A steam bath will relax your tense and aching muscles. If you have had a long day (or month) at work, toxins can build up in your muscle tissue, causing you pain and discomfort. A steam sauna can force your muscles to relax, almost instantly releasing these harmful toxins. It is also great after a workout. The extra blood flow will speed up the repair of your muscle tissue, thus allowing you to exercise again sooner. Don't take my word for it. The Finnish Olympic team takes a portable steam sauna to all competitions.

The steam sauna also cleanses your skin. The sweat opens your pores, thus flushing out unhealthy toxins and grime.

Sauna heat therapy is also recommended by many therapists and physicians to treat chronic pain, including joint pain, arthritis pain, and fibromyalgia. It is also effective in reducing inflammation and swelling by improving lymph flow.

It is believed by many that a sauna can help stimulate the body's immune response by elevating the body temperature - many viruses, tumors and toxin-laden cells are thought to be weaker (poor tolerance to heat) than normal healthy cells. Proponents believe that by elevating the body's temperature much like the body does naturally during a fever, the sauna will help the body fight various diseases. Given the human body's effectiveness in fighting disease by inducing a fever, the science behind this theory would appear to be very plausible.

After the sauna, drink a glass of mineralized water. Lie down or sit for at least 10 minutes. These simple steps will allow your body to reap the full benefits from the sauna. The healthier you become, the more easily you will sweat.

Your Skin

Because it eliminates, the skin is sometimes called the "third kidney." It is far more complex than the kidney or any other organ except the brain. It is composed of blood vessels, nerve endings, vessels for carrying Iymph, pigmentation, oil glands, hair follicles, cells that waterproof and deny entry to bacteria and, of course, the tubular, coiled sweat glands. It is so important that death by accumulated poisons occurs in a matter of hours if the skin, and its sweat passages, are smothered.