Are saunas and cold plunges actually good for you? - What in the World podcast, BBC World Service

Saunas and cold plunges are getting really popular and people say they can boost your mood and come with all sorts of health benefits. So we sent Hannah off to try them out and see what she thought… Click here to subscribe to our channel 👉🏽 https://bbc.in/3VyyriM In this episode we talk about why so many people are into saunas and cold plunges with Emilia Jansson, a BBC journalist and our resident Finn. Plus we’ll hear if there’s evidence that they’re actually good for you with James Gallagher, our Science and Health Correspondent. 00:00 Introduction 00:23 Hannah tries a sauna and cold plunge 01:21 First impressions - how it actually feels 01:56 Why saunas are central to Finnish culture 02:36 The hot–cold contrast explained 03:03 Sauna diplomacy - where politics meets steam 03:51 What science says about health benefits 05:58 Why saunas and ice baths are booming globally 06:58 Why people love them 08:25 The commercialisation of saunas 10:48 Other traditions Watch more episodes from What in the World here 👉🏽 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz_B0PFGIn4eMOlGZclzdcHmv7s8BFQE6 Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Emily Horler, Chelsea Coates and Ash Mohamed Video producer: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde ---------------- This is the official BBC World Service YouTube channel. If you like what we do, you can also find us here: Instagram 👉🏽 https://www.instagram.com/bbcworldservice Twitter 👉🏽 https://twitter.com/bbcworldservice Facebook 👉🏽 https://facebook.com/bbcworldservice BBC World Service website 👉🏽 https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldserviceradio Thanks for watching and subscribing! #BBCWorldService #WorldService #sauna #coldplunge #selfhelp