You know who needs a spa day ASAP? Your heart!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Fighting off heart disease might be as simple as turning up the heat! But which steamy spa treatment works best?
Jessica Atencio and team from the University of Oregon recruited twenty young adults to find out. They relaxed in a hot tub, a traditional sauna, or an infrared sauna for forty-five minutes. Researchers collected blood and checked vitals before, during, and after each session.
The champ? The hot tub! It lowered blood pressure by about fifteen percent and boosted overall cardiovascular health!
This could be a great alternative for those who have trouble exercising! Heart health has never been this steamy!!
Reference: Atencio, J. K., Reed, E. L., Wiedenfeld Needham, K., Lucernoni, K. M., Comrada, L. N., Halliwill, J. R., & Minson, C. T. (2025). Comparison of thermoregulatory, cardiovascular, and immune responses to different passive heat therapy modalities. American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology, 329(1), R20–R35. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpregu.00012.2025