My first point of call was of course the Wikipedia entry which lists an incredible number of benefits. Many of them relate to people with certain ailments/dysfunctions but the interesting general benefits listed are:

• Reduces incidence of common cold.
• Increases performance in endurance sport.
• Improves exercise tolerance/anaerobic threshold in chronic conditions.
• Reduces levels of adrenalin/noradrenalin (stress hormones).
• Clears body of organic chemicals, solvents, drugs, pharmaceuticals and heavy metals.
• Improves body’s antioxidant capabilities when followed by cold water immersion.

Other websites offer even more benefits, though most aren’t followed by links to medical journals and research like the Wikipedia page. Many websites list weight loss as a key, if not the central, benefit of saunas. It hasn’t escaped my notice however that often these sites SELL saunas (see this one, this, this… just a few of the many!) whilst posts from doctors don’t mention it at all. Personally I would take the comments that 30 minutes in a sauna is as effective as 30 minutes rowing with a pinch of salt – sure your heart rate may have increased as much but the physical stress put on your muscles whilst rowing would have far greater benefits (afterburn, growth, increased metabolism!).

Some of the information I’ve read also seems to contradict itself and you can’t help but wonder how sitting in extreme temperatures can be safe let alone beneficial for us. I did come across this page from Harvard Medical School (so probably my most reputable source) that seems to suggest that whilst is is safe expose ourselves to the abnormally hot environments (given reasonable health) there are next to no proven health benefits other than relaxation and mental wellbeing.

I also found it quite amusing that one of the first Google links for sauna benefits was for a blog at BenefitsOfSauna.net which ironically has no entries beyond the initial “Hello World” WordPress entry. Perhaps an indication of how difficult it is to find reliable and proven results?! I’ll let you decide!

So I’m not too sure what to make of saunas but to be on the safe side I think I’ll keep using one for now. There’s no doubt that my skin feels smoother and cleaner after a few minutes in the heat and the noticable change in heart rate does feel like a workout in itself. There’s also the fantastically relaxing feeling of sitting in the warmth that’s surely great for me mentally and that in itself makes it worthwhile.

Now if you’ve done any type of research, even just a few seconds worth, then you most likely know that there are two absolutely essential things to look at for improving your fitness and appearance – say it with me now… DIET and EXERCISE! Both are absolutely vital aspects of any sort of training program and I will certainly be looking at each one in depth over the coming months. However knowing the recipe for personal fitness is one thing but where should you start? As with any project the answer is a series of targets and goals.

Recently I have embarked on my own new regime and the temptation is to start everything at once – perfect training, perfect diet, perfect me right?! Maybe not quite… Like most new things it is best to introduce them gradually – many failed attempts have taught me that starting a new routine with rigorous training and a large calorie deficit is a blueprint for failure. One of the biggest mistakes people make when they start an exercise routine is they take on too much too quickly – REMEMBER THIS WHEN SETTING YOUR OWN GOALS!

Fortunately I’m quite familiar with my own strengths and weaknesses so coming up with my own list is fairly straightforward. However whilst I’m certain my goals are achievable I am not sure how long they will take-for now I’m putting a timescale of 3 months on all activities. Take a look at what I’m aiming for:

* 100 Continuous Pushups

* 200 Continuous Squats

* 200 Continuous Situps

* 5 sets of 10 Bicep Curls @ 16 Kg

Currently my continuous figures are something like 15, 30 and 30 whilst I can curl 5 sets of 10 at 12 Kg without too much difficulty. To reach these targets I’m going to perform 2 exercises per day, alternating exercise each day. So Day 1 will be pushups and bicep curls, Day 2 squats and situps, Day 3 pushups and curls, Day 4 squats and situps etc. For each exercise I will then perform sets of repetitions, increasing the number of reps gradually as time goes on. At the end of each month I will perform a “test” to see how much my continuous figures have improved and then assess my goals and if necessary make adjustments.

Remember not to add too many exercises if you’re starting from scratch – a maximum of two per day, followed by a rest day for those muscles. Rest is an integral part of getting stronger so make sure you get it! If you’re going to train every day then you could work your upper body one day and lower the next, or do resistance work one day and cardio the next… just make sure that after working each muscle group it gets a day off afterward.

Hopefully that’s a good guide to how I’ve set my goals and how I hope to achieve them. I’ll keep you updated on how I’m progressing too. Stay fit people!