All posts tagged: sleep and recovery

Inside the Sauna Olympics

Inside the Sauna Olympics

Published by Jenni Sidey

At Bathhouse, aufguss is more halo effect than direct revenue driver. Talmadge calls it “a piece of guided programming within the unguided experience,” which, as a bonus, acts as a retention tool. Guests roam the pools and saunas as they please; every 90 minutes, a sauna master walks in with towels, snowballs, and water. A hush falls over the room until the rocks start hissing and the music begins. Every set is different, giving regulars a reason to return. Eriksen calls the sauna “the hottest room on the planet people voluntarily enter.” He says a sauna master’s first job is making guests feel safe. “If I can make you feel safe, you can access your parasympathetic nervous system,” he explains. “You will eventually surrender. And it’s only at the moment you surrender, that the magic happens.” Talmadge, a former real estate broker, frames it like an investment: pain up front, compounding returns. Wellness, he says, is “a summation of sacrifices and stress that you endure for greater benefit.” Aufguss “makes the medicine less bitter.” Back …

Does Showering in the Dark Lower Your Cortisol?

Does Showering in the Dark Lower Your Cortisol?

Published by Jenni Sidey

TikTokers seem to be perpetually posting about their cortisol levels, which has recent led to a new trend: “Just discovered showering in the dark… life-changing,” reads one TikTok video caption. “You have to shower in complete, pitch-black dark,” says another user. ‘Dark showering’ is having a moment. Best enjoyed as a way of winding down in the evening, it entails opting for low lighting (including, in some cases, with an old-school lava lamp) and running the water cold enough to curl your toes. The idea is that you can lower your cortisol levels with something as simple as your daily shower—or so the thinking goes. There are some huge claims behind it. One user even maintains that taking 30-second showers can “reprogram your subconscious.” But what do doctors say? According to Dr. Naomi Murphy, a psychologist at Octopus Psychology, the low-cortisol shower phenomenon draws heavily from the cold exposure trend popularized over a decade ago. Prominent proponents like Wim Hof advocated for diving into freezing lakes and running up snowy mountains scantily clad as a …

What Is HDL Cholesterol and How Do You Raise It?

What Is HDL Cholesterol and How Do You Raise It?

Published by Jenni Sidey

If you care about your cholesterol levels at all, you’re already doing better than most men. More than 40% of US adults with high LDL cholesterol have no idea they have it, according to a 2023 study in JAMA Cardiology. That means they aren’t being treated for it and are unknowingly at high risk for all sorts of health problems we all want to avoid, namely heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular disease. Any focus that is on cholesterol tends to center around low-density lipoproteins, better known as LDL. LDL transports cholesterol to cells. Too much of it can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries. That’s why it’s often referred to as “bad” cholesterol. Paying attention to your LDL is important, but so is keeping your HDL in check and it’s a health marker that’s often completely ignored. Unlike LDL, HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, is typically something you want more of, which is why it’s referred to as “good” cholesterol. Having low LDL doesn’t get you off the hook for having suboptimal HDL, explains Sunny …