You will likely be without any technology or distractions in the sauna or steam room, which can also help quiet your mind and alleviate any anxiety you might be feeling.
They Can Improve Sleep
Regularly using a sauna and steam room can also help to improve your sleep. The heat promotes muscle relaxation, helping your body prepare for rest. It can also help regulate melatonin, leading to deeper, more restorative sleep. Not only does this help address any sleep issues you might be having, but it can also support your mental health, helping you feel well-rested and prepared for the day.
They Offer Cognitive Protection
Another way heat therapy can help is to offer cognitive protection. Regular, frequent, and long-term use of a sauna or steam room can provide a lower risk of developing cognitive diseases like dementia and Alzheimer's. Long-term use would consist of using a sauna four to seven times a week regularly.
They Increase Brain Function
Heat therapy can also help to increase your brain function, as the sauna can increase the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor BDNF). This is a protein that repairs and regenerates brain cells, helping improve your brain function. Increased brain function can also improve your mental health by enhancing emotional regulation, reducing stress, and boosting cognitive resilience.
They Offer Space for Mindfulness
Saunas and steam rooms can be quiet spaces, especially when you are the only one in them, making them perfect for mindfulness. As we mentioned earlier, you will be away from technology and other distractions in a sauna or steam room, allowing you to use the time to reflect and practice mindfulness or meditation. Both of these can help your mental health by providing clarity and the opportunity to let your mind unwind.
Start Your Heat Therapy Today
With so many benefits for your mental health, it is no wonder that people are turning to heat therapy. When looking for a space to enjoy heat therapy, we recommend checking out TH7 Body Labs. Their clinics across Australia offer you a place to unwind and access the latest sauna and steam rooms, alongside HBOT chambers and other restorative treatments. Contact TH7 to find your steam room sauna in Brisbane.
