Sauna Boosts the Benefits of Exercise!

Did you know?

Sauna bathing produces similar benefits as aerobic exercise, and a post-workout sauna compounds exercise benefits 🏃‍♀️🏋️

A journal review that just came out in Mayo Clinic Proceedings said that sauna bathing is so beneficial for the cardiovascular system that it’s a good alternative for people who cannot exercise because of physical limitations.

So how is it done?

Sauna bathing is especially common in Finland and other Nordic countries, and here’s how they do it:

🔥 The sauna is dry, with a temperature of 150 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

⏰ A session involves short bursts of 5-20 minutes in the sauna, alternating with intervals of cooling off in a pool or cold shower.

🗓️ Sessions are done 1-3 times a week.

Saunas will make you sweat! If you do decide to try it, take it slowly at first and listen to your body. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated, take time to cool down, and leave if you feel dizzy or unwell. Remember—none of this is medical advice!

I’m all for working smarter, not harder, and sauna is one of those practices that packs a big benefit with a little effort.

Reference

Kunutsor SK, Laukkanen JA. Does the Combination of Finnish Sauna Bathing and Other Lifestyle Factors Confer Additional Health Benefits? A Review of the Evidence. Mayo Clin Proc. 2023;98(6):915-926. [link]

Glued to the Couch This Winter?

Struggling to get off the couch or out of that cozy bed when it’s so cold and dark outside?

Time to think outside the box.

Try adding in one of these activities to stay moving through the winter months:

🏓 Grab some friends and head to indoor pickleball court.

🧗 Drop in on a beginner’s class at a rock climbing studio.

🧘 Try a new class at the gym or rec center—like yoga, tai chi, or zumba.

🏋 Clear space for an indoor exercise spot and pull up a workout on YouTube.

❄️ Or just bundle up and get yourself outside anyway!!

Moving your body gives you energy, boosts your mood, improves your sleep, and keeps you focused. Take that first step, and you’ll be so happy you did 👟

8 Minutes Per Day of Exercise? (new study)

Do you ever skip exercise because you don’t have time? 👇

A new study in the European Heart Journal found that all you need is 8 minutes!! 

How is that possible?

The study looked at data from fitness trackers worn by more than 71,000 people in the UK and followed their health status (tracking heart disease, cancer, and deaths) for about 6 years. 

📋 That’s a lot of data 📋

Compared with no exercise, they began to see health benefits at just 15-20 minutes per week of vigorous exercise.

2 bouts per day of 2 minutes of vigorous exercise was associated with 35% lower deaths from heart disease. 

👉 The optimal amount of vigorous exercise was 54 minutes per week (8 minutes per day) 👈

More than 8 minutes per day and the benefits plateaued. 

If you’re wondering why this sounds a bit different than the typical recommendation to exercise 30 minutes at least 5 times per week, it’s because the 8 minutes we’re talking about is VIGOROUS rather than moderate exercise. 

Vigorous Exercise Means:

✅ Heart rate above 77% your max (if you’re wearing a fitness tracker)

✅ Breathing too hard to have a comfortable conversation

✅ It could be dancing, running, biking, lifting weights, or anything that gets you feeling breathless

I have nothing against a long walk or bike ride, but if you’re crunched for time, this study is fabulous news. 

Let me know in the comments—have you ever tried short bursts or exercise instead of long? 👇

REFERENCE:

Ahmadi MN, Clare PJ, Katzmarzyk PT, Del Pozo Cruz B, Lee IM, Stamatakis E. Vigorous physical activity, incident heart disease, and cancer: how little is enough? [published online ahead of print, 2022 Oct 27]. Eur Heart J. 2022. [link]

[New Study] Sauna Boosts Benefits of Exercise

Do you have access to a sauna? 

If yes, then listen up. 

🔥 Because a new study has found that routine sauna use after exercise is superior to exercise alone when it comes to major cardiovascular risk factors 🔥 

The study (published in the American Journal of Physiology 2022) involved adults who were relatively sedentary and had at least one cardiovascular risk factor (like high blood pressure or cholesterol). 

Participants were randomized into 3 groups:

1️⃣ No intervention (control)

2️⃣ Exercise only (50 minutes 3 times a week, consisting of 20 minutes of resistance training followed by 30 minutes of cardio)

3️⃣ Exercise plus sauna (15 minutes of sauna after each exercise session)

After 8 weeks, exercise improved cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition (no big surprise there)...

But the addition of sauna after exercise led to greater improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, systolic blood pressure, and total cholesterol levels ✅ 

The study was conducted in Finland and followed a traditional Finnish style of sauna bathing, like this:

🔸 The temperature of the sauna started at 65°C (150°F) and was increased by 5°C every 2 weeks

🔸 The humidity of the sauna was between 10% and 20%

Sauna has long been used to promote sweating, circulation, and detoxification. It’s simple to add into your routine—especially if you already go to a gym that has a sauna available! 

I’d love to hear from you in the comments: have you made sauna bathing a habit? ⤵️

Reference

Lee E, Kolunsarka I, Kostensalo J et al. Effects of regular sauna bathing in conjunction with exercise on cardiovascular function: a multi-arm, randomized controlled trial. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2022. [link]