A topic that I love, but haven’t yet gotten to comment on on this blog, is the remarkable health benefits of sauna use.
Over the past few decades, a large body of scientific research has shown that brief exposure to temperature extremes (both hot and cold) can lead to some biochemical processes in the body that promote better health. In a way, this is analogous to intense exercise. During a bout of intense exercise (say, doing sprints or jump ropes), certain chemical processes are upregulated in your body. In the hours after you finish exercising, these processes lead to beneficial effects in your body such as lowering your blood pressure, slowing your resting heart rate, and improving your insulin sensitivity. Similarly, being exposed to 15 or 20 minutes of uncomfortably hot air can lead to changes in your body over the ensuing hours that are beneficial to health.
