Ice Bath In Phuket & Sauna In Phuket
Phuket is a place with diversified leisure alternatives when it comes to health and wellness facilities. As matter of fact, a large number of tourists travel to Thailand especially for medical or wellness purposes, and Phuket has a lot to offer for those who are seeking a wellness environment. There are Thai boxing gyms, golf courses, tennis courts, hiking trails, yoga, and many more things to be found in Phuket. And although for travellers, a sauna and ice plunge might be the last thing you would look for in Thailand, it is a popular practice among local expats in Phuket. Let’s look at why the expat community here on Phuket are so keen on ice baths and saunas for their health benefits, both have been used for centuries so it’s not really a secret. The residents here are lucky as both an ice bath in Phuket & sauna in Phuket can be found.
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And if you are interested or looking for a sauna in Phuket or an ice plunge in Phuket then make sure to check ours at Gym Club Phuket. Open to both members and nonmembers alike.
So what are the health benefits of sauna?
Why is it so popular in the wellness industry?
Saunas have long been used by people all over the world for their health benefits but probably the most well known are the roman baths, the ruins of many of these can still be seen today. Sauna was designed let people relax, unwind and socialize together. Today people still use saunas for their therapeutic properties.
The heat and humidity of the sauna is designed to promote perspiration, allowing the body to sweat out toxins while relaxing the muscles and mind. Used regularly, saunas have several health benefits, so what are the health benefits from using a sauna? Let’s take a look below:
1. Stress Relief
Sauna improves your circulation, it allows your muscles to relax and a relaxed body leads to a stress free mind. This in turn aids your immune system and improves the benefits of physical exercise, compounding the value of the sauna as part of your wellness routine.
2. Improve sleep
A sauna can help you have a good night’s sleep for direct and indirect reasons. Directly, while you may feel relaxed in a sauna, your body is still working very hard beneath the surface; an evening sauna can be just the thing to set you up for a good night’s shut eye.
3. Remove toxins from your body
Although often seen as embarrassment, sweating is very good for you. It releases toxins from your body, helps with circulation and improves the immune system, naturally cleansing your system from the inside out. Making your body sweat in a relaxed environment is doubly beneficial to your wellbeing.
4. Weight loss & calorie burning
Anything your body does requires the burning of calories, the heat from the sauna creates a similar response to that of exercise, the increase in body temperature and the sweating both burn calories. Obviously, you still need to exercise but doing both gives your metabolism a great boost, and there’s no better way to relax after a workout than unwinding in the sauna!
5. Fight illness & boost immune system
The correlation between stress and the immune system has been well known for many years, any means to reduce stress will be a boost to your immune system. Recent research has also discovered a link between raising the body’s core temperature and an improvement in the immune system’s activity, allowing it to stave off illness more effectively, fighting infections before they become serious.
There are some underlying health conditions for which a sauna may not be recommended, however, if you’re in good health a sauna or steam bath can be very beneficial, leaving you feeling refreshed and relaxed.
Now let’s look at the other end of the spectrum: The ice bath, what are the benefits?
Ok so now that we’ve covered the health benefits of sauna, let’s go to the complete opposite polar, the ice plunge. Which is also known as ice bath.
Is an ice bath truly healthy for you?
We’re sure you’ve seen the videos of top athletes jumping into an ice bath. You may even know people who swear by them. The proper term for this is cryotherapy and although it may sound a little extreme, the health benefits have been known for a very long time. Cryotherapy is not, by any means, a cure all but there are many areas of your health which would benefit from an ice plunge. So what are the health benefits of an ice bath? Let’s look at a few below:
1. Reduces inflammation and swelling
Inflammation and swelling are caused by an increase of blood flow and white blood cells to an area. An ice bath reduces the swelling by constricting the blood vessels and so reducing the swelling. It’s a tried and tested method of reducing inflammation, studies show that ice bath works much better than other methods such as compression socks for post-exercise inflammation issues.
2. Relieves sore muscles
There isn’t always a clear-cut scientific reason as to why things work. An ice-bath will definitely help ease the pain of sore muscles.
3. Aids exercise recovery
The effects of an ice bath aren’t just those that happen when you’re in one. The reduction of inflammation is quite well known, however, once you’re out again, the after effects kick in. Which includes dilating your blood vessels and increasing your circulation. While at the same time flushing your system with fresh vigour, feeding and cleaning your muscles.
4. Lowers core body temperature
A ten minute ice bath is enough to cool your core after a workout, helpful to avoid heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
5. Supports immunity
There has been some research looking at the use of ice baths to boost the immune system, however, as the study also looked at other methods such as deep breathing and meditation, so it’s difficult to say how conclusive that research is. It did, however, show a reduction in bacterial infection symptoms.
A Great Way To Relax After A Long Day At Work In Phuket
Saunas and ice baths have been around for a long time and offer so many health benefits beyond relaxation. Enjoying a sauna in Phuket regularly may help improve your:
- Heart health
- Blood circulation
- Remove toxins from your body
- Reduce pain and inflammation
- Improve your skin and endurance
- And could even prolong your lifespan.
Apart from having to buy and set up your own sauna at home, you can easily find saunas nearby you. Usually they can be found at spas, gyms, and health clubs. So if you feel like a session at a sauna in Phuket followed by a quick ice plunge, then make sure to check out our Sauna in Laguna, Phuket.
Something so simple that can calm the mind and body, while also improving your well-being? Seems to me that taking the time to enjoy a sauna is something most of us could benefit from.