For ever greater numbers of health conscious people, concerns about poisons in the environment, and in their bodies, are driving them to investigate the sauna as a route to better health through “detoxification” – the removal of toxins stored in the body.
Sweating for health, an ancient tradition, is a great membership selling point for health and fitness clubs. No surprise here, since sauna is popular with those who want to relax after a workout or seek deep sweat cleansing as part of their fitness regime. But there is more to sauna than that.
With regard to removal of toxins: In one study, the sweat of people using a conventional sauna was found to be 95 to 97 percent water while the sweat of those using a thermal sauna system was 80 to 85 percent water with the non-water portion– principally cholesterol, fat-soluble toxins, toxic heavy metals, sulfuric acid, sodium, ammonia and uric acid. This unusually high concentration of heavy metals and other fat-soluble toxins is not found in the sweat from normal exercise. The point? Sauna, in particular, infrared sauna, is superior to exercise in initiating body cleansing.
Now for some specifics. This may come as a surprise, but mother’s breast milk, while pediatricians agree it is best for baby, is becoming ever-more polluted with environmental toxins. According to Dr. Sandra Steingraber, an ecologist and professor at Cornell University, “A woman can shift 20 percent of her total body burden of contaminants into her infant in the first six months of breast-feeding” (quoted in N.Y. Times 10/16/01). “Because chemicals like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dioxin and dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethene (DDE), a breakdown product of DDT, are fat soluble, they are not readily excreted from the body. Instead, they attach to fat cells, where they may stay for a lifetime. But if a woman breast-feeds her child, these fat cells are activated to produce milk. The contaminants, clinging to the fat, go directly into the milk.” (Laurie Tarkan, N.Y. Times, 10/16/01) As mentioned in this space last month, sauna is also being used very successfully to rehabilitate firemen and rescue workers poisoned during the 9/11 cleanup operation. See www.nydetox.org for details on the detox program used at the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project, and to read amazing testimonials on the effectiveness of sauna for severely poisoned emergency workers.
With regard to sauna equipment: club saunas are most often hot air, steam, or infrared sauna. Apparent economies of scale, and lack of alternatives, push clubs to provide sauna rooms rather than personal saunas, but other factors come into play that should affect the decision on this important equipment. Consider that sauna rooms have some downsides including: the energy cost of heating the sauna all day to keep it available on short notice for clients; difficulty of thorough cleaning for saunas constructed of porous wood, and the possibility of embarrassing “extracurricular” activity among members. In addition, and perhaps most importantly, a survey has shown that approximately half the people are uncomfortable with exposing their unclothed bodies to the sight, or bodily fluids, of strangers.
]One of the most exciting new options for the health and fitness clubs is a sauna built for use by a single person. Most people, when they think of sauna, think of a room with a hot air or steam source that heats the air to temperatures as high as 220 degrees Fahrenheit. Some find breathing very hot air to be intolerable or annoying, and will avoid such a sauna. Even if the sauna room is of the variety, and therefore in which the air is more comfortable (100- to 140-degrees Fahrenheit) to breathe, some people will still avoid it because they prefer not to be seen naked. Additionally, a personal sauna can be designed so that your head is outside the sweating area, eliminating the concern of breathing in the toxins you just sweated out! The head-outside feature enables the user to watch TV, listen to music, or take in the scenery at the gym or spa. Picture also the convenience and versatility of a sauna that can be rolled from place to place as needed and plugged into any normal outlet.
Clearly, a personal sauna approach – using multiple units depending on demand – can satisfy club owner needs for fast warm-up times, modularity, flexibility and energy conservation. Club members can get a private and enjoyable sauna experience, being able to watch TV and breathe cool room air – if the sauna cabinet has the “head outside” feature. The club owner can improve loyalty to the club, and the bottom line, by thinking ahead of the curve and providing state-ofthe- art equipment capable of making a real impact on the health of club members.
James Schaeffer is the Engineering/ Sales Manager of U. S. Health Equipment Co. Inc. He can be contacted at 877.772.8639, or by email at jschaeffer@saunex.com, or visit www.saunex.com.
