The Sauna continues to rise in popularity & with good reason.

Heat related therapies have been around for thousands of years. What is the best test to ensure something works? Time. 

The longer something has been around for the more likelihood it works. Sauna therapy has proved this.

We’ve gone all in at SALT. You can know choose which one you want. Here is some information to help you choose

Difference between an Infrared & Finnish (traditional) Sauna?

Our Finnish friends in Scandinavia have perfected the traditional sauna which heats the air which then heats your body. This is normal convection heat. 

It does a great job at raising your heart rate (just like exercise – your brain doesn’t know the difference) & providing evidence-based health benefits to improve the quality of your life while extending your life. This is a real win-win.

In more recent years Infrared sauna’s have become popular. They heat the body through light radiation & get deep into the muscles & joints to reduce pain. Think of it from heating the muscle from the inside-out.

Sitting in any heat after a few minutes can get uncomfortable, with the Infrared sauna you do not get the ‘nose burning’ sensation that you can get at high temperatures in the Finnish Sauna. It’s more like a spa therapy. The Finnish sauna is not leisurely after 15 minutes – it’s work & hard mental work to stay in there at that.

So know you know the difference between an Infrared Sauna & a Finnish Sauna – the way it creates the heat. Next question – Which should I use?

How have Sauna’s become so popular?

Over the last year we have seen a big uptake in sauna use. That’s for several reasons:

• It’s a proven immune booster to support your body through the pandemic & support a healthy lifestyle in general
• ‘Sauna Therapy’ has become a very topical health & wellness treatment – we joke about it been the forgotten miracle health tool
• High-end private saunas are hard to find & save you making space in your home or buying one

Regular sauna use has shown to reduce all causes of death by up to 43% in people who used the sauna 3-4 times per week for 19 minutes at 79 degrees Celsius. 

For those using it 2-3 times per week at the same frequency & temperature it reduced all cause mortality by 22%. This study was done over 20 years &can be found here.

Figures not to be dismissed if you are serious about extending your life but more importantly being healthier as you age. 

And remember, Every day you sweat is a day you don’t age.

I am going to do multiple follow-ups on the benefits of sauna use. Atopic that cannot be covered in the detail it deserves over one mail.

Next time I’ll examine neurogenesis, how sauna impacts your hormones & how it helps build & maintain muscle.

If you have questions let me know. For anyone thinking of getting a sweat session in, get in touch – we’ll set you up with protocol specific to your needs.