Your Heart Loves the Heat: Sauna and Cardiovascular Health
You know what’s still the biggest killer out there? Not sharks. Not sugar. Not stress. It’s your heart giving out. Cardiovascular disease tops the list, taking out more people than anything else—quietly, gradually, and often without much warning. But here’s the wild bit: you can do something about it. And it doesn’t have to involve Lycra or a gym membership. One of the simplest, most effective ways to support your heart? Sitting in a hot box and sweating it out. Let’s break it down.
Posted on Mon 23 Jun 2025 · by Danny
So what’s the sauna actually doing to your heart?
When you’re sat in that glorious dry heat—somewhere around 80 to 100 degrees—the body kicks into action:
Heart rate goes up (just like if you were out for a run)
Blood vessels relax and widen
Circulation increases, sending more oxygen around
Blood pressure drops, thanks to more flexible arteries
It’s basically cardio without the effort. A passive workout for your cardiovascular system. You don’t move a muscle, but your body thinks you’ve just done something useful.
The studies back it up (like, properly)
There’s this long-term Finnish study—tens of thousands of people followed over decades. They found that people who used a sauna 4–7 times a week had:
50% lower risk of dying from heart disease
Up to 63% lower risk of sudden cardiac death
40% lower all-cause mortality(Laukkanen et al., JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015)
Even better? In an 8-week trial with middle-aged folks who had at least one heart risk factor, researchers found that combining light exercise with a 15-minute sauna afterwards gave better results than exercise alone:
VO₂ max jumped more (better heart-lung function)
Systolic blood pressure dropped by 8 mm Hg
Total cholesterol dropped(Karelis et al., American Journal of Physiology, 2023)
And if you're young, fit, and thinking this doesn’t apply? Think again. A study on healthy 22-year-olds found that after 30 minutes in the sauna:
Heart rate hit 131 bpm (same zone as moderate cardio)
Systolic blood pressure dropped by 16 mm Hg
Prolactin rose 285%
Norepinephrine up 58%
Heat shock proteins (HSP72) increased by nearly 50%, helping with recovery and immune response(Iguchi et al., Journal of Human Kinetics, 2012)
Why that matters:
Norepinephrine is a focus and alertness hormone. It improves attention, mood, and gets your body into “get-up-and-go” mode.
Prolactin helps with immune regulation and has a calming effect on the nervous system—like nature’s built-in recovery signal.
So even if you’re already pretty fit, sauna is still giving your body something extra.
Why should you care?
Because your heart powers everything.More blood flow = more oxygen to your brain, your muscles, your organs. That means:
You think clearer
You recover faster
You’ve got more energy
You sleep better
You’re less inflamed (inside and out)
And you reduce your chances of waking up one day with your ticker waving the white flag.
So who’s this actually good for?
Honestly, pretty much everyone. But especially:
People with high blood pressure, stiff joints, or poor circulation
Those coming back from illness or burnout
Anyone over 40 wanting to feel strong into older age
People who should move more but can’t right now
Tired folks who want a reset that doesn’t involve burpees
How to sauna for heart health
Simple:
Start with 15–20 minutes, work up to 30 if it feels good
3–5 times a week is solid. More if you’re into it
Go after a walk or some movement for even better results
Drink water, cool down gradually, and don’t go full hero on your first go
If you feel light-headed, you're done for the day. No medals for overheating.
Final thought
If the idea of getting fit makes you feel knackered, start here.Sauna is sneaky cardio. Good for your heart, your head, and your mood.You sit, you sweat, you leave stronger.
Turns out, the ancient Finns were onto something all along.