For a number of years, summer would come and I’d once again be asking my husband the same questions, “Do you think something is wrong with me? I can’t run. I have no energy. Maybe it’s my thyroid?!” And he’d have the same answer, “No. It’s the heat. You don’t tolerate the heat. You say this every June.” But in the summer of 2016 things changed, because I had found a secret weapon...The Sauna! What I have since discovered, is that beyond my increased tolerance for running in the summer heat, there are incredible benefits to spending time in the sauna.

More recently, when our health club closed due to COVID, we made the decision to invest in a home sauna. Currently, I consistently spend 20 minutes twice a day sauna bathing at 174 degrees or higher. This is one of our best investments, if for no other reason than its impact on mood alone!

The benefits go well beyond mood, there is a study that shows a 40% decrease in all-case mortality!! Finnish men ages 50 to 65 at the start of this study, were followed for twenty years. The results were “dose dependent”, so men that used the sauna 2-3 times a week had a 24% reduction in all-cause mortality and those that used the sauna 4-7 times a week had a 40% decrease in mortality.

The impacts of sauna use are very similar to exercise. As a result, it has been proposed as an alternative to exercise for people who are unable to engage in physical activity due to chronic disease or physical limitations.

“Study shows 40% decrease in all-cause mortality with sauna use!”

Benefits!

According to the journal, Experimental Physiology, a wide range of physiological responses occur with sauna use including:

resistance to cardiovascular disease and mortality
endothelial function and arterial stiffness
walking ability
blood pressure
glucose metabolism
autonomic nervous activity
cerebral protection
stress resistance

These responses have lead to a number of impressive benefits, let’s take a closer look at a few.

Pneumonia and Infections: According to the European Journal of Epidemiology, "sauna training" at least twice a week could reduce the risk of deadly lung issues (infections such as pneumonia, severe asthma attacks, and complications caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder) by almost 30%, while visiting four or more times a week can cut it by 41%! Although scientists are not sure exactly what causes this positive impact on respiratory illnesses, they speculate that the heat generated by saunas eases airway obstruction and reduces oxidative stress.

Heart/Blood Vessels: The cardiovascular benefits may be due to its similarities with exercise. Time in the sauna will get your heart rate up to 100-150 beats/minute, which just like moderate aerobic exercise improves cardiovascular fitness. Whatever the mechanism, the benefits are notable. An important study published in JAMA, concluded that 4-7 (20 minute) sauna sessions a week resulted in an almost 50% reduction in death due to cardiovascular disease! A single use of the sauna could help lower your blood pressure, reports a study found in the Journal of Human Hypertension. That’s because the heat from a sauna causes blood vessels to dilate, which in turn causes a faster, better-timed blood flow, explains Caroline Robinson, M.D., a physician with Northwestern Memorial Hospital South Loop.

Muscles: Dr. Rhonda Patrick, Ph.D. in biomedical science, points out that it prevents muscle atrophy by causing our bodies to be able to regrow muscles faster. She also notes that time in the sauna will improve our bodies ability to repair muscles.

Brain: Sauna use improves learning and memory by increasing the growth of new brain cells, increasing neuroplasticity (brains ability to form and reorganize connections), and its involvement in repairing damaged nerve cells. Our brains can function faster through "sauna training".

Men who sat in a sauna multiple times per week had a 65 percent lower risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease than those who used them only once a week. The researchers say this could be connected to increased blood flow to the brain, which studies have already shown a link between a decrease in blood flow to the brain and cognitive decline.

Mood: Depression/anxiety is benefited by sauna use through increasing both dynorphins (opioid peptides) and endorphins more than exercise alone. In addition, saunas can be a relaxing, warm, peaceful escape for many people. Research shows, that over time, they can have a real impact on your mental health. Some of the preliminary evidence shows the increase in certain "heat shock proteins" in the brain likely influences behavior by protecting against stress-induced depression. As JAMA Psychiatry puts it, "Whole-body hyperthermia holds promise as a safe, rapid-acting, antidepressant modality with a prolonged therapeutic effect."

Blood Sugar: Sauna use can improve your insulin sensitivity, and therefore, help with diabetic control, too. This study concludes by stating, "Thermal therapy might be viewed as an alternative to exercise training in patients too physically impaired for significant aerobic activity."

Cancer: The sauna will activate heat shock proteins which prevent damage to our cells, and these will remain activated for weeks. It also turns on FOXO3, which activates genes that repair DNA damage before a mutation can be formed, activates antioxidant genes that prevent damaged cells from secreting inflammatory properties, and activates your body's own ability to create stem cells.

Athletic Endurance and Recovery: In one study, male runners that engaged in two sauna sessions for 30 minutes a week after their workout, were able to increase their running to exhaustion by 32%! This occurred through increasing nutrient delivery to the muscles, improving the cardiovascular system (including reducing heart rate), and lowering core body temperature! According to another study, the health benefits of saunas include better workout recovery. It is believed that saunas may penetrate the neuromuscular system to promote recovery. As a result, you are more likely to complete a lower body strength workout one day and the next day still have the legs to run!

Pain: Interestingly, one study, examined the use of saunas to help relieve pain and treat the symptoms of chronic tension-type headache, (occurring more than 15 days/month). After eight weeks of sauna exposure, the participants reported a significant improvement in headache intensity. Even though the study was small, the results suggest that regular "sauna training" is a simple way to reduce some types of chronic pain. Actually, sauna sessions appear to improve pain caused by just about any source! In one study, patients who used the sauna had significantly less pain, and when researchers followed up after two years, 77% of the sauna group had been able to return to work, compared to only 50% of the non-sauna group.

plan!

The primary research used a hot and dry sauna, which is 174 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter. Hot tubs, steam rooms and infrared saunas don’t get this hot, so although there is merit in using them, we aren't sure how the benefits compare.

We own a two person Finnleo Sauna. This is a traditional sauna (vs infrared). We chose traditional because most research is done with traditional, it plugs into a regular outlet, and avoiding dangerous EMF’s with infrared can be complicated. For less expensive options, hot baths have some benefit or I know of people who have sung the praises of these less-than-$200 personal saunas (Amazon Associate Link). It is amazing the sauna options that can be found on Amazon and Costco. This outdoor barrel sauna looks like a fun option. Costco members are very happy with this 6-person indoor sauna.

Whatever sauna you get, make sure you are using it safely…

Use CAUTION and common sense!! If you are pregnant, have heart issues etc it is especially important to speak with your doctor before "sauna training"! Also, using the sauna when you are running a temperature is dangerous!!

Gradually increase your minutes until you are at the 20-30 minute range.

Rehydrate.

And if you want to take your sauna knowledge to a deeper level, check out Dr. Rhonda Patrick at FoundMyFitness.

This is an update on a previous blog post.

Wendy Dellis is a certified wellness coach. She joins years of training and work in the area of behavior change, experience as a fitness instructor and run club coordinator with a passion for adventure and people. She lives in Minnesota with her husband, Jay, and two sons.

The information contained on this page is for general information purposes only. Nothing here should be construed as medical or healthcare advice, but only topics for discussion. No physician-patient relationship exists; please consult your physician before making changes in diet or lifestyle.