The blogosphere has been buzzing with talk about the the possible dangers of saunas, sweat lodges, and steam rooms. This has led to people doubting whether or not sweating is a valid method to get a good detox. For years saunas have been regarded as a reliable way to detox. Now people are left wondering if something has changed?

Confusion regarding the safe use of saunas and sweat lodges has come out of the tragedy at the "Spriritual Warrior" retreat in Arizona last fall. Excessive use of a sweat lodge lead to dehydration and the eventual death of 3 guests as well as 18 people hospitalized.

Understandably, people have started questioning the safety of sweat lodges and the other type of sweat detox therapy. What most people don't know is that of all the many types of workouts, diets and detox methods, using a sauna is one of the easiest and safest. Infrared saunas in particular are a quick and easy way to induce healthy sweating to stimulate the cardiovascular system. The American Medical Association explains that "many of us who run do so to place a demand on our cardiovascular system, not to build big leg muscles. Regular use of indoor saunas may impact a similar stress on the cardiovascular system, and its regular use may be as effective, as a means of cardiovascular conditioning and burning of calories, as regular exercise."

One of the safest and easiest types of cardiovascular workout, diet, or detox, is using a sauna. For an easy and quick way to get a healthy sweat and benefit your cardiovascular system, a portable infrared sauna is most useful. According to the AMA (American Medical Association), "many of us who run do so to place a demand on our cardiovascular system, not to build big leg muscles. Regular use of indoor saunas may impact a similar stress on the cardiovascular system, and its regular use may be as effective, as a means of cardiovascular conditioning and burning of calories, as regular exercise."

For someone to enjoy the detoxifying benefits of an infrared sauna or any type of steam room etc, the simple practice of drinking a glass of water before and after a 15-30 minute session is all that is needed to prevent dehydration or any other possible adverse reaction. Hydration is the key to sweating out toxins.

In addition to staying hydrated, another important factor to be considered when regularly detoxing in a sauna is using a quality mineral supplement. In addition to all of the heavy metals that are secreted from the body, also some good minerals are lost and should be replaced by adding mineral drops to your water before or after your sauna sessions.

The effectiveness and ease of use of portable infrared saunas and other methods of sweat detox, make them an excellent way to improve one's health. The benefits outweigh the slight risk of dehydration, leaving us wonder why there was ever any confusion to begin with.

Benjamin Andrews blogs about sweat detox in addition to various other issues on natural living. To find out more about FIR saunas and sweat detox, go to HEALTHandMEdBlog and read more from Andrews.

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