The other day I noted to my surprise that an article in the Alaska Dispatch News indicated that sauna users reduce their risks of dying from heart disease, and heart attacks and in general, improve their life expectancy. I was surprised because I thought people would be at a greater risk of heart failure just by virtue of exposure to a sauna's heat. Au contraire! Naturally, I was immediately curious as to how and what other outside factors might play a role as this was a study conducted in Finland.

The Finns are also heavy fish consumers. Basic kitchen table wisdom is that this is a  great source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Alaskans, like the  Finns, happily consume fish quite often. So add to that the  Finish custom of frequent saunas and this could conceivably help me live longer and reduce the likelihood of a heart attack. This is terrific news! All along I thought saunas were just great for stress relief and might help me maintain clean skin. 

The study stated that saunas are still no substitute for regular exercise, which reduces the so-called  "metabolic syndrome"-a combination of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a high body fat percentage. Still, a nice benefit of saunas is that it doesn't take a lot of time to use it to increase the health benefits. Fourteen minutes several times a week will help. If I tried it daily, I'd reap even greater results. I particularly liked the idea that the Finns deem  "sauna time" as a necessity and the proper etiquette in Finland is to steer clear of controversial topics while soaking in the heat. I'm wondering if the  Finnish sauna tradition of not focusing in on problems,  frustrations, and anger is another reason sauna usage reduces heart attacks-certainly it could only help. Even better news is, I can include this in my workout program quite easily at the Alaska Club saunas as a new integral part of my visits there each and every time.

Fourteen minutes is well worth it. I feel more relaxed, cleaner and am doing something good for my heart as well.