This Simple Practice Mimics Exercise, Improves Cardiovascular Health, and Fights Depression
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In this video, Rhonda dives deep on the many benefits of deliberate heat exposure and saunas. She discusses:
- (00:00) How heat exposure mimics moderate-intensity aerobic exercise
- (03:12) Why you should add a sauna practice to your exercise routine
- (05:48) Optimal sauna parameters (temperature, duration, & frequency)
- (08:47) Are infrared saunas as beneficial as traditional saunas?
- (10:41) Health benefits of heat shock proteins
- (12:35) Hot baths and jacuzzis
- (14:00) Immune system benefits of heat exposure
- (16:08) Why sauna bathing improves mood
- (18:59) Can the sauna treat depression?
Watch the full interview on The Knowledge Project ( @tkppodcast )
Show notes from the full interview
Wanna learn more about saunas? Visit the FoundMyFitness topic page and download our detailed report on the cardiovascular & brain benefits of sauna bathing.
Hear new content from Rhonda on The Aliquot, our member's only podcast
Listen in on our regularly curated interview segments called "Aliquots" released every week on our premium podcast The Aliquot. Aliquots come in two flavors: features and mashups.
- Hours of deep dive on topics like fasting, sauna, child development surfaced from our enormous collection of members-only Q&A episodes.
- Important conversational highlights from our interviews with extra commentary and value. Short but salient.
Heat stress News
- Hot water immersion increased maximal oxygen consumption in endurance runners by boosting red blood cell mass and heart filling.
- Hot water immersion more than doubles core body temperature rise compared to traditional saunas, potentially boosting vasodilation, cardiac output, and immune activity.
- Regular infrared sauna use increases blood vessel density in aged muscles by 33%, though muscle size, strength, and protein synthesis remain unchanged.
- Post-exercise hot tubs and saunas show minimal, inconsistent benefits in exercise performance enhancement, despite potential physiological effects.
- Warming muscles prior to high-intensity exercise boosts power and performance by 11%, suggests a small study on cyclists.
