Further studies have found that men who went to the sauna at least four times per week were 66 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with dementia, and in a further study \u2013 of both men and women who took saunas \u201cmost days of the week\u201d \u2013 it was found they were 61 per cent less likely to have a stroke.<\/p>\n
Helps prevent type 2 diabetes<\/p>\n
Another widely reported key benefit of the sauna is increased insulin sensitivity. This is simply a measure of how efficiently your body reacts to insulin and its role in glucose management, with the opposite of sensitivity being insulin resistance, which leads to type 2 diabetes<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cRegular thermal therapy\u2026has the potential to improve impaired insulin sensitivity,\u201d says one NCBI report from 2008.<\/p>\n Cardiovascular benefits<\/p>\n One study by the University of Eastern Finland looked at the health outcomes of 2,315 men aged 42 to 60, who had a sauna most days of the week, over a roughly 20-year period. They were 50 per cent less likely to have a fatal heart attack<\/a> compared to men who had one sauna a week or less.<\/p>\n In fact, according to the NCBI report, sauna bathing might offer \u2013 in medically controlled conditions \u2013 the benefits of a mild cardiovascular workout for patients with existing conditions such as heart disease that make regular aerobic exercise dangerous. Regular sauna sessions can provide \u201cbenefits analogous to aerobic training\u201d exercise, the report states.<\/p>\n So, does that mean it\u2019s also an alternative to exercise for fit people? A kind of non-moving aerobics\u2026? The answer is: a bit.<\/p>\n Even one sauna session a week will give you the benefits of muscle relaxation and better sleep – Getty<\/p>\n Saunas do give cardiovascular benefits, but they won\u2019t do anything for your muscles \u2013 and maintaining good muscle tone and mass is crucially important to guard against osteoporosis<\/a> and falls in later life. You will also miss out on the broad protection against dementia gained from resistance training, however.<\/p>\n Where you do get the big exercise boost is from taking a sauna after a workout. The benefits \u2013 all supported by scientific research \u2013 are legion.<\/p>\n As well as the cardiovascular and circulation action, you get better muscle recovery and growth. Increased muscle strength. Reduced inflammation. Enhanced endurance. Better flexibility. And it boosts the insulin sensitivity upside effect.<\/p>\n Really, you\u2019d be mad not to.<\/p>\n This oft-mentioned sauna benefit has been studied since the 1980s, with the increased production of human growth hormone (HGH) stimulated by those previously mentioned heat stress proteins. This is a good thing, because HGH aids muscle growth and preserves bone mass \u2013 two things you very much want to look after as you get older, when production of HGH declines.<\/p>\n Lower cortisol levels<\/p>\n![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/95107b7f6d5da0c1b33b6c397eed9c5f.jpeg\"\/)
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