Soaking in the Benefits of Sauna
By Dr. Weston Hopkins, Anchorage Chiropractor, Natural Health Center
This summer I decided to take on what was – for me – a massive project: building a sauna in our backyard. As a chiropractor, I am extremely interested in complementary ways to enhance the health of my family and patients. There is emerging scientific evidence that suggests sauna bathing may offer a myriad of beneficial health effects, including reduced blood pressure; reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and dementia; and reduction in flu, mortality and skin conditions. The traditional Finnish sauna has also been shown to improve painful conditions, such as low back pain, neck pain, heel pain, headache, herniated discs and overall joint pain. (I will discuss these further in a future blog article!)
My sauna project started when a friend of my wife said she no longer wanted their indoor sauna. If we could deconstruct it, we could have the cedar and the electric heater. I was a little leery at first, as I have essentially no experience as a carpenter, but my wife, Mary, was all in.
The deconstruction of the sauna took about nine hours, with a ton of nail pulling, but finally we got the cedar boards out relatively unscathed, labeled (so I could put the puzzle pieces back together later) and loaded into the back of our Highlander.
I originally (and naively!) thought this was a big part of the project! Next, we got rid of a shed and old wood platform in our yard to clear the way for the new structure to be built. Once the area was cleared, we built a deck and framed in a small building to the exact measurements of the sauna room we deconstructed.
Once the frame was up, it seemed excessively large for what we had pictured in our heads, but we pressed on as we were in deep now. Next, we settled on a Tahoe blue metal roof. I thought the metal roof was going to be a breeze – boy was I wrong! This was the most challenging part of the project. One day, I was on that tiny roof for 12 hours straight! But after the roof was installed, the rest came together pretty well.
For the exterior, we decided on using some leftover roof metal for siding halfway up, and pine wood tongue and groove the rest of the way up. Lastly, it was time to see if the labeled puzzle pieces of cedar fit into the new structure. To our surprise (and probably anybody who knows me!), they fit perfectly.
I haven’t mentioned this yet, but the best part about the whole project is that we had a surprise for our two little girls that we kept a secret the whole time. Lucy and Anja (our little girls) were elated to find out that I had also built them a clubhouse!
The sauna project was a big undertaking, but I am so glad our family took it on as we learned a plethora of new skills that we are applying to other aspects of our life. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and learn a new skill as you never know what may come of it. Plus, we now have hot space to warm up in during our cold Alaska winters.
If you interested in building your own sauna, and enjoying the health benefits that come with it, here are a few resources that we used:
About Dr. Weston Hopkins, Anchorage Chiropractor
Dr. Weston Hopkins is a licensed chiropractor certified in Active Release Technique (ART) and Functional Range Release (FR). He is also a Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) Mobility Specialist. Dr. Hopkins’ goal is to get you out of pain as quickly as possible so you can return to your activity of choice. Learn more about Dr. Hopkins or schedule your appointment.