What World Sauna Forum 2026 Taught Us About Sauna, Science & Community

Last week, I had the privilege of representing Redwood Outdoors at the World Sauna Forum 2026 in Jyväskylä, Finland — the heart of what is widely considered the sauna capital of the world. Now in its 8th year, the World Sauna Forum brought together over 400 attendees from 36 countries: researchers, architects, public health advocates, cultural historians, and sauna industry leaders united by a single belief: that the sauna is one of the most powerful wellness tools available to human beings.

The theme of this year’s forum was "Happiness" — a fitting choice for a country that has been ranked the world’s happiest for nine consecutive years by the UN World Happiness Report [1]. What followed over three days was a masterclass in the science, culture, and global future of sauna wellness.

As a proud member of both Sauna from Finland and the North American Sauna Society, Redwood Outdoors attended not just as an observer, but as an active participant in a movement that is reshaping how the world thinks about heat, health, and human connection. Here is what we learned.

 

The Science Is Stronger Than Ever

Perhaps the most impactful sessions of the forum centered on peer-reviewed research that continues to redefine what we know about sauna’s effects on the human body. Dr. Jari Laukkanen, Professor at the University of Eastern Finland and the world’s foremost researcher on sauna and cardiovascular health, shared findings from over a decade of longitudinal studies — including new, unpublished research presented for the first time at the forum.

Cardiovascular & Longevity Benefits

Dr. Laukkanen’s landmark 2015 study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, established a clear dose-response relationship between sauna frequency and cardiovascular outcomes [2]. The data is compelling:

•       Sauna use 4–7 times per week is associated with a 60% lower risk of stroke [3]

•       Frequent sauna bathing correlates with significantly reduced risk of sudden cardiac death and all-cause cardiovascular mortality [2]

•       Regular sauna use is associated with decreased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease [4]

•       A single sauna session reduces systolic blood pressure by approximately 6 mmHg and measurably improves arterial flexibility [5]

Dr. Laukkanen also shared new, unpublished metabolomic research demonstrating that sauna combined with exercise amplifies lipid metabolism benefits beyond exercise alone — lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and raising HDL (“good”) cholesterol more effectively than either activity independently. He described this as “a recommendable health habit” with significant implications for cardiovascular disease prevention.

 

Immune System Activation

In a study published just two months prior to the forum, Dr. Laukkanen’s team found that a single sauna session mobilizes white blood cells — lymphocytes increased by approximately 14% and neutrophils by 3% — independently of sweating responses [6]. This immune activation may be one of the mechanisms behind sauna’s documented protective effects against respiratory illness, including a significantly reduced risk of pneumonia among frequent sauna users [7].

 

The Role of Löyly: Why Steam Changes Everything

Timo Harvia, CTO of Harvia Group — one of our trusted industry partners — presented original engineering research on the thermodynamics of löyly, the steam generated when water is poured over hot sauna stones. His findings have direct implications for how we think about sauna quality and product design.

The research demonstrated that humidity matters more than temperature alone. A sauna session at 60°C with proper steam delivery produces a comparable thermal load to a dry 80°C environment [8]. Löyly condensation on the skin can deliver up to 1.7 kilowatts of energy per person at peak — comparable to a dedicated infrared panel. This is precisely why authentic Finnish sauna, with its stone-loaded heaters and steam tradition, is categorically different from a dry heat box or infrared cabin.

At Redwood Outdoors, we have always believed that stone quality, heater stone capacity, and the ability to generate genuine löyly are non-negotiable features of a true sauna experience. This research confirms that belief with hard data.

 

A Spotlight on Women’s Health: Why Women Need Sauna More Than Ever

One of the most compelling sessions of the entire forum took place during our private Morning of Wellbeing hosted by Harvia at their headquarters. Dr. Emilia, a Finnish medical doctor specializing in hormonal health and female wellness, delivered a presentation that reframed sauna not just as a recovery tool, but as a clinically relevant intervention for women navigating perimenopause and menopause.

This is a conversation the wellness industry has been slow to have — and one that we at Redwood Outdoors believe deserves far more attention.

The Scale of the Challenge

Perimenopause and menopause affect every woman on earth, yet remain dramatically underserved by mainstream wellness. The numbers are staggering:

•       An estimated 1.8 billion women globally will be in perimenopause or menopause by 2025 [9]

•       Symptoms affect productivity at an estimated cost of $150 billion in lost work time worldwide annually [10]

•       1 in 10 women leaves her job due to menopausal symptoms [10]

•       104 documented symptoms are associated with perimenopause, ranging from disrupted sleep and brain fog to joint pain, mood dysregulation, and cardiovascular changes [11]

 

How Sauna Addresses Hormonal Health

Dr. Emilia outlined several mechanisms through which regular sauna use directly supports women’s hormonal health:

Sleep quality: Sauna raises core body temperature, and the subsequent cooling process signals the brain that it is time to sleep — a process particularly disrupted during perimenopause as progesterone levels decline.

Inflammation reduction: Estrogen and progesterone are anti-inflammatory hormones. As levels drop, women become more susceptible to joint pain and systemic inflammation. Sauna has been shown to measurably reduce CRP (C-reactive protein), a key inflammation marker [6].

Muscle mass & insulin sensitivity: With age and declining estrogen, women lose muscle mass and insulin sensitivity. Sauna has been shown to support both — particularly when paired with light strength training before a session.

Cardiovascular protection: Estrogen protects blood vessels. At menopause, a woman’s cardiovascular risk doubles [12]. Given that sauna has demonstrated a ~50% reduction in cardiovascular risk in male study populations, Dr. Emilia argued — and the emerging research supports — that similar benefits likely extend to women.

Oxytocin & emotional well-being: Perhaps most fascinatingly, Dr. Emilia described oxytocin — which she termed “the CEO of the hormone hierarchy” — as a likely driver of sauna’s emotional healing effects. Oxytocin has been shown to rise in warm environments and influences every other major hormone system, from thyroid to cortisol to sex hormones.

The “Less Is More” Principle for Women

A key clinical insight from Dr. Emilia’s session: for women in midlife, traditional high-heat, high-steam sauna sessions may not be optimal. As the body changes, the recommendation shifts to shorter sessions, gentler steam (löyly), and lower temperatures — approximately 70°C — to achieve the same therapeutic benefit without overwhelming the system.

She also co-developed two structured wellness protocols with Harvia that were available to experience during the Morning of Wellbeing:

•       Recovery & Balance Protocol: Gentle 12-minute session at 70°C → cool mist shower → warm soak. Designed for rest, recovery, and nervous system regulation.

•       Contrast & Activation Protocol: Light warm sauna → cool shower → rest → deeper sauna session. Designed for energy and daytime readiness.

 

Dr. Emilia’s closing thought stayed with me: “Connection is the one most crucial thing for human well-being, longevity, and happiness. Sauna creates space where we can truly pause and connect — with our true selves and with each other.”

 

Culture, Community & the Global Sauna Movement

Beyond the science, World Sauna Forum 2026 offered a vivid portrait of how sauna culture is spreading — and what that means for communities worldwide.

Sauna Is a Living Heritage

Dalva Lammimäki, a folklorist and doctoral researcher at the University of Eastern Finland, opened the forum with a reminder that Finnish sauna was inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List — not as a museum artifact, but as a living tradition that must grow, adapt, and be transmitted across generations. Every business that sells a sauna, installs a heater, or introduces a new customer to the experience is, in a meaningful sense, a steward of that heritage.

Sauna as a Public Health Tool

One of the most moving sessions of the entire forum came from Polly Wilson of Community Sauna Baths in London, whose team has partnered with the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) to integrate sauna into social prescribing — connecting patients to non-clinical community interventions for health and well-being. In a single year, her team gave over 6,000 free sauna sessions to NHS-referred individuals experiencing isolation, PTSD, chronic pain, and anxiety. The independent research evaluation showed meaningful, measurable improvement across all presenting concerns [13].

This is sauna at its most essential: not a luxury amenity, but a tool for healing.

The North American Opportunity

Speakers from Canada, the United States, and Mexico painted a clear picture: North America is in the early stages of a sauna renaissance, and the opportunity is enormous. With an estimated $340 million US market projected by 2030 and sauna density still a fraction of European norms, the growth runway ahead is significant [14]. The brands that will win long-term are those that educate rather than just sell — helping customers understand not just what a sauna is, but how to use it, why it works, and how to build a practice around it.

That is the role Redwood Outdoors is committed to playing.

 

A Note of Gratitude: Thank You, Harvia

We are deeply grateful to our partners at Harvia for hosting an extraordinary Morning of Wellbeing at their headquarters during the forum. Harvia’s CEO opened the morning, welcoming attendees and setting the stage for a remarkable series of sessions. The experience — which included Dr. Emilia’s talk, hands-on wellness protocols, and access to Harvia’s state-of-the-art sauna innovations including a hydrogen sauna developed in partnership with Toyota — was genuinely world-class. Harvia’s commitment to research, product innovation, and the global advancement of sauna culture is something we are proud to be aligned with.

 

Our Commitment to the Sauna Community

Redwood Outdoors has always believed that sauna is more than a product. It is a practice — one rooted in thousands of years of cultural wisdom and now validated by an expanding body of rigorous scientific research. Attending World Sauna Forum 2026 deepened that conviction and gave us new language, new data, and new inspiration to bring back to our customers and community.

As a member of both the Sauna from Finland Association and the North American Sauna Society, we are committed to being more than a retailer. We are committed to being an educational resource, a trusted guide, and a voice for authentic sauna culture in North America.

If you want to go deeper into the communities and organizations shaping the future of sauna globally, we encourage you to explore the associations we are proud to be a part of:

•       Sauna from Finland — the global authority on Finnish sauna culture, heritage, and industry standards

•       North American Sauna Society — the leading association advancing sauna culture, education, and community across North America

 

For more information about World Sauna Forum and future events, visit their website here.

 

Citations & Sources

All research findings referenced in this article are drawn from peer-reviewed studies, conference presentations at World Sauna Forum 2026, and publicly available industry data.

 

[1] Helliwell, J.F., Layard, R., Sachs, J.D., et al. (2026). World Happiness Report 2026. Sustainable Development Solutions Network.

[2] Laukkanen, T., Khan, H., Zaccardi, F., & Laukkanen, J.A. (2015). Association Between Sauna Bathing and Fatal Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality Events. JAMA Internal Medicine, 175(4), 542–548.

[3] Kunutsor, S.K., Khan, H., Zaccardi, F., Laukkanen, T., Willeit, P., & Laukkanen, J.A. (2018). Sauna bathing reduces the risk of stroke in Finnish men and women. Neurology, 90(22), e1937–e1944.

[4] Laukkanen, T., Kunutsor, S., Kauhanen, J., & Laukkanen, J.A. (2017). Sauna bathing is inversely associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in middle-aged Finnish men. Age and Ageing, 46(2), 245–249.

[5] Laukkanen, J.A., et al. (2018). Acute effects of sauna bathing on cardiovascular function. Journal of Human Hypertension, 32, 129–138.

[6] Laukkanen, J.A., et al. (2026). Sauna exposure induces significant white blood cell mobilization and immune cell responses. Presented at World Sauna Forum 2026, Jyväskylä, Finland [unpublished at time of presentation].

[7] Kunutsor, S.K., Laukkanen, T., & Laukkanen, J.A. (2017). Sauna bathing reduces the risk of respiratory diseases: a long-term prospective cohort study. European Journal of Epidemiology, 32(12), 1107–1111.

[8] Harvia, T. (2026). The Soul of Sauna: Thermodynamics of Löyly. Presented at World Sauna Forum 2026, Jyväskylä, Finland.

[9] World Health Organization. (2022). Menopause. WHO Fact Sheet. who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/menopause

[10] Newson, L.R. (2023). Menopause and the Workplace: How Menopause Affects Women and Organizations. Newson Health Research & Education.

[11] Hamoda, H., et al. (2020). The British Menopause Society & Women’s Health Concern 2020 recommendations on hormone replacement therapy in menopausal women. Post Reproductive Health, 26(4), 181–209.

[12] Mosca, L., et al. (2011). Effectiveness-Based Guidelines for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Women. Circulation, 123(11), 1243–1262.

[13] McGarthy, R. (2026). Independent Evaluation of the Community Sauna Baths Social Prescribing Scheme. Presented at World Sauna Forum 2026, Jyväskylä, Finland.

[14] Grandview Research / Industry Market Intelligence (2025–2026). Sauna Market Size & Forecast, North America. Cited in presentations at World Sauna Forum 2026.