Longevity
•Centr x Lifespan.io
A post-workout sauna could improve your heart health
Centr has partnered with Lifespan.io, a nonprofit leader in longevity science journalism and advocacy, to bring you the latest research on aging and rejuvenation. Learn more about our partnership below.
Is it getting hot in here, or is it just that more people are catching onto the fact that sweating it out in the sauna can do great things for your body and mind?
There’s growing evidence that getting your sweat on in a sauna could regulate inflammation, make your cells more robust and resistant to damage, and potentially decrease your risk of getting neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
And now it turns out the combined benefits of hitting the sauna after a workout could pump up the benefits for your heart.
Let’s turn up the heat.
The sauna heart-health connection
A new study carried out in Finland – where else but the home of the sauna? – looked into the combination of exercise with sauna use in a small group of people.
They all exercised three times a week (a combination of resistance training and cardio), then some followed up their workout with a 15-minute sauna session.
Those who combined a workout and the sauna saw small improvements in their cardiovascular (or aerobic) fitness, as well as their cholesterol levels. But the biggest change was in their blood pressure...
Get your heart pumping pre-sauna with this bodyweight workout with Chris and his trainer Luke Zocchi.
Could using a sauna lower blood pressure?
The most significant change in the exercise-plus-sauna participants was systolic blood pressure. This measures the force your heart puts on the artery walls when it beats, and major drops like those seen in the study can lead to big improvements in overall heart health.
So, should you be hitting the sauna after every workout?
These results may not be definitive, but they do suggest a positive link between exercise and sauna use. If your gym has a sauna, it’s certainly a good reason to give it a go after your next training session.
Disclaimer: This Centr content is adapted with permission from an article written by Lifespan.io. The content herein represents Centr’s interpretation of the original source material.
Want to learn more about the science of movement?
Centr x Lifespan.io
Centr has partnered with Lifespan.io to bring you the latest in longevity research. Lifespan.io is the leading source of industry news and a nonprofit advocacy foundation whose mission is to accelerate progress toward overcoming age-related diseases. Since 2014, the organization has focused on responsible journalism, high-impact advocacy, and media initiatives that make longevity research and education more accessible to all.
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