If you were tasked with writing down 5 things to try to eliminate in order to live a healthy, vibrant life, I would be willing to bet that stress would be at the top of that list. It is a well-known fact that chronic stress can have a myriad of adverse effects on the body. In some cases, it can even lead to an early grave. Through a process called hormesis, your body is able to turn small doses of controlled stressors into positive effects such as improved resilience & longevity. There are many ways to incorporate hormetic practices into your daily life, but some of the easiest are hot/cold exposure, high-intensity interval training, and intermittent fasting.  This month we’re going to dive deeper into one of my favorites – heat exposure. In a future month we’ll discuss the health benefits of cold exposure.  

Over the course of the past few years I’ve been experimenting with different hormetic practices, but spending time in the sauna has quickly become my favorite. I had always heard that regular sauna usage contributed to greater health, but I wanted to learn a bit more and see what the research said regarding the effects of sauna usage on some of the main health issues facing us today.

• Hypertension: study followed 1,621 men who used the sauna 4-7x/week. At the conclusion of the study, it was observed that the population who used the sauna saw a 47% reduced risk of developing hypertension.
• Cardiovascular Disease: study followed 2,315 Finnish Men for 20.7 years. It was observed that a higher frequency of sauna bathing was inversely & independently associated with risk of sudden cardiac death. In other words, those who used the sauna more frequently saw a reduced risk of sudden cardiac death.
• Stroke: study followed 1,628 individuals for 15 years and compared those who used the sauna 4-7x/week to those who only performed 1 session per week. The group who utilized the sauna 4-7x/week observed approximately 62% reduced incidence of stroke.
• Neurocognitive Disease: study observed 2,315 Finnish men and compared use of saunas 4-7x/week to only 1x/week. It was found that the group who utilized the sauna 4-7x/week showed a 66% reduced risk of dementia & 65% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease to their counterparts.

I was personally blown away by how many beneficial effects sauna use can have on the body. I had always heart that “saunas were good for you”, but I didn’t realize how good they were. Spending time in the sauna will result in decreased systemic blood pressure, improved blood vessel function, reduced inflammation/oxidative stress, improved arterial compliance, and improved mitochondrial function. As the skin temperature elevates, the body’s core temperature elevates.

It is important to note that while extremely beneficial, sauna usage is not for everyone. Sauna use is not advised for individuals with recent/unstable coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, uncontrolled hypertension, or heart failure. Sauna use is not recommended for pregnant women, children under the age of 6, or individuals under the influence of alcohol/drugs. Lastly, it is not recommended for individuals with chronic respiratory disease or seizure disorders. It is never a bad idea to check with your health care provider first to see if sauna use is right for you. The biggest risks associated with sauna use are dehydration & overheating, so it is imperative to properly rehydrate after a sauna session. I try to drink an extra 2-3 glasses post-session to help my body rehydrate. If you feel yourself getting dizzy or too warm, it’s time to get out. Spending so much time in the sauna to the point that you overheat takes a beneficial hormetic stressor and makes it into a stressor that has harmful effects on the body.

It’s recommended to spend anywhere from 5-20 minutes in the sauna at a time, with the temperature somewhere between 175 – 210° F. If you’re a beginner, start with 5 minutes and work your way up. My personal sweet spot is 20 minutes at 180° F, and I shoot for at least 3x/week. In a perfect world I would do a 20 minute sessions every day of the week, but as I use the sauna at the YMCA this is not conducive to my schedule. As with all new activities, it is prudent to start with caution, gauge individual tolerance to heat, and gradually increase the intensity/frequency of the activity.  

Dr. Wade Bemis

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