Relaxing in a sauna shown to reduce risk of heart attacks
We always love bringing you good news, and this is the kind that encourages you to help your healthy by sitting around and relaxing. While going to a sauna has often been regarded as good for one’s health, a new study has shown evidence that men who visit regularly live longer and are less likely to die of sudden heart attacks.
The study took place in Finland, where going to the sauna is a popular activity, and looked at the link between people who used saunas and the risk of sudden cardiac death, fatal coronary heart disease, and dying from any cause. The men included in the study were tracked for an average of 21 years.
When comparing results, it was shown that the more frequently someone visited a sauna two to three times a week had a 22 per cent lower risk of sudden cardiac death than those who went just once per week. When looking at people who visited between four and seven times a week, that number increased to 63 per cent.
The risk of coronary heart disease was reduced by 23 per cent for men bathing two to three times per week, and by 48 per cent for those who bathed four to seven times. Risk of dying from heart disease was 27 per cent lower for the two to three session men, and 50 per cent lower for those who visited four to seven times.
When the researchers looked at the risk of dying from any cause at all, they discovered that men who visited a sauna two to three times had a 24 per cent lower risk, while those who went four to seven times saw a 40 per cent reduction in this risk.
A hint for those of you thinking of paying a visit to your nearest sauna now: staying for more than 19 minutes appears to be much more beneficial than staying for less than 11 minutes.
Image: Getty