s I squeeze myself on to the top bench of the sauna in my local lido, I’m grateful to have a spot. It’s rammed; standing room only. Next to the stove, cold water swimmers huddle and struggle to peel neoprene off shivering hands and feet, their teeth chattering. In fact, everyone is chattering. It’s as noisy as the pub before closing time and as ebullient; a steamy collective fuelled by extremes of temperature rather than extremely large amounts of booze.
Several studies in Scandinavia have shown that a 30 to 50-minute sauna improves cardiorespiratory fitness in the same way that 30-50 minutes of moderate exercise does. Five years ago, Finnish researchers published a review of health benefits of sauna bathing in, the peer-reviewed medical journal.
We clocked up 10,000km in Maija’s trusted camper van and learned that for centuries, important rites of passage were held in the sauna; it was the bathhouse, the pub, the town hall, the pharmacy and a sacred space. Babies were born in its herb-infused steam and the dead were prepared for burial. In Finland, the sauna was known as the poor man’s pharmacy and in the clean, warm, private space, folk healers would practice herbalism, bone-setting, cupping, massage, energy healing.