The powers of deep heat, with Emma O’Kelly
The Liz Earle Wellbeing Show
Liz Earle
4.6 • 1.4K Ratings
🗓️ 24 November 2023
⏱️ 50 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
We’re hearing a lot about the benefits of cold-water therapy, but what about heat therapy? Writer and avid cold-water swimmer Emma O’Kelly joins Liz on this episode to take a deep dive into the health benefits of heat.
Emma covers the history of saunas in Nordic bathing traditions, and shares more on what studies say on the benefits of deep heat for our physical and mental health.
Liz and Emma also discuss sauna rituals, the different kinds of saunas Emma encountered (from ice to peat bog!), and how to practise cold and heat therapy safely.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Follow Emma on Instagram
- Purchase Sauna: The Power of Deep Heat
- Pre-order A Better Second Half by Liz Earle
- Subscribe to Liz Earle Wellbeing
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | In 2019 the results of a 20 year study were finally published and they'd taken 200 men from eastern Finland over a 20 year period and the findings showed a dramatic decrease in cardiovascular problems among the regular sauna |
| 0:17.8 | bathes and that has sparked a lot more research into heat, the benefits of heat, particularly on anti-inflammatory |
| 0:27.7 | and blood pressure. |
| 0:31.2 | Emma O'Kelly is a writer and avid cold water swimmer, but she recently discovered the joys and health benefits of hot saunas. |
| 0:40.0 | This is the Lizzo Well-being show, the podcast helping us all have a better second half. |
| 0:46.0 | I'm Liz Earl and I'm on a bit of a mission to find ways for all of us to thrive in later life |
| 0:51.5 | by investing in our health and our well being today. |
| 0:54.0 | Well if you follow me on Instagram you will know that I love to start my day with a dip in |
| 0:59.2 | cold water year round either a pond or maybe just a cold shower. |
| 1:04.8 | But when it comes to heat therapy, what do you think? |
| 1:08.1 | Is that something that you do regularly? |
| 1:09.9 | I don't have access to it, so it's not really on my agenda but perhaps we should be |
| 1:15.2 | paying a bit more attention to getting hot as well as getting cold. |
| 1:19.3 | Well Emma grew up on a farm in the British countryside where there was obviously not a sauna in sight. |
| 1:25.0 | She writes for the Telegraph, the Financial Times, Conde Nass Traveller, |
| 1:29.1 | but her most recent project has seen her exploring the culture, the etiquette and the health benefits of saunas around the world. |
| 1:37.0 | Her book, Sauna, The Power of Deep Heat, highlights the benefits of sauna that it brings to body and mind, its connection to nature, |
| 1:45.8 | and its compatibility with the other great invigorator of course cold water swimming. |
| 1:50.9 | So what role can these ancient traditions play in our modern world? Hello dears, dear's, you've jeania doubt fire here. |
| 2:07.0 | Interrupting your beloved podcast to remind you to do the right thing for your family this Christmas |
| 2:14.8 | buy them tickets to my hit Western comedy musical Mrs Doubtfire |
| 2:19.7 | Remember there are some things you can't buy in a department store like the magic of theatre. |
... |
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