The home gym, furnished with dumbbells, treadmills and rowing machines, gets some hard use in January, as many of us resolve to improve our fitness. But where once such goals were fleeting, adventurous types are now adopting a longer-term approach to wellness, attempting to reverse their biological age, safeguard their brainpower – and, by extension, increase their life expectancy. Of course, this is not easily done, but by employing an ever-more-sophisticated suite of kit, we can certainly improve our chances.
For most, a sauna is the first port of call, given the ever-growing list of health benefits associated with regular use. The UK is widely reported to be enjoying a sauna boom, while the global sauna and spa market is predicted to grow from $146.05 billion in 2025 to $208.99 billion in 2030. There are now dozens of companies in the UK alone, with Out of the Valley and Wildhut at the forefront, offering bespoke handmade saunas with serious architectural credentials. Paired with a suitably eye-catching ice bath or cold plunge pool, they offer the makings of a stylish garden spa.
Matt Roberts, one of the UK’s most famous personal trainers, swears by the combination of sauna and cold plunge – a crucial component in improving what he describes as “health span” (living well for longer). “In a perfect world, you’d be doing a sauna every day,” Roberts says. “And if you can do cryotherapy or cold immersion two or three times a week, you’ll be doing phenomenally well. All the data points towards increases in heart strength and better vagus nerve reactions, meaning better nervous-system responses. These are all really positive things.”
