My Three Hot Wellness Secrets
In Perpetual Wellness Episode 15, host I discuss the benefits of heat therapy as a part of my illness recovery and overall wellness regimen. As a cancer survivor, during recovery my recovery, my various medications can create a toxic build up. Also, our everyday life can create toxins and other difficulties. In this episode I discuss what I use to keep his body and mind refreshed during my recovery! Let’s dig in a bit deeper below:
1. The Immediate Physiology: What happens when you sit in a sauna
The high ambient temperature raises your core body temperature, making your heart work a bit harder, boosting circulation, and promoting sweating.
Because blood is redirected toward the skin to release heat, the cardiovascular system is engaged in a way that mimics moderate exercise.
The sauna induces a kind of “thermogenic stress”—which may sound intense but is generally safe for healthy users—and triggers beneficial adaptations.
You leave feeling relaxed, but also refreshed: reduced muscle tension, improved mood, maybe a little light-headed if you stay too long.
2. The Short-Term Benefits: What sauna sessions yield
Reduction in blood pressure: After a sauna session you may see lower resting blood pressure compared to pre-sauna.
Improved vascular (blood-vessel) function: Heat causes vasodilation (widening of blood vessels) and improved flow, which is good for cardiovascular health.
Increased heart rate and cardiac output: Similar in effect (albeit less intense) to light exercise.
Relaxation, stress reduction, better recovery: Many people report better sleep, less muscle soreness, improved feeling of well-being.
3. The Long-Term Adaptations: What happens with regular use
Over weeks and months, repeated sauna exposure appears to trigger adaptations: improved endothelial function, reduced arterial stiffness, improved metabolic markers (lipids, insulin sensitivity) and even reduced cardiovascular mortality in observational studies.
It’s proposed that sauna bathing works as a form of hormetic stress: a little heat stress makes your body more resilient, similar to how exercise stresses but strengthens muscles and cardiovascular system.
The video likely emphasises “dose” matters – frequency, duration, temperature all make a difference.
4. Practical Tips & Considerations
Start conservatively: for example, 10-15 minutes at moderate temperature, then gradually increase.
Make sure you’re well hydrated before and after sauna use (you will sweat plenty).
After the session, offer yourself some time to cool down, re-hydrate, and let your heart rate and blood pressure settle.
Know your health status: people with certain cardiovascular conditions, unstable blood pressure, or other serious medical issues should consult their physician.
Use sauna as a complement to exercise and healthy lifestyle—not a substitute.
Don’t overdo it: excessively long, extremely hot sessions may carry risk (heat exhaustion, dehydration) especially if you’re new to it or have health issues.
5. Why it matters & who might benefit
For people seeking cardiovascular health benefits, metabolic improvement, stress reduction and recovery from exercise or muscle soreness, sauna bathing is an under-utilised tool.
For those with sedentary or very intense jobs, sauna use may provide a cardiovascular stimulus when other exercise is limited.
It also has appeal simply for the relaxation and wellness component—even if you’re not chasing intense physiological changes.
6. The Big Takeaway
The takeaway message: getting into a sauna a few times per week (given the right health status) is more than an indulgence—it’s a wellness strategy. The video suggests that the heat stress is a kind of “shortcut” or “boost” to the body’s adaptive systems, much like exercise, but in a passive way. Use it wisely, listen to your body, and integrate it into a broader health-strategy rather than relying on it alone.