In the 1980s, scientists studied the heart health of more than 2,000 Finnish men for 20 years. They looked at their food, habits, lifestyle, and fitness. The researchers were surprised to find that going to the sauna often was linked to better health. This was not new for the Finnish people, because they have used saunas for thousands of years. Other cultures, like the Romans, Japanese, and Native Americans, also used hot baths or sweat lodges.
In a traditional Finnish sauna, the temperature can reach 90°C with little humidity. When a person enters, the body reacts: the skin feels the heat, the brain gets the message, blood vessels get bigger, the heart beats faster, and the body starts to sweat. This process looks like what happens during exercise.
The sauna cannot replace physical exercise, but it can support the heart, improve recovery, and give benefits similar to a light workout.
• Participant (noun): a person who takes part in a study or activity.
• Tradition (noun): a cultural practice passed from generation to generation.
• Humidity (noun): the amount of water in the air.
• Thermoregulatory (adjective): related to how the body controls its temperature.
• Neurons (noun): nerve cells that send messages in the body.
• Cardiovascular (adjective): related to the heart and blood vessels.
• Recovery (noun): the process of getting better or resting after stress or exercise.