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If you'd like to cut your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, dementia, lung disease, mental health problems, skin diseases, arthritis, headaches, and the flu, and boost your quality of life, frequent saunas can do just that, show the results of a comprehensive analysis from Finnish and British researchers.

According to their research, published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, health benefits related to saunas are similar to those of moderate- or high-intensity exercise and can be linked to improved circulatory, respiratory, cardiovascular, and immune function. Regular bathing in Finnish saunas, characterized by exposure to high temperatures (over 176 degrees F) for a brief period, helps stabilize the nervous system, improves cardiovascular health markers and hormones, and lessens:

• blood pressure
• inflammation
• oxidative stress
• circulation of bad cholesterol
• arterial stiffness
• vascular resistance