There has been a huge surge in people using saunas in the UK in recent years, with many praising its benefits on their mental wellbeing as well as health. Many studies have explored the health benefits of sauna bathing, though mostly in Scandinavia. Researchers at the University’s School of Psychology & Sport Science aim to write advice guidance for sauna users in the UK on how to best use them to improve health and wellbeing.
In support of this work, a Skills and Innovation Voucher (SIV), a scheme which offers companies in Gwynedd, Anglesey, and Flintshire an opportunity to collaborate with the University through the UK Government's Shared Prosperity Fund.
Sawna Bach opened its first beach sauna at Porth Tyn Tywyn, Anglesey in 2023, and in 2024 opened another sauna at Llyn Padarn, Llanberis. Thousands of locals and visitors have enjoyed a steam session at Sawna Bach’s luxurious wooden cabin, overlooking Eryri or the Irish Sea.
Dr Geoff Coombs, Lecturer in Sport & Exercise Science and Professor in Sport & Exercise Science Sam Oliver, will be working with Sawna Bach owners, Dr Caroline Coch, Jen Holloway and Alex Zalewski to monitor how people use the sauna. They will be trying to collect evidence, aiming to answer questions that have puzzled users for a long time; how long should they spend in the sauna, best temperature, and should they jump in cold water or sea after using the sauna? Currently, there is little guidance to best practice in the sauna in comparison to other healthy behaviours like exercise where we have a good understanding of required frequency, intensity, type, and time of activity.
As a first step we will be collecting temperature and humidity measurements at multiple positions in the sauna. From this, we can create a “heatmap” of the sauna room, and we will be able compare the physiological impacts (e.g. temperature, heart rate, thermal comfort) for individuals seated on different benches and in different positions in relation to the fire source. This heatmap will provide a good baseline when we compare our sauna conditions to those in existing studies and understand how to individualise sauna guidance.
Based on the scientific literature, we will develop evidence-based guidelines for effective sauna bathing. This will include information like the frequency of sauna bathing, duration, break times and what type of cooling down method between sauna rounds is recommended.
Since the sauna’s origins - thought to date back 10,000 years - saunas have been associated with their health benefits. Their popularity is also on the up, according to the British Sauna Society, the number of Finnish-style public saunas in the UK doubled between early 2023 and 2024, jumping from 45 to 90, a figure that’s predicted to exceed 200 in 2025.
We are very excited to be part of this new research with Bangor University. Many of our customers are asking us for best-practice guidance on how to use the sauna effectively and safely. As a business run by two families serving our local community – with over two-thirds of our customers being locals – we are thrilled to create clear, research-backed advice that anyone can follow to maximise the health and wellbeing benefits of using the sauna.
It’s fantastic to have this level of expertise right here in North Wales – world-class scientists and our sauna working together to bring real innovation to the area. This research will not only enhance the sauna experience and wellbeing of our local community but also create guidance that is highly relevant across the wider global sauna community. We’re excited to help inform best practices for everyone and can’t wait to see what the research uncovers.
We are delighted to award Sawna Bach with a Skills and Innovation Voucher. Our academics have a wealth of knowledge and expertise and the support we can provide will ultimately help towards identifying the health benefits of using a sauna on a regular basis. Having received many expressions of interest around our SIV Vouchers, we are thrilled to have so far supported more than 40 businesses across Anglesey, Gwynedd and Flintshire over the last eight months. We hope to continue to support and collaborate with even more North Wales-based companies going forward.
The SIV Scheme is supported by Gwynedd Council. The project has received £360,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and has been extended until March 31.
There were three types of vouchers available, redeemable in a range of areas including R&D, consultancy, skills and training, use of university facilities, use of specialist equipment, and access to knowledge: Midi: Up to £5,000 for five to eight days of support; Maxi: Up to £10,000 for 10 to 15 days of support, and Talent, with a value up to £5,000 for a 12 week graduate internship.
Visit The Skills and Innovation Voucher Scheme | Bangor University or email siv@bangor.ac.uk for more information.
