Sauna Sessions Reduce Heart Attack Risk by 50% – The Scandinavian Wellness Tradition That Works Like Exercise

Strong jobs report sparks rally then fades – markets can't decide if good news is good news or bad news for rates.

The quick scan: Markets whipsawed after January jobs blew past expectations with 130,000 new positions (double the forecast), initially rallying on economic strength before fading as traders realised stronger employment kills Fed rate cut hopes.

S&P 500: -0.01% to 6,941.47 – The index barely budged after erasing early gains of 0.7%, ending essentially flat as enthusiasm about labor market strength collided with anxiety about delayed rate cuts
Dow Jones: -0.13% to 50,121.40 – The blue-chip index snapped its three-day winning streak despite crossing 50,200 intraday, unable to sustain momentum as software stocks continued bleeding
NASDAQ: -0.16% to 23,066.47 – Tech stocks gave back morning gains as software names like Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Intuit plunged over 5% each on renewed AI automation fears, while Oracle and Palantir dropped over 2%.

What's driving it: January nonfarm payrolls rose 130,000 versus 55,000 expected, and unemployment dropped to 4.3% from 4.4%, signaling labor market resilience. But the report included a massive downward benchmark revision of 862,000 jobs for the prior year – the biggest revision since 2009 – reducing 2025's employment growth from 584,000 to just 181,000. Early euphoria faded as rate traders slashed odds for Fed cuts this year. Meanwhile, AI infrastructure stocks surged (Vertiv +24% on strong data center outlook, Micron/Texas Instruments/Lam Research +5% each) while software continued its existential crisis. T-Mobile fell 5% on weak user growth; Zillow plunged 17% for its worst day since 2021.

Bottom line: When a "strong" jobs report showing 130,000 new positions requires asterisking with an 862,000 downward revision to last year's numbers, retirees should wonder: are we celebrating real strength or statistical manipulation? Markets rallied then faded because good employment news paradoxically kills rate cut hopes – a dynamic that only makes sense in an economy where everyone's rooting for just enough weakness to justify cheap money.

Sitting Down in a Hot Box Might Be as Good as a Brisk Walk

The scoop: Imagine achieving the same benefits of brisk exercise just by sitting down in a nice warm place a few times a week. It sounds too good to be true, but the science is surprisingly solid.

In Finland, where the word "sauna" originates, there's one sauna for every two people. And there's a degree of science to back up this popular pastime, with studies linking time in the sauna with decreased risk of heart attacks, obesity, and dementia.

Recent research presented at the conference Nutrition 2024 found that daily 30-minute whole-body heat exposure to a warm environment like a sauna could help older adults, particularly women, combat age-related obesity and insulin resistance.

Impressive outcomes, certainly, but also a serious commitment – sitting naked in a highly-heated wooden box most days for 20 years. Happily, for those of us with less time on our hands, research shows that even modest sauna use can induce profound physiological effects.

How Hot Boxes Work Their Magic

These hot rooms stimulate the body's natural temperature regulating mechanism, inducing metabolic changes at a cellular level and producing heat shock proteins. These proteins (referred to as HSPs) get involved in and enhance many different complex bodily processes, including the cardiovascular system and immunity.

"HSPs are associated with reduced muscle atrophy, have a role in preventing Alzheimer's disease and are linked to increased longevity," says Dr. Mike Hoaglin, a medical director at private online healthcare provider DrHouse.

Studies have found that men who went to the sauna at least four times per week were 66% less likely to be diagnosed with dementia. In a further study of both men and women who took saunas "most days of the week," they were 61% less likely to have a stroke.

The Cardiovascular Payoff

One study by the University of Eastern Finland tracked 2,315 men aged 42 to 60 who had a sauna most days of the week over roughly 20 years. They were 50% less likely to have a fatal heart attack compared to men who had one sauna a week or less.

According to research, sauna bathing might offer – in medically controlled conditions – 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 "benefits analogous to aerobic training" exercise.

So does that mean it's also an alternative to exercise for fit people? A kind of non-moving aerobics? The answer is: a bit.

Saunas do give cardiovascular benefits, but they won't do anything for your muscles – and maintaining good muscle tone and mass is crucially important to guard against osteoporosis and falls in later life. You'll also miss out on the broad protection against dementia gained from resistance training.

When Saunas Work Best

Where you get the big exercise boost is from taking a sauna after a workout. The benefits – all supported by scientific research – are legion.

As well as the cardiovascular and circulation action, you get better muscle recovery and growth, increased muscle strength, reduced inflammation, enhanced endurance, and better flexibility. It also boosts the insulin sensitivity effect.

Another widely reported key benefit is increased insulin sensitivity – simply a measure of how efficiently your body reacts to insulin and its role in glucose management. The opposite of sensitivity is insulin resistance, which leads to type 2 diabetes. "Regular thermal therapy has the potential to improve impaired insulin sensitivity," according to one 2008 research report.

The Human Growth Hormone Bonus

This oft-mentioned sauna benefit has been studied since the 1980s, with 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 – two things you very much want to look after as you get older, when production of HGH declines.

Another often touted benefit is lowering the troublesome "stress" hormone cortisol. So helpful when running from a sabre-tooth tiger, so harmful for hours in bad traffic and linked to so many detrimental health settings, from low immune response to increased blood sugars and weight gain, cortisol levels can be lowered by regular sauna sessions.

Starting Smart

Even one sauna a week will give you the benefits of muscle and mental relaxation and better sleep. If you're new to being a human baked potato, start slowly with five-minute sessions and build up. Drink a glass of water (and shower) before you go in and stay on the lower level, not too close to the hot rocks. Never let yourself doze off inside.

Also cool down slowly. You may want to work up to the full icy plunge, but it's never a good idea for people with heart conditions or pregnant women. If you have uncontrolled high blood pressure or any kind of heart disease, consult your doctor before hitting the heat.

Stick to one heat session at first, but as you become more experienced you can bob in and out for several 10-minute sessions. Rest afterwards and make sure you fully rehydrate.

Actionable Takeaways for L-Plate Retirees:

• Start with one weekly sauna session, not daily marathons: Even one sauna per week delivers muscle relaxation, better sleep, and mental relaxation benefits – the dramatic 20-year studies required daily use, but you don't need heroic commitment to gain measurable advantages.

• Use saunas after workouts, not instead of them: Saunas provide cardiovascular benefits but do nothing for muscle tone and mass, which are crucial for preventing osteoporosis and falls – take a sauna after resistance training to get muscle recovery, reduced inflammation, and enhanced flexibility on top of your workout gains.

• Begin with 5-minute sessions and build gradually: New to sauna use? Start on the lower level away from hot rocks, drink water before entering, shower first, and never doze off inside – gradual progression prevents dangerous overheating while your body adapts to heat stress.

• Understand that sauna benefits come from heat shock proteins, not sweat: The magic happens at the cellular level through HSPs that reduce muscle atrophy, prevent Alzheimer's, and increase longevity – this isn't about "sweating out toxins," it's about triggering profound metabolic changes through controlled heat exposure.

• Prioritise frequency over duration for cardiovascular protection: The 50% heart attack risk reduction came from men using saunas "most days of the week," not from single marathon sessions – consistency matters more than endurance when building heat-induced cardiovascular resilience.

• Get medical clearance if you have heart conditions or high blood pressure: While saunas can benefit cardiovascular health in controlled conditions, uncontrolled high blood pressure or heart disease makes heat exposure dangerous – consult your doctor before starting, especially if you're considering the icy plunge afterwards.

Your Turn:
If you're serious about preventing dementia and heart attacks, are you willing to commit to sauna sessions most days of the week for the next 20 years – or does that level of dedication expose the gap between knowing what works and actually doing it?
Do you currently use saunas as a relaxation treat after workouts, or are you missing the compounding benefits that come from combining heat exposure with resistance training for muscle recovery and growth?
Have you been avoiding resistance training because it feels too hard, while secretly hoping that easier alternatives like saunas could replace it – even though the science clearly says you need both for bone mass, muscle tone, and fall prevention?

👉 Hit reply and share your story – your insights could inspire fellow readers in future issues.

If this newsletter convinced you that intensity might be exactly what your aging muscles need – and gave you permission to work harder, not just longer – consider supporting L-Plate Retiree on Ko-fi. Your support helps me bring you science-backed fitness guidance that challenges assumptions.