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Men who went for a sauna four to seven times a week were 63 per cent less likely to die from heart complications / Robert Kneschke/shutterstock.com
The therapeutic benefits of having a sauna have been proven in a new study* published in February.
Researchers from Finland, where there’s a strong tradition for saunas, found that middle-aged men who have frequent sessions in the heat experience are significantly less likely to die from heart disease, than those who don’t. In fact, the men who visited a sauna the most, even as much as once a day, experienced the greatest benefits.
Regular benefits A total of 2,315 men aged 42-60 from eastern Finland were monitored over 21 years. During the follow-up period, the scientists recorded 190 sudden cardiac deaths, 281 fatal causes of coronary heart disease, 407 deaths from cardiovascular disease and 929 deaths from all causes.
Those who used saunas regularly, however, seem to have been protected from heart complications. The risk of sudden cardiac death was found to be 22 per cent lower for men who went to a sauna two or three times per week and 63 per cent lower for those visiting four to seven times a week.
Coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease death rates were similarly cut by spending time in saunas.
Time well spent Participants benefited if they spent longer in the sauna. Those whose sessions lasted 11-19 minutes were 7 per cent less likely to suffer a sudden cardiac death compared to those who spent less than 11 minutes in the sauna. Men who spent longer than 19 minutes in the heat were associated with a 52 per cent reduced risk.
Dr Rita Redberg, editor of JAMA Internal Medicine and a scientist at the University of California commented: “Although we do not know why the men who went to saunas more frequently had greater longevity – whether it’s the time spent in the hot room, the relaxation time, the leisure of a life that allows for more relaxation time, or the camaraderie of the sauna – clearly time spent in the sauna is time well spent.”
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Interview: Kathy Van Ness
The COO at Golden Door tells Katie Barnes how she’s used her background in fashion to reinvent the destination spa
Wellness: In sickness & health
The Urban Zen Integrative Therapy programme by designer Donna Karan helps acutely-ill patients in health and social care settings. Julie Cramer reports
Design: Sense of arrival
Neena Dhillon talks to the spa designers and operators at the new Aman and Ritz-Carlton properties in Japan
Ask an expert: Neuromarketing
Could this field of market research hold the key to finding out what customers really want? Rhianon Howells investigates
In today’s premium spa environment, every detail shapes the guest experience – right down to
the softness of towels and the freshness of linens. [more...]
Men who went for a sauna four to seven times a week were 63 per cent less likely to die from heart complications / Robert Kneschke/shutterstock.com
The therapeutic benefits of having a sauna have been proven in a new study* published in February.
Researchers from Finland, where there’s a strong tradition for saunas, found that middle-aged men who have frequent sessions in the heat experience are significantly less likely to die from heart disease, than those who don’t. In fact, the men who visited a sauna the most, even as much as once a day, experienced the greatest benefits.
Regular benefits A total of 2,315 men aged 42-60 from eastern Finland were monitored over 21 years. During the follow-up period, the scientists recorded 190 sudden cardiac deaths, 281 fatal causes of coronary heart disease, 407 deaths from cardiovascular disease and 929 deaths from all causes.
Those who used saunas regularly, however, seem to have been protected from heart complications. The risk of sudden cardiac death was found to be 22 per cent lower for men who went to a sauna two or three times per week and 63 per cent lower for those visiting four to seven times a week.
Coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease death rates were similarly cut by spending time in saunas.
Time well spent Participants benefited if they spent longer in the sauna. Those whose sessions lasted 11-19 minutes were 7 per cent less likely to suffer a sudden cardiac death compared to those who spent less than 11 minutes in the sauna. Men who spent longer than 19 minutes in the heat were associated with a 52 per cent reduced risk.
Dr Rita Redberg, editor of JAMA Internal Medicine and a scientist at the University of California commented: “Although we do not know why the men who went to saunas more frequently had greater longevity – whether it’s the time spent in the hot room, the relaxation time, the leisure of a life that allows for more relaxation time, or the camaraderie of the sauna – clearly time spent in the sauna is time well spent.”
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Interview: Kathy Van Ness
The COO at Golden Door tells Katie Barnes how she’s used her background in fashion to reinvent the destination spa
Wellness: In sickness & health
The Urban Zen Integrative Therapy programme by designer Donna Karan helps acutely-ill patients in health and social care settings. Julie Cramer reports
Design: Sense of arrival
Neena Dhillon talks to the spa designers and operators at the new Aman and Ritz-Carlton properties in Japan
Ask an expert: Neuromarketing
Could this field of market research hold the key to finding out what customers really want? Rhianon Howells investigates
A recent survey by the UK Spa Association (UKSA) into the industry’s approach to cancer care
has revealed that almost half of participating respondents (46 per cent) are unaware that
cancer is a disability and guests with a cancer diagnosis must be given
Mexican operator, Solmar Hotels and Resorts, is hosting a series of events in celebration of
Global Wellness Day, including a Temazcal ceremony at its Playa Grande Resort and Spa in Los
Cabos.
Mandarin Oriental has announced a standalone residence brand, Mansions, which will debut at
Emirates Palace, Mandarin Oriental Mansions, Abu Dhabi, in 2029.
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam, has put together a Global Wellness Day
(GWD) agenda with activations rooted in nature and shaped by four pillars of Joy – in
alignment with the day’s theme #JoyMagenta.
The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the 2026 event in
Phuket, Thailand, later this year with the theme: The Science, Art and Soul of Wellness.
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a
series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, has opened a 2,800sq m spa called The Sanctuary,
with the design and concept inspired by the Native American people that populated Florida’s
Southwest coast – the Calusa.
Swire Hotels’ luxury hospitality brand Upper House has revealed it will roll out its two-day
House of Healing retreats at its three hotels in Hong Kong, Chengdu and Shanghai.
In today’s premium spa environment, every detail shapes the guest experience – right down to
the softness of towels and the freshness of linens. [more...]
