r/science • u/Aggravating_Money992 • 5d ago
Health Regular sauna users report better health, more energy, and greater happiness
https://www.psypost.org/regular-sauna-users-report-better-health-more-energy-and-greater-happiness/1.9k
u/OlyScott 5d ago
The article says:
The results showed several significant differences between people who used saunas regularly and those who did not. Sauna bathers were generally younger, more often male, and more likely to be physically active.
If that's true about you, you'll be healthier than average whether you use a sauna or not.
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u/TheRealPomax 5d ago
The article also says this is specific to Northern Sweden, which is *preeeetty* important in terms of contextualizing the result.
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u/mg2112 5d ago
Let’s recreate the study down here in Texas, in the summer
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u/Exciting_Hedgehog_77 5d ago
“Regular sauna users report being dead”
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u/sakri 5d ago
You joke, but in the 80s my dad's company sent a bunch of guys from Finland to Saudi Arabia to consult on some oil crap. Him and his colleagues had the pieces delivered from home, and immediately converted a shipping container into a very nice sauna. Yo dawg.
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u/SilkieBug 5d ago
Sauna in the summer has the effect of making the outside air feel significantly cooler for up to 8 hours afterward, as it really is compared to an 80 degree sauna temperature (higher when you throw water on the stones).
It would be a great addition to Texas summers.
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u/Perunov 5d ago
It probably would have the same outcome as most people will go to sauna in a gym. So it'd be basically comparing someone who goes to the gym to someone who doesn't. Guess the outcome...
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u/Fyres 5d ago
I mean there's the healthier and athletic part mentioned earlier ( mostly public saunas are at the gym) and there's also having a stable routine usually help an individual focus. Some structure is good, especially when it's a reward tied to a healthy behavior.
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u/generally-speaking 5d ago edited 5d ago
In Northern Sweden everyone knows multiple people who have their own wood fired sauna houses, or they have their own. It's pretty much impossible not to have at least a few friends who have one.
It's very location specific to northern Sweden and Finland.
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u/tiny_chaotic_evil 5d ago
*also, people with enough free time to sit around in a sauna happier than people without enough free time *
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u/Triquetrums 5d ago
There is also the fact that they might have a sauna inside their home/apartment building, which means they don't need to go anywhere else to enjoy it. So whatever free time they have can be spent there, instead of in front of the tv, or whatever.
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u/Elderberryinjanuary 5d ago
Right? I sure bet the Venn diagram of people who regularly use saunas and people who lay on a couch while doom scrolling and slowly emptying a family sized bag of chips into their mouth over the course of an hour only to then chase it with a 1l of soda is essentially two separate circles.
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u/chupacabra1 5d ago
There’s also potential sampling bias that this group has more leisure time and disposable income. They might have less-demanding work schedules.
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u/potatoaster 5d ago
What you're describing are confounding variables, not sampling bias.
An example of sampling bias would be trying to measure how often the average Swede uses a sauna by surveying Swedes exiting saunas.
There's no compelling reason to believe that this study had sampling bias; participants were selected randomly from national population registers.
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u/YakiVegas 5d ago
Yeah, this seems like the studies about a beer or wine a day being good for you actually turning out to be about a person having better health overall because they were wealthy enough to afford daily alcohol consumption so they could afford better healthcare in general.
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u/Adventurous-Emu-9345 5d ago
"So you're saying using a sauna will make me younger, more masculine and physically fit?" - asking for a "science journalist"
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u/VirtualMoneyLover 5d ago
you'll be healthier than average whether you use a sauna or not.
Exactly. Also, if you invest in a sauna, probably wealthier and caring more about your health.
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u/Chrisgpresents 5d ago
And the time where they can sit for 20 minutes with their thoughts without falling apart
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u/Slimswede 5d ago
Finnish people.
They got like 3 million saunas and only a population of 5.5 million.
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u/Luke_Cold_Lyle 5d ago
Finland is number 1 on the World Happiness Index, so that checks out. Denmark, Iceland, and Sweden round out the top 4, and Norway is number 7, so those Nordic countries really have something going for them. Maybe I should build me a sauna...
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u/A_Mouse_In_Da_House 5d ago
Finland's happiness is directly proportional to how mad the Danes are at not being the happiest anymore
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u/Double_Equivalent967 5d ago
Actually, as long as we beat sweden we are happy. We dont have that with danes.
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u/AbueloOdin 5d ago
I was about to ask, "does this control for the Nordic countries?"
And it looks like the survey was taken completely inside the Nordic countries, so yes! It does!
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u/skatastic57 5d ago
I don't think I'd count that as controlling for them. I'd rather they sample from lots of countries and control for country with binary variables.
Like I don't think you'd make Floridians happier by sticking them in a sauna. I think I'd frame this result as, in a group of countries where sauna use is ubiquitous, those who don't are less happy.
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u/big_guyforyou 5d ago
i mean those countries also have mountains, maybe the mountains made them happier
we all know the happiness a good mountain brings
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u/JiSe 5d ago
Finland doesn't have any mountains, so clearly this is not the cause. Norway pondered about gifting one for Finland's 100 year independence day a couple of years ago.
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u/FalmerEldritch 5d ago
For good reason, this is the highest mountain in Finland as it stands.
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u/hecking-doggo 5d ago
I was talking with my finnish friend about mountains recently and he introduced me to this one. It's like 2 billion years old though.
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u/SatanCat42 5d ago
I would build universal health care, a world class education system, and strong policies geared towards helping the people in your country first... but as an American I know the barriers to that so a sauna might be an alternative.
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u/Luke_Cold_Lyle 5d ago
The US is 24th on the Happiness Index, so you're still doing pretty well in the grand scheme of things.
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u/Sternjunk 5d ago
I’m surprised these countries where it’s so dark and snowy for half the year are so happy
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5d ago
Finland is also the leader in global suicide rates. They're literally so happy they could die.
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u/Rodgers4 5d ago edited 5d ago
Ironically the Nordic states all have higher than average rates of depression and suicide. Although I suspect the weather and seasonal gloom plays a big role there.
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u/The_Actual_Sage 5d ago
Correct me if I'm wrong but Finland has to be towards the top of countries by wealth, right? I would hesitate to call even the least wealthy Finnish person "poor" especially when compared to less developed countries
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u/FalmerEldritch 5d ago
23 by GDP (PPP) per capita. Ahead of Canada and the UK but behind France, Germany, and Australia.
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u/The_Actual_Sage 5d ago
Cool so yeah I would guess the wealth has more to do with the health outcomes than saunas.
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u/lo_fi_ho 5d ago
This. Finnish happiness is directly proportionate to their income. It was studied here in Finland.
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u/echocharlieone 5d ago edited 5d ago
The study covers Northern Sweden, where saunas are more accessible.
But yes, I would have hoped that they controlled for wealth in the study.
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u/Dziedotdzimu 5d ago edited 5d ago
They didn't
"Many of the associations present in the current study are supported by data from previous research, but it is vital to adjust for age, sex and other possible confounding factors such as education or income levels in future studies examining health effects of sauna bathing."
They used one-way ANOVAs, t-tests or non-parametric alternatives and they made no attempt to adjust for confounders or randomize exposure and look prospectively
Which is quite the choice considering they measured their education levels and employment and housing situation (but not income directly) and still didn't adjust for it
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u/_CatLover_ 5d ago
There are 1,23 saunas per household on average in the entire country of Finland.
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u/bobbyturkelino 5d ago
Every municipal pool in my Canadian city has a sauna and a steam room
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u/UUtch 5d ago
"The study also found that the association between sauna use and better health was not strongly tied to socioeconomic status. Sauna bathers and non-sauna bathers did not differ significantly in terms of education, income, or where they lived"
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u/exiledballs26 5d ago
There is such a thing as communal saunas..
A lot of gyms have them, most local swimminghalls have them. Here in Norway youll find many floating saunas in any big city near the ocean/calm rivers/lakes
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u/Fmeson 5d ago
The study also found that the association between sauna use and better health was not strongly tied to socioeconomic status. Sauna bathers and non-sauna bathers did not differ significantly in terms of education, income, or where they lived. This suggests that the benefits seen among sauna bathers may not be explained solely by financial resources or living conditions.
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u/dedicated-pedestrian 5d ago
A fair number of YMCAs have them! Varies by location, and the ones I've visited generally are rather tepid, but it's nice either way.
Though, I suppose their income based discounted membership fees may be a thing of the past soon...
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u/Manakuski 5d ago
Pretty much every finnish person has access to a sauna. There are more saunas in finland than there are homes.
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u/carbonclasssix 5d ago
A lot of gyms have sauna's and you don't need to be loaded for a gym membership
I pay like $40 a month
For a poor person that's a lot, but you're contrasting two extremes. There's a huge middle class out there.
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u/bjorn2bwild 5d ago
Part of the problem is the middle class has consistently been shrinking over the past 40 years. Purchasing power is shrinking, health is worsening, etc.
All that is to say, countries with a lot of saunas a) are historically Nordic countries with strong middle classes and social benefits and b) require people to actually use the saunas by having leisure time
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u/Mediocre_Age335 5d ago
Also, as I often tell family and friends, it's better to spend the money now on a gym than it is later on medical bills. One way or another you will spend that money.
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u/Putrid-Knowledge-445 5d ago
anyone who lives in the tropics during the summer lives in a sauna for like 4 months
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u/guff1988 5d ago
80 bucks a month for a membership to a private sauna suite across the street from me. That's not crazy expensive, about the same as a decent gym really.
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u/StoicAthos 5d ago
In my experience, most municipal public pools have them or a steam room. Not super fancy or anything but it's there.
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u/N1SMO_GT-R 5d ago
My friend has a community center with a sauna. You'd have to pay because you're essentially paying for admission to the pool but it isn't expensive in the slightest.
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u/Diligent-Moment-3774 5d ago
I use a sauna in my regular fitness franchise place and I’m not wealthy at all
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u/LifeToTheMedium 5d ago
My gym membership is $25 a week to a national chain in Australia and is incredible value.
Love the sauna and people can even live I vans and just shower/ecercise/sauna and travel around.
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u/Appropriate_War9792 5d ago
I live in Texas. I sit in a sauna daily at my gym for $20 a month. They also have a hot tub and steam room option. So not crazy expensive.
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u/Nathan_Calebman 5d ago
I hear they have some really sweet local style saunas in Texas also, I think they're called "going outside in the daytime".
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u/somewhsome 5d ago
Russian people. Usually those who have saunas (banyas) are those who live in villages and have no running water, so it's their main way of washing.
Wealthy people can have saunas too, of course. Or you can go to a common sauna (I don't know how popular it is nowadays though).
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u/IsNotAnOstrich 5d ago
It's not expensive in terms of money -- my planet fitness membership is $15 a month and they have a sauna -- but moreso in terms of time. Plenty of "poor" people still have gyms.
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u/v3ritas1989 5d ago
There is one not 30 min from you when you live in a city. I'd also say that most indoor swimming pools have a section with a sauna that they offer with a slight price increase to regular ticket prices.
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u/MaximumGaming5o 5d ago
Literally says that in the abstract:
Sauna bathers were younger, more often men and found to have a healthier life-profile compared to non-sauna bathers.
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u/upvoatsforall 5d ago
Yeah, but also,
“ Body mass index (BMI), cohabitation, place of residence, education level or snuff use did not differ significantly. And regarding hypertension:
This may be due to the acute mechanistic responses of sauna bathing. Indeed, Gayda et al. [Citation32] found that the reduction of total peripheral resistance was maintained 15 and 120 min after sauna in untreated hypertensive patients. Lee et al. [Citation11] showed that pulse wave velocity, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, left ventricular ejection time and diastolic time decreased immediately after a 30-min sauna session in a population with CVD risk factors. Reductions in systolic blood pressure and left ventricular ejection time were also sustained during the 30-min recovery phase. Decreased blood pressure and heart rate after a 25-min sauna session has also been reported in a healthy population by Ketelhut & Ketelhut”
The saunas have at least some positive health effect short term. Can’t definitively say it’s the saunas but it’s plausible.
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u/EphemeralMemory 5d ago
Most people don't even have access to a sauna. Typical gyms wouldn't have them.
So, be more affluent, have access to a better gym, go to the gym regularly in the first place to use the sauna. Lot more variables in play.
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u/Myomyw 5d ago
I’ve regularly used a public saunas for years and I can tell you that there are many people that frequent them near daily that are clearly not in control of their diet or weight. I’ve heard many conversations over the years about people’s lifestyles while in the sauna and they are a wide variety. I’m sure the absolute most unhealthy people aren’t using them so there is some selection bias, but there are certainly a large number of people who aren’t in great control of their health that use them too
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u/potatoaster 5d ago
Previous thread on this study (removed for misleading title): https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/1i0fj1a/saunas_offer_health_benefits_such_as_lower_blood
Note that this study was purely observational and did not adjust for... anything. The sauna users had lower age, more males, more employment, less smoking, more physical activity, less hypertension, less pain, better sleep, better general health, better mental health, more energy, and more happiness.
This study does not suggest "Saunas make you healthy" any more than it does "Saunas make you male". It's just that a specific subset of the Swedish population uses them regularly.
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u/ouqt 5d ago
Nice. Absolute classic third party effect stuff in action. "All nicotine patch users get cancer" type stuff.
I would've simply thought it's just like "red wine drinkers live longer" where it's simply a proxy for wealth.
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u/hadriantheteshlor 4d ago
Reminds me of the study about how people who ride horses are more likely to live longer. Didn't adjust for anything. People who have horses are way more likely to be wealthy, have land, stable jobs, etc. And the time to spend hours riding horses. Of course they live longer.
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u/twistypencil 5d ago
My local gym has a sauna, monthly price is not bad, and I can go 3x a week and every single time it resets my foggy brain and gives me amazing clarity
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u/Sea_satisfaction134 5d ago
Same. I use it for only 10 minutes after a workout in the morning. Fantastic rest of my day
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u/iskela45 5d ago
It's northern Sweden, the people there would probably be breaking suicide rate records if their main sauna options were American style gym saunas.
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u/more_akimbo 5d ago
Let alone American sauna behavior (not showering and wearing street clothes inside)
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u/ProgressiveOverlorde 5d ago
I've actually noticed that too. My brain feels refreshed for about 2ish months before I go back to a foggy state. Then I feel the need to say a again
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u/Retro21 5d ago
You have noticed you are less brain foggy for two months after one sauna?! I'll need to try this out.
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u/iskela45 5d ago
As someone who occasionally browses the sauna subreddit, I'll just piggyback of your comment to mention that American gym saunas are nothing like a normal sauna, so people should be very careful about seeing studies on saunas in northern europe and then directly applying them to American gym saunas.
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u/Area51_Spurs 5d ago
I can afford the money, but not the time.
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u/flashmedallion 5d ago
Yeah. Often with studies like this I wonder how often they're comparing to people with the lesiure to do it but who do something else.
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u/Area51_Spurs 5d ago
Every time there’s a study like this it’s meaningless because they’re not doing this with a controlled environment accounting for social factors.
People who have the time for this probably have a lot less stress in their lives to begin with.
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u/Vlyn 5d ago
Huh? You usually go in there for at most 15 minutes if it's decently hot. Even 10 minutes is totally fine with a quick cold shower afterwards. If you really want to you could go for a second round.
In total it takes 20 to 50 minutes tops, depending on what you do. Great option if your gym offers one.
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u/ckhk3 5d ago
What’s the science on people who can’t handle the “heat” of saunas? Feels like I can’t breathe. I’m otherwise fit and healthy.
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u/JHMfield 5d ago
There are different kinds of saunas. First you need to narrow down what kind of a sauna and at what temperatures you have issues.
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u/ckhk3 5d ago
I also have difficulties with my car heater at 86 degrees.
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u/JHMfield 5d ago
We're still missing half the information. Humidity is a key factor. Extreme dryness and extreme humidity can both affect airways in addition to the temperature itself. And that's where different types of saunas come into play. A sauna can be dry or humid.
Heat exhaustion is also a thing. Lack of fluids can lead to breathing difficulties on top of the airway irritation from extreme heat.
So, first step should involve making sure you drink plenty. You don't want to be out in the heat or go into a sauna dehydrated.
Once you rule out the basics like humidity extremes and dehydration as causes for issues, you'll probably want to talk to a doctor. No such thing as a proper diagnosis over the internet, least of all by random redditors.
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u/newpua_bie 5d ago
There's also a lot of bad saunas with poor airflow. Of course if /u/ckhk3 has tried 10 different saunas and they all have the same issue then it's likely a heat or humidity tolerance issue and not something related to a specific sauna, but if the only place they have gone to is a gym sauna then maybe that gym sauna just sucks.
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u/againwiththisbs 5d ago
Well damn everybody would have difficulties if your car heater is the same temperature as a sauna.
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u/Jaakarikyk 5d ago
Can't breathe in a hot car myself either, but 80⁰C sauna is pleasant. It's a different heat unless the sauna sucks
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u/antperspirant 5d ago
When you get a sauna hot enough you do have to take shorter breaths cause the air is hot. Also the temperature where if you blow on your arm it will be hot .
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u/themikhee 5d ago
You clearly have not been in a good quality sauna. I have a sauna on my apartment (like most do here in Finland) and the airflow and the löyly (the thrown water on the stove) feel smooth heat and does not irritate anywhere.
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u/rants_unnecessarily 5d ago
Hot enough?
They're are different temperatures that different people prefer.
We prefer around 70C. A lot of people go to 100+. And then there's everywhere in between and the 120+ crazies.At 70, there should be no difficulties breathing.
Disclaimer: I'm Finnish, in Finland.
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u/haughtsaucecommittee 5d ago
They feel so good to me, but they burst the capillaries in my face. :(
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u/purp13d0p3 5d ago
i’m the same way. I can’t stand to be in a Sauna more than 2 minutes before I just can’t breathe and feel like i’m going to pass out. I also sweat A LOT tho, so that may be a contributing factor
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u/ckhk3 5d ago
I swear a lot to, I don’t feel like I will pass out, I just feel like I can’t take deep breathes in.
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u/iskela45 5d ago
What kind of sauna? American gym saunas for example are completely different from normal ones
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u/FlippingPossum 5d ago
Humidity can trigger asthma symptoms. I have mild intermittent asthma. I'm usually fine unless their is a big weather change or I get sick.
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u/EyeFicksIt 5d ago
So with the hot sauna offering health benefits and the other article saying cold plunges might be able to extend life I’m going to have a hard time getting to work
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u/kasakka1 5d ago
You do sauna, then take a plunge into a cold lake or sea, then get back to sauna. It's very refreshing, but during the winter, getting to a hole in the ice feels like needles on your feet when you need to walk a bit through the snow.
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u/Prestigious-Oven3465 5d ago
Wild, the people that have enough money and time to focus on their health have greater happiness
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u/Fmeson 5d ago
The study also found that the association between sauna use and better health was not strongly tied to socioeconomic status. Sauna bathers and non-sauna bathers did not differ significantly in terms of education, income, or where they lived. This suggests that the benefits seen among sauna bathers may not be explained solely by financial resources or living conditions.
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u/potatoaster 5d ago
Sauna bathers and non-sauna bathers differed significantly in terms of age, sex, employment, alcohol consumption, smoking, physical activity, hypertension, pain, anxiety, sleep, mental health, energy, happiness, and general health.
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u/Abstract_Traps 5d ago
Yes but they're including more than 2 nordic countries which skews the result
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u/Limemill 5d ago
This is Nordic countries, not the States. Saunas are ubiquitous there. In fact, in some countries traditionally it’s the cheaper alternative to taking a bath at home
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u/ost_ost_ost 5d ago
Yep, not as much in the south of Sweden, but in the Northernmost parts you'd basically be hard pressed to find an ordinary middle-class house without a sauna.
Most apartment co-ops also have a communal sauna that can be booked by tenants.
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u/trailrunner68 5d ago
Not Finnish. Sauna in my childhood house, some early adult years living without one, 10 years in Phoenix (basically a sauna) and now a sauna in my house, use it every day. Break a sweat, drink water, repeat. That combined with exercise outdoors has resulted in the best cardiovascular numbers of my life. Mentally: Spend an hour daily NOT scrolling, looking at a screen, not snacking, alone with your thoughts and you become a productive person happy with your efforts. The endless drug commercials on TV really drive the point home.
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u/DjCyric 5d ago
I absolutely love my barrel sauna. It was worth every dollar. A hot tub soak, and a sauna sweat feels incredible.
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u/SlothySundaySession 5d ago
Do you cold dip? Or even a nice cold shower and head back into the sauna?
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u/DjCyric 4d ago
Last summer, we put a cold dip into the area on the patio with a huge steel tub. I can't stand it, but my wife enjoys it. She has bad knees, and this past fall/winter had a double knee replacement. Maybe after reading this, I might try it again.
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u/Ok-Curve5569 4d ago
Once you’re past the initial discomfort, avanto makes you feel incredible. Cycling between hot and cold 1.) triggers the release of endorphins, 2.) pumps lymph around the body and improves circulation through vasodilation/vasoconstriction. Whole range of benefits from reduced inflammation and muscle soreness to better sleep, lower stress, etc
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u/SlothySundaySession 4d ago
Does take some time to get used to, if you just do it slowly can be more comfortable and don't put your head under the water. I don't think you need to push yourself though, if you don't like it bail on it.
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u/PhotoProxima 5d ago
As I sit in from of my computer still hot and steamy from my sauna, and drinking a Belgian beer, I approve of this article.
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u/Optimus_Prime_Day 5d ago
I'd be curious if a hot tub provides similar benefits.
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u/well_hung_over 5d ago
Similar but different. And depends on the type of sauna, dry heat vs wet stone, but heat therapy of any sort has proven benefits for the human body. Get one or both if you don’t have them!
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u/lilgreengoddess 5d ago
I feel amazing after a sauna. I spend about 45 minutes until I am sweating profusely. I feel relaxed and calm after
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u/Minute_Chair_2582 5d ago
"People with too much money and time are healthier and happier on average"
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u/Osiris62 5d ago
What about the current trending post that people who do cold plunges have healthier cells. Which is it!?
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u/JHMfield 5d ago
Research seems to show that both extreme cold and heat are beneficial. Two different kinds of stress factors, causing the body to respond in different ways, stimulating different health metrics.
What I gather, for optimal benefits you'd probably want to alternate cold and heat treatments. A sauna one day, a cold chamber the next, then sauna again.
If I had the money I'd definitely opt into that. But I don't.
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u/iskela45 5d ago
Run from your sauna into a frozen lake with a hole cut into it. The two have been done together for millenia.
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u/jakeeeR666 5d ago edited 4d ago
I approve. After a squash session or just a workout.
2 saunas and cold bath and I walk out feeling absolutely amazing and relaxed af.
Feeling like a million dollar let me tell you that!
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u/GT_Numble 5d ago
I worked at a resort and had free sauna access which I used after workouts and to help with my seasonal disorder during cold winter months. I miss it.
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u/Si_is_for_Cookie 5d ago
Not a statistician, but pretty sure that the data point of “regular sauna users” self selects for the conclusion.
Do people who take a regular sauna feel happier? Yeah probably, but if you are living In a manner that affords regular saunas, comparisons to those who cannot and thereby “proving” that saunas are better for your happiness, is not seeing the forest for the trees.
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u/NovelSavage 5d ago
I can only speak from my own subjective experience, but I purchased a radiant sauna from Amazon about 10 years ago — and it’s wonderful! I tried all sorts of things to relieve my back pain and nothing has worked as good as the sauna. Best money I ever spent! Along with the aforementioned physical health benefits, it serves as my own, private (heated) meditation chamber.
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u/Awkward_Network4249 5d ago
How does these compare to a real sauna though? Seems like they only go to about 60c compared to around 80c in a normal sauna. Assume you are talking about those little tree huts.
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u/Cobra-Serpentress 5d ago
I think it has something to do with the financial status of people who can afford to go to a sauna
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u/Masseyrati80 5d ago edited 5d ago
Keep in mind this is in a country with a sauna culture (Sweden), where it's not considered an expensive or luxurious thing to do, and people do it primarily out of the enjoyment instead of a list of measurable benefits. (I've sometimes bumped into people asking how long are you in there for, and to me it's like asking how long did you make love to your spouse - not exactly something one would measure)
The work-life balance in the Nordics also has an emphasis on life, in general, meaning the question of "who has time for it" is somewhat foreing.
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u/AnonymousBoiFromTN 4d ago
Yes, if you can afford a sauna or to visit a sauna/ place with a sauna regularly you will be happier. Chances are if you use a sauna regularly you also are more likely to have the time/resources to exercise and monitor your health regularly which will make you happier. Countries that have more frequent sauna usage ingrained into their societies are often countries with extremely mild economic disparity between citizens and typically have very healthy public structures, which also make people happy. Chances are it has more to do with these related factors than the usage of a sauna alone.
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u/Christopher135MPS 4d ago
This seems to be ripe for context skewing.
Anyone who has any spare time for an activity they enjoy is going to be happier and have more energy.
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u/Shyman4ever 5d ago
Not to downplay saunas, but regular sauna users are also more likely to regularly attend the gym, so it would make sense that they’re healthier.
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u/Daheixiong 5d ago
I do wonder; does the effect of the sauna tip more towards practical and real health changes and benefits or does it act more as a placebo, releasing stress and tension that may lead to poor lifestyles.
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u/rubensinclair 5d ago
Match this with the cold plunge article and it makes a great case for joining a gym that has both
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u/MrInternetInventor 5d ago
The self reporting aspect of this study does not seem very useful beyond some psychological well being
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u/sturmeh 5d ago
Did this study seek out people who use the sauna vs those who didn't or seek out a group of people and have a portion of them use the sauna?
I assume the first one because excluding people who already use it wouldn't make much sense.
Which begs the question, could a person's circumstances lead them to spend more time in a sauna, i.e. those who live a balanced life and can find time for self-care vs. those who cannot?
Would sauna use then not be a trend amongst those people rather than a major contributor to their balanced lifestyle?
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u/marctheguy 5d ago
I wonder if they also report higher than average wages, education, activity, and nutritional density to their diets.
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u/potatoaster 5d ago
They report greater employment and physical activity but comparable education. Diet wasn't surveyed, but BMI was comparable.
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u/MagicMistoffelees 5d ago
I have access to one at the gym. But I’ve also been told it’s really bad for those of us with Rosacea?!
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u/The_GeneralsPin 5d ago
Maybe because people who have access to saunas almost exclusively have money and good lifestyles?
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u/maxadmiral 4d ago
I think you severely underestimate the amount of saunas in the nordics
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u/MulleDK19 5d ago
The title makes it sound like it's more like "People in good health, with high energy and greater happiness use saunas more frequently."
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u/Firefly_Magic 5d ago
My old gym used to have a sauna. I loved it!! I felt so alive and alert after using the sauna for about 20min then showering for the day. I would/will invest in a home one in the future if I can.
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u/_realpaul 5d ago
Sitting in a room full of naked people is soothing invigorating. Cant recommend enough.
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u/stidmoronpauvreami 5d ago
I mean, if you have enough money for a sauna, yeah, you're most likely in better health.
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u/AntiD00Mscroll- 4d ago
I have small bathroom with a small shower. Would it be possible to turn it into a sauna?
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u/SGPrepperz 4d ago
Does the same observation apply at an environmental level, to weather?
One specific example is people living in climates that’s hot and humid ( often above 90%) , much like a sauna.
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u/VanGoghPro 4d ago
Could there be a connection to gyms frequently having saunas and people are naturally happier because they’re working out?
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u/RedxxBeard 5d ago
If i had a lifestyle/income that gave me easy access to a sauna, I would probably be healthier as well.
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u/kasakka1 5d ago
Saunas are very common in the Nordic countries. Even fairly low cost apartments tend to have a communal sauna somewhere, or you can go to the swimming hall for that.
Even our 63 square meter apartment here in Finland has its own little sauna.
Sorry, but sauna is not a matter of wealth here.
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u/Otaraka 5d ago
People who regularly choose to use something will tend to report positive effects about it. And having the opportunity to do so probably sets you in a certain demographic.
"Sauna bathers were younger, more often men and found to have a healthier life-profile compared to non-sauna bathers. "
The research base isnt really that convincing in my view.
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