I’ve never felt better than I do right now, at 58. If I ever catch a cold or am struck with the flu, it's so much less severe than it used to be, plus, I'm sleeping better than ever, my mind feels clearer and I can focus so much easier. How have I become my best self at 58? Let me explain.
.. In my fifties, I got into – but that's not what transformed my life, though I will say that everything changed when I started swimming outdoors.
It ignited a passion for wellness, especially hot-and-cold therapy, which is the heady mix of freezing cold water followed by an immersive steamy sauna. You may also like It was this second element, the sauna, that turned my life around. For a long time, the only experience of saunas I had was the dry, stuffy saunas in public gyms and spas.
The dry heat in those saunas was harsh and felt more like an oven than a place to relax. The whole environment was uninviting. There wasn't a sense of peace or tranquillity because they were often packed with people, making it hard to find a spot and feel comfortable.
I tried a traditional Baltic sauna for the first time and instantly felt the difference. A Baltic sauna is heated to between 70 and 100°C – higher than other saunas. The sauna is heated with a stove (usually a wood-burning or electric heater) with heat-conducting stones.
Water is thrown on the stones to create water vapour and this steam provides moisture and soft heat in the room. The typical humidity in a Finnish sauna ranges from 40-60%.