It’s 95°C and seven men are cramped into a tiny wooden sauna at a local gym. Multigenerational and multicultural defines this little group. No phones, no music, no TV and no indication of status. It’s sort of quiet, just the sound of steam lifting off the hot coals and the deep exhales of decompressing men. And then suddenly, within a matter of minutes, almost everybody is part of a conversation; sharing thoughts, ideas and opinions.
The 21st century is an era defined by isolation and a sense of loneliness. That’s why more than ever we need ways to foster community and build relationships, and the sauna is perhaps hiding some helpful secrets.
Ancient tradition
The sauna’s long and storied history begins in Finnish forests nearly 10,000 years ago, when they were no more than holes in the ground filled with heated stones and used for warmth during brutal winters. The sauna was not a uniquely Finnish phenomenon though, as early sweat houses dating back to the Bronze Age are being unearthed all over the UK and Ireland.
Fast forward to 2025, and the notion that a sauna is where the stresses of daily life fade away is still intrinsic to the sauna culture, most prevalent in the Finnish sauna tradition, where there are 3.3-million saunas for a population of just 5.5-million people. Today, almost 90% of Finns take a sauna at least once a week, with many maintaining that it’s the key to their happiness (Finland has topped the World Happiness Report for the past six years, so that is worth noting).
The science
The science behind deliberate heat exposure involves several physiological and biochemical mechanisms. Deliberate heat exposure increases core body temperature, eliciting a stress response via the nervous system that triggers hormonal and physiological changes to control body temperature and support tissue repair. This leads to the activation of various molecular pathways associated with DNA repair and protection against oxidative stress. Regular deliberate heat exposure regulates these pathways to support cognitive and overall health.
Regular sauna use, ideally four to seven times a week (five to 20 minutes per session), can also reduce the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and lower risk of all-cause mortality (cancer and heart attacks, for example) and support overall health and longevity. The increases in heart rate and blood flow from deliberate heat exposure also support cognitive health and may lower the risk of dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions. Moreover, sauna use can support mental health by increasing the release of endorphins, the same “feel-good” neurotransmitters responsible for the “runner’s high” phenomenon. Endorphins can boost mood, aid in relief of acute and chronic pain, and alleviate subjective discomfort.
Research from the University of Eastern Finland shows fascinating results from regular sauna use. They tracked 2,300 middle-aged men for an average of 20 years, categorising the men into three groups according to how often they used a sauna each week. The men spent an average of 14 minutes per visit in heat of 80°C. Over the course of the 20-year study, 49% of men who went to a sauna once a week died, compared with 38% of those who went two to three times a week and just 31% of those who went four to seven times a week.
These findings place the sauna not just as a luxury, but as a serious health intervention. Just as exercise stresses the body to strengthen it, so too does heat exposure, building resilience at the molecular and cardiovascular level.
Psychological effect
US surgeon-general Dr Vivek Murthy warned the US public about “our epidemic of loneliness and isolation”. In the past year, a focus has shifted to the loneliness faced by men, coining the argument that a “male loneliness epidemic” has arisen. Research conducted in 2021 found that 15% of men reported having no close friends. A study published by Equimundo in 2023 found that most men agree with the statement, “no-one really knows me well”. Forty percent of the men surveyed in the Equimundo study had met the screening standards for depressive symptoms, while 44% had experienced suicidal ideation within the past two weeks.
Against this backdrop, the sauna’s social role comes into sharper relief, especially for men. In Finland, some people come straight from the office for just an hour to wash away the stresses of the day on the way home, discussing a wide range of topics, including their anxieties and melancholy. In an age where men conceal their anxieties and fears and bring the associated stress home with them, this sauna ritual could provide much alleviation to all sorts of suffering. Having a place where men can freely state that they are feeling stressed or simply experience their stressful thoughts in the company of other men will make a big improvement in the overall sense of feeling alone.
The oldest public sauna in Finland is Rajaportti, and, according to one of its frequent visitors, “you have left wing, you have right wing, you have punks, you have architects, you have artists; everyone sits there and they talk”.
The sauna knows no egos and creates a community of egalitarianism. In this sense, the sauna is a social leveller, and a place where solitude can be eased, where people can reconnect with friends, and where society itself is reminded that beneath titles, wealth and ego, we are all human beings in need of connection and friendship.
The sauna benefits are not just reserved for men though, as women can enjoy incredible benefits too, especially with the body’s largest organ, the skin. In 2025, skincare comes with an incredibly high price tag: from creams and serums to facials and other beauty treatments, and yet, some of the most powerful solutions are natural, accessible and affordable. One of these is the sauna.
The deep sweating it induces helps the body detoxify by opening pores and flushing out impurities, leaving skin clearer, brighter, and more refreshed. The boost in circulation nourishes the skin with oxygen and nutrients, stimulating collagen production to support elasticity and reduce fine lines. For women in particular, regular sauna sessions become more than just relaxation; they are a cost-effective, holistic, and enjoyable anti-ageing ritual. For women who are unable to spend thousands of rand a month on skincare products, the sauna provides an affordable way to look after their skin.
From ritual to business
In SA, the sauna is still a hidden luxury, found mostly in gyms and reserved for those with memberships. Yet the global wellness movement is pushing the sauna beyond merely fitness and into lifestyle, recreation and even culture. In SA, with its culture of building braai areas, the sauna could be added to the trend of creating a dedicated social space, used for reflection and connection with friends and family.
But the opportunity stretches far beyond the home. Retreat-style saunas could be developed on wine estates, coastal lodges and rural escapes, where guests combine panoramic views or other outdoor experiences with sauna sessions. These experiences would make the sauna part of SA’s tourism and hospitality mix. There is also space for community-driven sauna houses. Much like the Turkish baths of old, these could be places where locals gather to spend unhurried time away from the noise of daily life. Designed well, they could bring back a sense of communal rhythm to urban living. Just as the braai became more than just a way to cook and became an identity and cultural glue for a nation, the sauna could become part of how South Africans connect, unwind, and do business.
If seven strangers can find conversation and connection in the heat of a sauna, imagine the benefit to South Africans if we embraced the sauna not just as a wellness tool, but as a cultural space to build community. Possibly, we might just cure this epidemic of loneliness.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.