Full Health & Performance: Client success, the benefits of sauna and joy
Welcome to another edition of the Full Health & Performance newsletter, a short summary of what I am exploring in health, performance and life this week.
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Quote for reflection
"Patience is the key to joy"
Rumi
A success story
Over the course of just over a year, my client Kenny has:
Lost over 20 kg.
Completed three marathons in under 3 months (two within one week of each other), with progressively better results each time. He finished the Miami Marathon in 3:54:46, the Donna Foundation Marathon in 3:45:43, and the London Marathon in 3:29:18.
Made changes in his overall approach to life and training that will not only make these results sustainable but also provide a foundation for even more amazing progress in the future.
Most of us overestimate what we can do in the short term and underestimate what can be achieved in the long term, leading to cycles of "start and stop" attempts at change. Kenny is a testament to consistently showing up to do the work, through the ups and downs, until the results come—committing to the long term.
Tip of the week: The many benefits of the sauna
In Finland there is an estimated 3 million saunas. For a population of 5.5 million people, to say it is a big part of the culture would be an understatement.
In more recent years, the rest of the world has begun to pay more attention to the health and performance benefits of regular sauna use , with more scientific evidence becoming available. A summary of those benefits can be seem in the figure next to this text.
This next figure shows a summary of possible mechanisms for how sauna use confers its benefits.
And finally, this last figure shows the optimal protocols for ensuring you get the benefits from sauna found in the research.
All figures are sourced from: Attia, P (2024, January 31st) - Saunas: the facts, the myths, and the how-to. https://peterattiamd.com/sauna-facts-myths-and-how-to/
While regular sauna sessions appear to offer clear benefits, it's crucial to consider these in the context of other healthful habits, such as regular exercise, adequate sleep, and good nutrition.
It also seems that there is a dose-dependent effect to sauna use, i.e., something is better than nothing, and more frequent use creates a larger benefit.
Wishing you a happy, restful, and healthful midsummer (Juhannus) weekend—perhaps including a relaxing session in a hot sauna!
regards,
Simon Dannapfel