Why saunas are good for your brain and your body

From the Huberman Lab podcast to your biohacker friend’s garage to your social feeds, saunas are everywhere right now. Part of the surge in interest (and sales) is largely thanks to science showing a connection between frequent sauna use and better physical and mental health and maybe even longevity—including some stunning evidence that it may help prevent dementia. Not to mention the whole sauna thing: the community, the relaxation, the ritual, the ahh moment

If you’ve ever sat enjoyably melting in a sauna or steam room, or laid in the steaming hot bath, you might want to pat yourself on the back for doing the next best thing to vigorous exercise. At last some good news. Heat therapy is good for your health. We know that it improves blood glucose regulation, insulin resistance, inflammation, and blood pressure. In fact, a recent review of 40 studies on sauna bathing all reported positive effects, with only one adverse outcome (on male sperm production, which was restored as soon as sauna bathing stopped and which in late middle age is really only a concern for the most priapic of billionaires)

Now leading researchers are looking into whether it could help both prevent and treat Alzheimer’s. The Alzheimer’s Society estimates the disease affects over 55 million people worldwide and that this number will rise to 139 million by 2050

Treatment for dementia

Most of the research on brain benefits comes from Finland, where sauna bathing is a pillar in the culture of being healthy and happy. The sauna is the poor man’s pharmacy, goes one old proverb. And increasingly, science agrees

A few years ago, when Finnish researchers dug into some overlooked data on chronic disease risk—numbers they’d been collecting on middle-aged men since the 1980s—they noticed a startling link, says Jussi Kauhanen, M.D., Ph.D., director of public health at the University of Eastern Finland and head of the research group today

Scientists in any other country wouldn’t have thought to include “How often do you sauna bathe?” on the lifestyle questionnaire. But in Finland, where it’s essentially as universal as diet and exercise, the question seemed only natural, Dr. Kauhanen explains

Their results: Men who took saunas four to seven times a week had about a 65 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia over the next 20 years than men who did it once a week (after adjusting for other factors, like drinking and exercise). A 2020 study that tracked almost 14,000 Finnish people confirmed the earlier study’s results: Those who took saunas nine to 12 times a month had a 53 percent lower chance of dementia over the next 20 years than people who went zero to four times, and researchers have hunches about why

Apart from being good for your brain, sauna is good for your body in so many different ways:

It can build strength

Deliberate heat exposure is not traditionally a British habit and its multiple benefits can come as a surprise. When Ann Precopé’s son, Robert, became a partner in a Russian bathhouse in London she took the train down from her home in North Yorkshire to give it a whirl

She enjoyed the experience but what surprised her was that afterwards she took her two grandchildren out for the day. “I was always saying, ‘Slow down, it’s poor old Granny.’ I’m not that old, only 78 and a working farmer but I have osteoarthritis in my hands and feet. It’s painful. Things slip out of my hands, I struggle to open jars. I was resigned. A case of ‘Ah well, grin and bear it.’” But after a session in the banya, “It was quite miraculous, I walked with my grandchildren from Buckingham Palace to Big Ben and on to Borough Market. There’s no question about it, it doesn’t last forever, but for about six hours after I have a sauna I feel I could run a marathon”

It improves cardiovascular function

Like exercise, heat impacts all the systems in the body. The increased heart rate strengthens the cardiovascular and immune system; studies show it lowers the risk of both sudden heart attacks and chronic cardiovascular disease

Saunas can help improve cardiovascular function. The heat exposure causes the heart to pump more blood around the body, which, much like moderate exercise, helps improve cardiovascular health. With regular sauna use, you can increase your heart rate and cardiac output, leading to improved endurance and overall physical performance

It helps clear your mind

If you’re not yet convinced, try it out! It’s like putting a heat pack on your entire body. It helps sooth sore muscles, and can also help with recovery from strength and endurance training. Post-workout relaxation is another plus, as being in the sauna is like meditation; it helps with your physical and mental health

It can assist with your weight-loss goals

Believe it or not—intervals can actually help out with your weight loss goals. You can lose a small amount of weight visiting a sauna or steam room after a workout – mostly water weight – but it can also assist in body mass loss, as well, if done in two to three 10-minute intervals

Just be sure to drink plenty of water when you’re planning on using the sauna ; it’s important to stay hydrated to make up for any water that your body is losing

It relieves stress

Last but not least, saunas can be an excellent stress relief tool. The heat from a sauna promotes the release of endorphins, the body’s natural ‘feel-good’ chemicals, which create a sense of well-being and relaxation

But you have to be strategic with your use – take a sauna 2-3 times a week for no more than 10-20 minutes at a time, at least when you are starting out. Another option is to opt for intervals – do 15 to 20 minutes inside the room, take a 5 minute break outside the room, and then go back inside, repeating this for 3-4 cycles

In addition, anyone with health issues should speak to their doctor first and start using heat therapy gently

Sauna is a health trend we can get behind. The sooner we start working up a sweat in the sauna, as has happened in Scandinavia and Russia for centuries, the sooner we’d be doing our body, mind and stressed NHS a favour