The science
We read the studies so you do not have to
There is a lot of research on saunas, and very little of it is written for normal people. Here is what the leading studies from around the world suggest a sauna can help with, in plain English.
What saunas can help with
- Soothing your mind and your muscles
- Helping you sleep deeper and feel happier
- Helping muscles feel less sore, including after exercise
- Improving circulation, bringing nutrients to the skin and organs
- Supporting the appearance of smoother, more toned skin
- Helping the body heal skin, muscle and wounds
- Strengthening the heart and the brain
See all 18 findings from 16 studies
These are conclusions the linked studies report. They are not medical advice and not a promise - bodies vary, and sauna complements a healthy life rather than replacing anything.
The studies' own conclusions, in their framing:
- Lowers the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
- Improves blood pressure control
- Lowers the chance of heart or stroke problems
- Improves mental health and mood
- Reduces inflammation in the whole body
- Reduces the aches and pains associated with arthritis
- Enhances the excretion of some toxicants in sweat (small studies)
- Improves exercise performance
- Activates the metabolism
- Alleviates the aches and pains associated with recovery from exercise and training (DOMS)
- Improves mood
- Reduces chronic pain
- Improves circulation
- Skin tone and “detox”: early, small studies only - included for honesty, not promise
- Improves sleep quality
- Reduces the aches and pains of old age
- Improves the function of the heart
- Speeds up the recovery from work or exercise
See the studies themselves (references)
- 1 https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article/46/2/245/2654230
- 2 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/hsr2.393
- 3 (A) https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2130724
- 3 (B) https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-018-1198-0
- 3 (C) https://n.neurology.org/content/90/22/e1937
- 4 https://karger.com/mpp/article/27/6/562/204433
- 5 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07853890.2018.1489143
- 6 (A) https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2018/1857413/
- 6 (B) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10067-008-0977-y
- 7 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=%22Blood%2C+urine%2C+and+sweat+%28BUS%29+study%22
- 8 https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2018/1857413/
- 9 https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2018/1857413/
- 10 https://www.termedia.pl/A-post-exercise-infrared-sauna-session-improves-recovery-of-neuromuscular-performance-and-muscle-soreness-after-resistance-exercise-training,78,47765,1,1.html
- 11 https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/internalmedicine/54/3/54_54.3042/_article
- 12 (A) https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/2718393
- 12 (B) https://www.cfp.ca/content/55/7/691.short
- 13 https://aspoloro.com/use-of-infrared-as-a-complementary-treatment-approach-in-medicine-and-aesthetic-medicine/
- 14 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jogi.14003
- 15 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/clc.22077
- 16 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40064-015-1093-5#Sec11
The honest bits - who should wait
- Under 18s and pregnancy: there is a real risk of overheating, so we do not take bookings from anyone under 18 or from pregnant women.
- Alcohol: sauna plus alcohol can cause fainting, so we refuse service to anyone we believe is intoxicated, and to anyone who has fainted.
- Heart conditions: a sauna raises your heart rate to about the same level as a brisk walk. If you have had heart problems, please speak to your doctor before booking.
- Any other medical worry: talk to your doctor first, or message Matt and we will help you decide, no pressure either way.
All that said, we believe sauna is one of the safest tools we have for better health, and for most people the benefits far outweigh the costs. That is why we built this place.
A note, honestly
Nothing on this page is medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or think you might be, or take medication, talk to your doctor before booking - then tell us what they say, and we will look after you from there.
Ready when you are
Twenty minutes, your own cubicle, nothing to do but sit.
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