5 unexpected wellness benefits of sauna bathing: Bring on the heat!

The benefits of sauna on your mood, heart, brain, and overall lifespan are pretty remarkable.

These benefits (which I’ll highlight in a moment) are a result of heat stress.

We often think of stress as a “bad” thing, but in fact, little stresses work to build the resilience of the body.

When we lift weights, we are stressing the body.

In recovery, our muscles repair, grow, and strengthen from the stress that was placed on them during the workout.

Heat stress works in a similar way by making the body’s tissues more resilient to the stresses of aging and lifestyle.

Benefits of the traditional sauna

All of the research below have been conducted within traditional dry (also known as Finnish) saunas.

Growing research has linked traditional sauna usage to the following findings:

1. Overall life expansion

Using the sauna 2-3 times per week was associated with 24% lower all-cause mortality and 4-7 times per week decreased all-cause mortality by 40%.

Living longer with robust health means you can enjoy, create, and participate in 24-40% more of life’s experiences!

2. Lower risk of dementia

Dry sauna usage has shown a:

• 20% reduction in dementia with 2-3 times per week use

• 60-66% reduction in dementia with 4x per week use

This is because heat exposure increases the production of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) to promote neurogenesis - the growth of new neurons in the brain.

Also, normal cognitive function relies on sufficient blood flow to the brain and peripheral nervous system, which occurs with heat stress during sauna use.

3. Relieves depression

Sauna use has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression.

In a randomized, double-blind study of 30 healthy adults diagnosed with depression, participants who were exposed to a single session of whole-body hyperthermia in which core body temperature was elevated to 38.5°C (101.3°F) experienced an acute antidepressant effect that was apparent within a week of treatment and persisted for six weeks after treatment.

That is incredible!

4. Increased immunity

Sauna use also reduced the incidence of common colds in 25 participants who used the sauna 1-2 times per week for six months compared to 25 controls who did not.

It's noteworthy that it took three months before sauna use had a protective effect. 

5. Improves cardiovascular health

Sauna bathing is a great option for those who have trouble sticking with an exercise routine or have disabilities that prevent adequate levels of exercise intensity.

Like exercise, long-term sauna use generally improves blood pressure, endothelial function, and left ventricular function, and reduces inflammation.

It also helps to improve endurance and maintain muscle mass.

Compared to men who only used the sauna once per week, moderate sauna users (2-3 times per week) are 22% less likely to experience sudden cardiac death, and frequent users (4-7 times per week) are 63% less likely to experience sudden cardiac death.

Sauna bathing - how to do it

Finnish-style sauna bathing involves one to three sessions of heat exposure lasting five to 20 minutes each, interspersed with periods of cooling.

Cooling methods could include rolling in the snow or immersing in cold water, which further stresses the cardiovascular system.

Research gathered by Dr. Rhonda Patrick indicates that to achieve optimal health benefits the sauna temperature should be at least 78.9°C for at least 20 minutes.

The KIHD studies that found a dose-dependent reduction in cardiovascular-related mortality, all-cause mortality, and Alzheimer's disease incidence typically involved saunas that were heated to a temperature of at least 78.9°C (174°F) for at least 20 minutes. In fact, these studies found that the amount of time spent in the sauna also affected cardiovascular-related mortalities, with a longer duration of 19 minutes or more having a more robust effect than 11 to 18 minutes on lowering mortality rate.

Another study showed that heat shock proteins increased by ~50 percent after 30 minutes in a 73℃ sauna in healthy young men and women.

Once activated, heat shock proteins can remain so for up to 48 hours.

20-30 minutes? No problem, right?

Sitting in a sauna for 20-30 minutes 2 or more times per week doesn’t sound difficult, especially when you gain so many life-improving and life-expanding benefits.

But, if I’ve learned one thing as a habit-change coach, you have to meet your body/mind where it’s at (i.e. baby steps work best).

For some, you will need to build up your tolerance to heat over time.

Starting with 5 or 10 minutes in the beginning (or whatever you can stand), then escaping into the cooler temperature outside or stepping into a cold shower, and then re-entering for a few more minutes.

This process may take a few months to reach the optimal 20-30 minute mark.

But the rewards are worth it!

Sauna-only monthly membership

Get all the benefits above with our monthly membership.

Sauna-Only Membership

• Sauna-only sessions are 30 minutes.

• Available appointments times are:
  Wednesdays 4-6 pm
  Fridays 3-6 pm
  Saturdays 12-4 pm

• Membership allows for up to 3 sessions/per week.

• $80.00/month … 2x per week - only $10 per session.

• Your credit card will be charged each month until you cancel.