People who use a sauna live longer. Why is this the case? Well, we don’t quite know for sure although there are a number of health benefits associated to its name. Needless to say, to live longer from sauna use isn’t a rumour. It’s a scientifically verified fact. Here’s where the current research stands.
A lot of current research around a sauna’s effect on life span is centered around a Finnish study published assessing 2,000 middle-aged males who used saunas to varying degrees. Men who engaged in sauna use 2-3 times a week saw their risk of death from a heart attack reduce by 22 percent. Alternatively, the risk of death related to a heart attack or cardiac event among men who used saunas 4-7 times a week was 66 percent lower than the average male – even better! Who knew 20 minutes a day in a sauna could be so effective?
Scientists searching for why this is the case found that high temperatures and humidity had physiological changes in the cardiovascular system. In addition, sauna heat therapy has been shown to improve the function of blood vessels and lower blood pressure in individuals who are experiencing hypertension. All in all, what we know is a sauna or steam room has the ability to improve a body’s internal systems’ efficiency. It’s adding strength by improving our ability to breathe, circulate blood, and be healthy.
Since that ground-breaking study, more have come out studying the benefits of hot sauna baths and more. Scientists are finding there are not only fewer death related to heart attacks but reduced likelihood of deaths related to strokes. Saunas are well-known to be great de-stressors. The removal of stress from the body has a number of benefits evidently. Add to that if a person’s already eating healthy and getting physical activity regularly, and they’re set up pretty well to have a long life span.
Considering the efficiency theme present in infrared saunas and traditional dry saunas, 100s of studies exist supporting a wide array of other benefits. There’s evidence suggesting a sauna improves chronic fatigue syndrome, can be used to fight diabetes and insulin resistance, helps symptoms of autoimmune conditions, can act as an anti-depressant, decreases the risk of lung or respiratory disease, fights Alzheimer’s and dementia, may potentially combat certain cancers, fights infection, lowers inflammation, decrease chronic pain and/or fibromyalgia, increase one’s red blood cell count, improves skin health, promotes neuron repair and the growth of new brain cells, and more.
Life is meant to be enjoyed but as we enjoy, there’s a lot that can get in the way of that. For certain people, they have aches and chronic pain to deal with which can affect the ability to even sit still. For other people, they have health conditions like diabetes which requires daily management. Then there’s mental health struggles, dementia and Alzheimer’s, unexpected cancers, and more. It’s a lot to handle. A sauna anywhere from 2-7 times a week however has been shown to help.
For those of us that are already being affected by health challenges as well as those of us at increased risk, try a sauna. You can live longer with a sauna, scientifically speaking. Improve efficiencies and change the nature of your health. Eventually, all of our bodies will call it a day. Help yourself have as many days as are possible. Try a steam sauna today.