As temperatures turn frigid, Minnesotans turn to saunas for warmth and community

Associated Press

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — As temperatures drop into the teens, Minnesotans have embraced sauna culture for warmth and community. Devotees say the state’s sauna mania is about more than sweat and snow. They say it is the product of Old World traditions intersecting with newfangled internet-based communities, and a desire for social connection in a society that can feel isolating. In addition to a desire for in-person experiences following the isolation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, sauna enthusiasts say interest began to rise following an influential study in 2016 from Dr. Jari Laukkanen. The Finnish cardiologist found that sauna use could be associated with lowered risks of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.