When biking as a form of exercise, it is easy to overdo it. Tired muscles and overall fatigue can cause you to question whether your regular routes are so straining on your body that you won’t be able to accomplish your everyday responsibilities at home or at work. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to improve your recovery times significantly. If you notice that you are often uncomfortable while riding, looking for comfort bikes can be a proactive solution. For recovery after a workout, try a sauna. Here’s why:
Improved Blood Flow and Reduced Blood Pressure
The physics of sitting in a sauna are relatively simple. Since a quality sauna quickly heats the humid air around you, your heart rate naturally increases to maintain your body’s homeostasis. The increased temperatures cause your blood vessels to widen, improving circulation throughout your body. Although science is only beginning to grasp the full benefits of sauna use, naturally reduced blood pressure has long been associated with long-term health.
Accelerated Muscle Recovery
Post-workout muscle pain is an annoyance that every athlete has to handle. Acute pain, however, can occur more often in inexperienced cyclists who are liable to stop exercising entirely if they believe that acute pain is going to be a constant element of their exercise routine. Whatever the severity of your muscle pain, saunas are highly effective at soothing aching muscles and joints, as an increased volume of blood can help your muscles repair themselves. Increased blood flow also results in higher production of beneficial messenger hormones, such as HGH, or human growth hormone.
Weight Loss
Although more research is needed in order to uncover the true relationship between saunas and weight loss, saunas seem to regulate both appetite and metabolism. As with any activity that increases your heart rate, saunas also burn calories directly.
Improved Mood
Though some of the benefits of siting in a sauna are psychological, this doesn’t mean that they aren’t caused by real physical changes in the body. For the same reasons an increase in blood flow benefits muscle recovery, it is also beneficial for neuroplasticity and brain health. After a sufficiently long session, sauna use results in a wealth of endorphins and a perceptible improvement in mood. Combined with the complementary psychological boost of taking your beach cruiser on a scenic path, sauna use can seriously better your mental state.
Reduced Inflammation and Improved Immunity
The heat shock proteins produced by the body under heat stress are responsible for some of the most impressive benefits of sitting in a sauna. With consistent sauna use, heat shock proteins tangibly reduce systemic inflammation and result in improved immunity over the long term.
The science behind the benefits of saunas is continuously advancing and improving. What is clear so far is that sitting in a sauna for an hour or so is a promising way to help your body recover after a long ride. The next time you take your mens or womens hybrid bike a little too far, don’t be afraid; your body is well equipped to recover. A good meal, a session in a sauna, and a good night’s sleep can work wonders.
