The Benefits
Sauna
Sauna therapy promotes relaxation, detoxification, and lymphatic drainage while boosting metabolism, supporting weight loss, enhancing mitochondrial function, and improving sleep and mental clarity.
Physiological benefits of sauna
- Detoxification/lymphatic drainage
- Increased metabolism, mitochondrial function1
- Weight loss2
- Improved cardiovascular function3
- Improved immune function4
- Pain/inflammatory relief5
- Improved sleep
- Improved respiratory system6
- Decreased viral load7
Cognitive benefits of sauna
- Improved mental clarity8
- Increased focus and concentration
- Memory and learning enhancement9
- Increased neuroplasticity (BDNF)
- Stress reduction
- Nervous system regulation/balance10
- Neuroprotection (against cognitive decline)
- Better sleep quality
- Cognitive resilience
1. Hussain J, Cohen M. Clinical Effects of Regular Dry Sauna Bathing: A Systematic Review. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018 Apr 24;2018:1857413. doi: 10.1155/2018/1857413. PMID: 29849692; PMCID: PMC5941775.
2. Henderson KN, Killen LG, O'Neal EK, Waldman HS. The Cardiometabolic Health Benefits of Sauna Exposure in Individuals with High-Stress Occupations. A Mechanistic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jan 27;18(3):1105. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18031105. PMID: 33513711; PMCID: PMC7908414.
3. Laukkanen J, et al. Cardiovascular and Other Health Benefits of Sauna Bathing: A Review of the Evidence. Mayo Clin Proc. August 2018;93(8):1111-1121 n https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.04.008
4. Patrick RP, Johnson TL. Sauna use as a lifestyle practice to extend healthspan. Exp Gerontol. 2021 Oct 15;154:111509. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2021.111509. Epub 2021 Aug 5. PMID: 34363927.
5. Sutkowy P, Woźniak A, Boraczyński T, Mila-Kierzenkowska C, Boraczyński M. The effect of a single Finnish sauna bath after aerobic exercise on the oxidative status in healthy men. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 2014;74(2):89–94. doi: 10.3109/00365513.2013.860616
6. Kunutsor SK, Laukkanen T, Laukkanen JA. Sauna bathing reduces the risk of respiratory diseases: a long-term prospective cohort study. Eur J Epidemiol. 2017;32(12):1107–11. doi: 10.1007/s10654-017-0311-6
7. Ernst E, Pecho E, Wirz P, Saradeth T. Regular sauna bathing and the incidence of common colds. Ann Med. 1990;22(4):225–7. doi: 10.3109/07853899009148930
8. Basso JC, Suzuki WA. The effects of acute exercise on mood, cognition, neurophysiology, and neurochemical pathways: A review. Brain Plast. 2017;2(2):127–52.
9. Cernych M, Satas A, Brazaitis M. Post-sauna recovery enhances brain neural network relaxation and improves cognitive economy in oddball tasks. Int J Hyperthermia. 2018;35(1):375–82. doi: 10.1080/02656736.2018.1504992
10. Chang M, Ibaraki T, Naruse Y, Imamura Y. A study on neural changes induced by sauna bathing: Neural basis of the "totonou" state. PLoS One. 2023 Nov 27;18(11):e0294137. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294137. PMID: 38011189; PMCID: PMC10681252.
