How To Claim a Sauna As a Medical Deduction On Your Tax Return

How to Deduct a Sauna as a medical deduction on your income tax.

How to Deduct a Sauna as a medical deduction on your income tax.

TAX DEDUCTION FOR YOUR SAUNA THERAPY

April 15th will be here so very sooon.

A scheduled visit on Monday by our own accountant has put the impending date top of my mind.  Taxes are no one’s favorite topic unless you’re an accountant or work for the IRS.  You want to pay your fair share, but why pay more than you have to, right?  It’s part of the game to line up legal deductions that will reduce your overall tax bill.

Here’s a deduction you many not be aware of: IRS regulations may allow a deduction for your sauna purchase if your doctor recommends sauna therapy for a medical condition.

At Olympic Hot Tub Company, we’re hearing from our customers that one of the reasons for purchasing a Finnleo Sauna is a medical condition for which a sauna will provide relief.

Those who suffer from arthritis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, chemical detox or other medical problems typically find that their aches and pains are alleviated by a sauna session. These are just a few of the many medical conditions for which a sauna purchase may qualify for a medical deduction.

 A doctor’s prescription can turn your sauna into a piece of deductible medical equipment, as long as you satisfy a few IRS conditions.  Remember that a written recommendation is the first and most important step in the deduction process.

Look for IRS Publication 502, which covers medical expenses.   According to IRS Publication 502, medical expenses are the costs of diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, and the costs for treatments affecting any part or function of the body. These include the costs of equipment, supplies, and diagnostic devices needed for these purposes. However, medical care expenses must be primarily to alleviate or prevent a physical or mental defect or illness. They do not include expenses that are merely beneficial to general health.

Deducting Capital Improvement Expenses

You can include in medical expenses amounts you pay for special equipment installed in a home, or for improvements, if their main purpose is medical care for you, your spouse, or your dependent. The cost of permanent improvements that increase the value of your property may be partly included as a medical expense. The cost of the improvement is reduced by the increase in the value of your property. Only the difference is a medical expense. If the value of your property is not increased by the improvement, the entire cost is included as a medical expense. Actual increase in value to the home is best determined by an appraisal.

You’ll find a good discussion of the IRS regulations and helpful hints for obtaining this deduction for a hot tub (a sauna would fit in this category as well) at Hurt911.org The Center for Accident and Injury Insurance. 

It’s not too early to start lining up qualified deductions before you do your taxes.  If you need a copy of your receipt for a sauna you purchased and had delivered last year, call our office 206 286-0700. 

FYI:  This post is no substitute for consulting your own tax preparation expert for assurance that you qualify for using the sauna as a medical expense under IRS rules.

Let us know about your own success with taking a medical deduction for your own home sauna.

THE GOOD SWEAT begins with a Finnleo Sauna from Olympic Hot Tub Company.

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Saunas & Arthritis: Use Heat to Relieve Pain, Increase Mobility & Feel Better Now

Heat Treatment  Acute knee pain from arthritis

It’s no secret: a sauna’s heat can reduce pain and enhance well-being for arthritis sufferers.

Can a sauna cure arthritis? No. We’re not claiming that! But the heat of a sauna does ease pain, increase mobility, and enhance feelings of well-being when used with a range of other treatments including diet, exercise and medication.

Arthritis is the No. 1 cause of disability in the United States, and the men, women and children who suffer from it deserve the maximum relief possible. And, we feel, with the least medication possible.

In a report submitted to The Annals of Clinical Research Volume 20 in 1988, Dr. H. Isomäki discussed research results related to the benefits of sauna bathing for temporary relief of pain and increased mobility.  In the study, pain relief was attributed to a temporary increase in the release of nor adrenaline, adrenaline, coritsol and growth hormones (all of which have anti-inflammatory properties), as well as, an increased stress on the body, which releases endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers.  Of those studied, more than 50% of participants reported temporary relief of pain and an increase in mobility.  Mobility was increased since tissues largely comprised of collagen (tendons, fasciae, and articular capsules) become more flexible when exposed to increased temperatures.

Some people think that the increased blood circulation stimulated by heat also may loosen and remove mineral deposits from joints where they may have accumulated because of more sluggish blood flow although this has not been studied scientifically.

The heat also may help the body flush out toxins, including those in the pain-killing medications that many arthritis sufferers must use.

Here’s the bottom line on using a sauna to treat your arthritis:

Feeling better triggers an upward spiral – you become more active in the things you enjoy,which increase your sense of well-being, which encourages you to become more active.

Do you suffer from arthritis pain? Take a tip from a Finnleo sauna owner: “I am now 84 years old and have taken a daily morning sauna for decades,” one customer told Finnleo. “I use it to loosen up stiff joints before starting my day. Saunas have dramatically improved my quality of life and have allowed me to stay active much more than I would have without my daily sauna.”

Come try a Finnleo Sauna at any of our Olympic Hot Tub locations. You’ll feel the difference!

The Good Sweat starts with a Finnleo Sauna from Olympic Hot Tub.

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Custom Cut Saunas-More Affordable Than You Think and Made to Fit You & Your Home.

A custom cut sauna fits you and your home-perfectly.The home sauna that you’re dreaming of probably shouldn’t come off the shelf.

That special addition to your house can be really special with a custom-cut sauna made to match both your wishes and your floor plan.

Custom-cut Finnleo saunas can fit a newly-built home, a remodeling project or the space you already have, opening more options for design and installation.

BIG BONUS: Your sauna will never look like an afterthought or tacked-on box. 

When customized, the sauna will be part of the natural flow of your living environment, with far less cost than you might expect for such a permanent fixture that adds so much to your health and well-being.

NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION

Master Bedroom/Master Bath. If you’re including a sauna in your new-home construction plans, the best place to put it is near the master bedroom suite in the master bath. New home and remodeling trends show larger bathrooms and walk-in showers. That way you’re just steps away from the bed for an early-morning sauna or soothing way to drift into better sleep.

While you’re at it, make sure to leave a space at least 4 feet by 4 feet – most people choose 5 by 7 or 6 by 6 – so the family of four can fit comfortably or two grownups can lounge with plenty of elbow room.

EXISTING HOME-There are literally hundreds of places for a custom cut sauna!

In an existing home, if you have:

a closet,

the corner of a bathroom,

an unused spare room,

basement spaces such as under the stairwell or along the wall,

you have a place for your own custom-cut sauna – the design flexibility opens surprising options, so use your creative imagination.

Include a sauna when you’re transforming your basement, or spare bedroom into workout space.

If you happen to have plenty of room, you could add a shower or steam shower for a handy after-sauna rinse, and be sure to pipe water close by so you can fill your bucket for sprinkling over the hot rocks.

With a custom sauna, you call the shots – size, shape, heaters, décor, benches, lights, music, amenities – for your unique use, whether it’s doing Hot Yoga, quietly reading a book, getting friends together, sharing family time, getting in shape or just relaxing to entertainment.

The sauna is made to fit both you and your home.

A custom-cut sauna also gives you the option of installing a custom-cut InfraSauna, so you can have both the infrared sauna and the traditional sauna in the same room.

OUTSIDE! You can even put your sauna outside, stand-alone or in a shed, or add one to the gym area of your yacht (we just did one of these!).

Whatever you’re dreaming up, come to Olympic first so we can start making your home sauna a reality from design to ordering to installation. We make it easy for you to take it easy.

The Good Sweat starts with a Finnleo custom cut sauna from Olympic.

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Worried About Wrinkles? Will A Sauna Help? Find Out Now.

iStock_000015945667XSmall[1]Wrinkles are common as we age, alas. There’s no known way to stop them. But, if you’re like most people you’re always interested in knowing how to reduce their appearance and prevent them from returning.

Genetics and lifetime sun exposure are two precursors to developing wrinkles, but those factors aside, you can take steps to help reduce how visible and noticeable your wrinkles are.

A sauna is often used after an exercise session to revitalize and relax you. Did you know that you sauna session may bring the added  benefit you of reducing wrinkles and improving the overall appearance of your skin?

Taking a sauna is way to potentially reduce the appearance of wrinkles, though the effects are temporary.

HOW A SAUNA WORKS TO REDUCE THE APPEARANCE OF WRINKLES

Saunas help relax your muscles, but they can also help your skin get rid of toxins that may contribute to wrinkles. Using a sauna regularly will give you a natural glow just from cleaning out your facial pores.As the steam from the sauna penetrates your skin, it may help plump up wrinkles, which can diminish their appearance.

Saunas are a natural way to diminish the appearance of wrinkles, and regular use can help keep you looking younger. Take a cold shower or bath following your sauna treatment to help revitalize your skin, Earl Fee suggests in his book, “One Hundred Years Young the Natural Way: Body, Mind, and Spirit Training.”

ANOTHER WRINKLE REDUCING TIP:  Try a coffee facial after the sauna.

The caffeine in coffee firms and plumps the skin to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles when applied externally, according to Diane Irons in her book “Insider Beauty: Secrets of the Fit and Fabulous.” Dip a clean cloth into a cup of cooled coffee, and apply directly to your face. Allow the coffee to dry on your skin, and rinse with warm water. Repeat once daily as needed to help get rid of lines and wrinkles. Do not use coffee with added sugar or cream. Use plain black coffee for the best results.

PRECAUTIONS

Spend only 10 to 12 minutes in a traditional steam sauna. Prolonged exposure may actually dry out your skin. Dry skin is more likely to show wrinkles and fine lines. Drink plenty of water after your sauna session to help replace the fluids you lost through sweating. Plenty of water may also help reduce the appearance of wrinkles by keeping your body hydrated.

AFTER THE SAUNA.

Smooth a moisturizing cream over your skin immediately following your sauna session. The lotion will help seal in moisture and help reduce the appearance of fine lines. Baby oil may have a similar effect by moisturizing your skin.

While we  at Olympic Hot Tub  haven’t published any scientific studies on sauna benefits, we can tell you what our customers are saying after they purchase a Finnleo sauna from us.

For one thing they  report better skin.  Many of our women owners have been asked if they’d had face lifts! Want to look better?  Sauna away your wrinkles! With the beginning of the New Year, why not get serious about reducing your wrinkles?!

THE GOOD SWEAT STARTS WITH A FINNLEO SAUNA FROM OLYMPIC HOT TUB

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Celebrate Christmas The Finnish Way-Sauna on Christmas Eve

Finland Sauna Christmas StampThough no one knows exactly when the first saunas in Finland were made, the earliest saunas were probably simple holes in the ground, as can be guessed from the etymology of “sauna”. The word means a hole or a foxhole, which is heated up.

According to researcher Juha Nirkko from the Finnish Literature Society, sauna has been a church, a pharmacy, a bathing place and social room, among other things, for Finns. Its popularity is of course also related to the cold climate of Finland, where such a method for warming up comes in handy.

Sauna also forms an integral part of Finnish Christmas celebrations. Traditionally this was a time to rest, eat well and purify oneself. In Finland sauna has been the method of choice for such cleansing, which was especially important on Christmas Eve.

According to Nirkko, it is preferable to have sauna in the afternoon of the Eve, as household members should bathe before the spirits. Observing such an order is important not to incur the wrath of the dead.  Indeed, in Finnish tradition elves, gnomes and dead family members have all been given their own turn for taking Sauna.

Other old traditions include throwing beer on the sauna stove in order to help bring about a good harvest in the following year. Spells and prayers were also said in sauna to achieve spiritual purification along with physical cleanliness.

Nirkko published a book on sauna and its traditions earlier this year. Alas, it’s in Finnish with no translation. Find out more abut Christmas Sauna Traditions with this new entry for your Kindle.

A Christmas sauna is a long and loved tradition for Finns. In “Christmas Sauna Traditions” read all about a traditional Christmas sauna, savour some recipes (including sauna baked apples!), explore how to make a sauna whisk, ice candles and sauna potpourri, and learn about the written (and unwritten!) rules of the sauna.
Borrow a tradition from the Finns and make a sauna your Christmas Eve tradition.
The Good Sweat Starts with a Finnleo Sauna from Olympic Hot Tub
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Public Sauna Etiquette-How to Sauna in a Hotel, Gym or Resort

Sweating in Public.  Fun? Relaxing? Or, social torture because you don’t know the rules?

Everything you need to know about sharing a sauna you learned in kindergarten. You just need to apply the rules to taking a sauna in a public place.

Health clubs and spas often have public saunas shared by strangers. They might be men only, women only, or mixed. The people who come to these rooms with hot rocks and wooden benches, maybe wearing no more than a towel, could be looking for detoxification or muscle relief as well as rest. If you’re going to relax in a place like that, everybody has to mind their manners. Here are some rules, including advice from Sauna Fin’s “Sauna Etiquette,” Home Saunas’ “Sauna Etiquette and Tips” and Sauna Community’s “Sauna Definition.”

COVER UP. Check the rules – you have to wear at least a towel, and some rooms require a swimsuit.

DON’T STARE. It’s just not kind..no matter what they’re wearing, or not.

BE CLEAN.  Shower before sauna so nobody has to smell your b.o. or the chlorine from the pool. It also keeps the furniture sanitary. Take an extra towel to sit on.

USE INSIDE VOICES. If you’re going to talk, keep the conversation quiet and don’t laugh or make loud noises that disturb others. If you’re listening to music, use a headset or earbuds so nobody else hears.  Feel free to tell somebody to turn it down if they break this rule.

SHUT THE DOOR.We want to keep the heat inside, so never hold the door open to talk to someone. Get in or get them out.

SIT STILL. It’s not an exercise room, and nobody wants you flinging sweat when you move around. If somebody breaks this rule, feel free to remind them.

When you sweat politely with others, everybody will have a relaxing time. Feel free to share any other tips you have for the right way to sauna in public.

The Good Sweat starts with a Finnleo Sauna from Olympic Hot Tub

Sauna Away Your Acne Naturally

Sweat. Rinse. Repeat.

Sauna regimen is a natural way to clear acne from the skin.  Since it’s National Healthy Skin Month, what better time to talk about saunas & clear skin.

Here’s how to do it the right way:

 While you’re relaxing in your Finnleo sauna, you can give your skin a workout to sweat away blackheads, pimples and other skin blemishes, making your face as clean and fresh as you feel. As long as you get hot enough to sweat – in a conventional Finnish-style sauna, infrared sauna, steam room or steam sauna – the “exercise” will work.

Take your favorite soap or facial cleanser; a brush, loofa or rough cloth for exfoliating your skin; and two towels, one to sit on and another for drying off.

First, take a hot shower and scrub the problem area gently with soap or cleanser, making sure to rinse it off well. Dry off and go relax in the sauna.

When you start sweating, in about five or 10 minutes, massage the problem area gently with the brush, sponge or cloth. Stay a couple more minutes to let the sweat wash away the dirt and dead skin. Rinse off in the shower – no soap – starting with warm water and turning it as cold as you find comfortable so your body gets to cool off. Dry off and relax until the sweating stops.

Now do it again: Back to the sauna, where you’ll start sweating more quickly, exfoliate again, sweat for a while, and shower again to cool off. Don’t use any soap, cleanser or lotions – your natural oils will do the work.

The mirror will show you that your skin is clearer than ever, and the regimen will keep you clear without using expensive acne treatments. That’s because the sauna frees the sebaceous glands to do their work. The glands make sebum, a waxy material that protects, moisturizes and feeds your skin cells, maybe even protecting them from disease, but when the glands are blocked, acne appears. Sweat helps the sebum flow, which unclogs pores.

Note: Don’t try this if you have cystic acne, and check with your doctor if you’re taking prescription medicine. If you fill lightheaded or ill during the sauna, stand slowly and go take a cool shower to lower your body temperature.

Put your perspiration to work for you, for cleaner, fresher skin without the cost of chemicals. Sweat while you relax – and relax while you sweat.

The Good Sweat starts with a Finnleo Sauna from Olympic Hot Tub

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Depressed? Research Shows An Infrared Sauna Can Lift Your Gloom!

Infrared Saunas as a Treatment for Depression?

It’s obvious to regular sauna users that it’s a relaxing escape from the stresses of day-to-day life. Infrared sauna enthusiasts report mood elevation as well as stress relief. Researchers asked the question: could sauna use be effective for treating depression? In some cases, the answer was “yes”:

In 2005, a study was published in Psychosomatic Medicine in which a group of 28 mildly depressed patients with appetite loss and subjective symptoms were studied. Twenty-eight mildly depressed inpatients with general fatigue, appetite loss, and somatic and mental complaints were randomly assigned to thermal therapy group (n = 14) or non-thermal therapy group (n = 14). Patients in the thermal therapy group were treated with 60 degrees C far-infrared dry sauna for 15 minutes and were then kept at bed rest with a blanket for 30 minutes once a day, 5 days a week for a total of 20 sessions in 4 weeks.

Patients given sauna treatment showed significant improvement in bodily complaints, as well as hunger and relaxation scores compared with the control group. As well, the ghrelin hormone (that’s an appetite stimulant secreted by your gastrointestinal system) as well as daily caloric intake improved in the sauna group significantly more than in the control group.

These findings suggest that repeated thermal therapy may be useful for mildly depressed patients with appetite loss and subjective complaints.

As with many of the benefits of  infrared saunas, science proves what regular users know.  Taking a sauna is a mood elevator. Better than pills!

Sauna bathing has profound effects on overall health. Interested in long term health maintenance and taking control of your own health?  Sauna enthusiasts consider a sauna as a low-cost, non-drug approach to wellness using the body’s own properties to strengthen health.  Adding sauna bathing to your daily routine is a great way to get healthy and stay healthy! Find out more.

Study: Masuda A, et al. Repeated thermal therapy diminishes appetite loss and subjective complaints in mildly depressed patients. Psychosomatic Medicine. 2005 67 (4): 643-47.

The good sweat starts with a Finnleo Infrared Sauna from Olympic Hot Tub Company.

 

 

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Truth or Fiction: Does Sauna Use Remove Toxic Chemicals From the Body? New Study to Find Out.

A study commissioned by the NIH  is testing sauna effects on stored toxic chemicals in the body.  Will sauna sessions help detox these harmful chemicals from the body to result in better health? That’s the big question.

The National Institutes of Health is sponsoring research at Bastyr University near Seattle to determine the effects of sauna use on toxic environmental chemicals in the body.

Dr. Jason Allen, the lead researcher, is testing whether the sauna helps break down the fatty tissues that can store more than 200 synthetic chemicals. When the chemicals are released from the tissues, the body can excrete them.

Those chemicals, accumulated in the body, are linked to such diseases as cancer, heart disease, obesity and infertility, as well as birth defects and developmental problems – and there is no known way to remove them. The effect on individuals depends on both genetic and environmental factors.

Allen has built a sauna that combines a traditional heater and radiant heating panels for the three-week study.

One group of people will use the sauna for two hours at a time five days a week, another group one hour at a time three days a week. A third group, for control, will not use the sauna.

The groups using the sauna will be monitored for health and mood, and blood tests will monitor their PCB levels.

“Products are out there that slowly degrade in the environment and accumulate in humans, particularly in fat,” Allen told a Seattle radio station. “So in this study, we picked one chemical that’s detectable in 100 percent of the human population, in fact 100 percent of the mammalian population, and those are PCBs.

PCBs, once common chemicals in electrical components, were banned in 1979 in the United States and in 2001 around the world, but Allen says more than 80,000 untested chemicals are still used in manufacturing.

If the study demonstrates a reduction in chemicals from sauna use, we’ll know that the healthy glow you gain from your session is much more than skin deep. Stay tuned.

The Good Sweat starts with a Finnleo Sauna from Olympic Hot Tub Company

 

 

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How to Guarantee a Safe Infrared Sauna Experience? Checkout New Finnleo S-series -the Safest Made

The Swedes set the standard for sauna safety.  Finnleo® surpassed it.

Finnleo’s new S-series of  Far Infrared Saunas comes with the lowest Electro-Magnetic Radiation and lowest Electric Field radiation in the world. That’s healthier and safer than any other choice – so you can relax. The units also produce no VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)– no gases from glues or other materials in the construction to pollute your indoor air.  Another reason to relax.

 That’s just the health and safety part.

These new Infrared Saunas also come with beauty and convenience that you can see, hear, feel and touch.

•  The full-glass front on the sleek design gives a more open feel while you relax and fits in any house’s style.

•  The tri-modal lighting system shines with valance lighting, recessed ceiling reading lights, and color light therapy for people with             Seasonally Affective Disorder (SAD) or anybody else that enjoys a brighter outlook.

  Finnleo’s Gentle Balance™ system guarantees even temperatures with no cold spots.

•   The Finnleo SaunaTone™ speakerless sound system is music to your ears. Touch screen control makes operation effortless.

 With all that, the S-series has improved heating efficiency that cuts wattage use by 20 percent, so you save energy. You also get Finnleo’s unsurpassed warranty – two years of on-site labor, five years of electrical warranty and a lifetime warranty on the carbon panel emitter. And, of course, free delivery and setup from Olympic Hot Tub.  Seven models are available in sizes to seat one to four adults.

 Finnleo starts shipping the new S-series Infrared Sauna in April. Order your S-series Infrared Sauna today from Olympic Hot Tub, 1-800-448-8814.  And relax knowing you’ve purchased the safest sauna on the market.

The Good Sweat starts with a Finnleo Sauna from Olympic Hot Tub Company

 

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