Heat and Hormones: Supporting Women’s Health Naturally

There’s something uniquely nourishing about stepping into a sauna. The soft heat, the stillness, the quiet invitation to slow down - it feels like a deep exhale for both body and mind. For many women, sauna therapy is becoming a simple, grounding way to support hormonal health and overall wellbeing.

Hormones are incredibly responsive to how safe and supported the body feels. When we’re constantly on the go, the stress hormone cortisol can remain elevated for long periods, which may unsettle the delicate balance of oestrogen, progesterone and thyroid hormones. This can show up as PMS, irregular cycles, mood changes, fatigue, sleep issues or more noticeable perimenopausal symptoms.

Sauna bathing helps guide the body back towards a calmer, more restorative state. The warmth encourages circulation, eases tension and supports relaxation. Many women also find that regular sauna sessions support deeper, more restorative sleep - and because sleep is one of the most powerful foundations for hormonal health, this can have a wonderfully positive ripple effect.

A gentle lift for mood and emotional balance

Another beautiful benefit of sauna use is its effect on mood. Heat exposure can encourage the release of serotonin - one of the body’s key “feel-good” hormones involved in emotional balance, calm and a sense of wellbeing. This can be especially supportive at times when hormones feel unsettled, such as the days leading up to a period or during perimenopause. When hormone levels fluctuate, mood can dip and anxiety or irritability may creep in. Supporting natural serotonin activity can help soften these edges, bringing a steadier, more grounded sense of self - a subtle, reassuring lift rather than a spike.

Creating safety for the nervous system

Perhaps the biggest gift of sauna therapy is the way it supports the nervous system. The warmth encourages relaxation while also helping the body build resilience to everyday stress. When the stress response begins to settle, the hormonal system often has space to rebalance.

To highlight a few key ways sauna may support female hormonal health:

• It helps calm the stress response and soothe the nervous system

• It supports deeper, more restorative sleep

• It encourages natural serotonin release, which may help stabilise mood

• It improves circulation and lymphatic flow

• It offers a regular ritual of intentional rest - something so many women rarely receive

Metabolism, oestrogen & the role of brown fat

As oestrogen begins to decline - particularly in the perimenopausal years - metabolism can naturally become a little less flexible. You may still be eating well and moving regularly, yet notice a softening around the middle that didn’t used to be there. This isn’t a failure on your part; it’s often the result of hormonal change combined with a slightly slower, less adaptable metabolic response.

The body has a special type of tissue called brown adipose tissue (or “brown fat”), which plays a role in heat production and energy use. It helps the body regulate temperature - essentially supporting the “heat dumping” processes of sweating and widening the blood vessels to release heat.

While brown fat is most strongly activated by temperature regulation, including exposure to cooler environments, sitting in a sauna also nudges the body to work a little harder to maintain a safe, steady internal temperature. Heart rate increases, circulation improves and overall energy expenditure rises slightly during and just after a session. For women navigating oestrogen changes - and the metabolic shifts that can accompany them - this gentle boost in thermoregulation can be a supportive part of the wider picture.

It’s worth saying kindly and clearly: sauna use isn’t a weight-loss quick fix. But it can support metabolic health alongside nourishing food, movement, rest and stress reduction - and it offers the enormous added benefit of relaxation, which itself is deeply hormone-supportive.

And then there is the ritual. Stepping away from screens, pausing the to-do list and gifting yourself time to soften and unwind is profoundly healing. Women are so often encouraged to keep pushing. Sauna time allows the body to feel safe again - and safety is the language of hormonal balance.

A few gentle safety notes

For most healthy adults, sauna bathing is safe when used sensibly. Begin slowly, hydrate well and listen to your body. Avoid alcohol beforehand and always leave immediately if you feel faint, dizzy or unwell. Shorter sessions with rest in between are often more beneficial than pushing yourself. The goal isn’t endurance, it’s nourishment.

It’s important to speak with your GP first if you’re pregnant, have a heart condition, low blood pressure, kidney disease, unmanaged thyroid issues, or you’re recovering from illness.

Female hormonal health isn’t about getting everything perfect. It’s about creating conditions where your body feels supported, resourced and safe. When used mindfully, sauna therapy can be a warm and reassuring companion on that journey - supporting not only circulation and muscle ease, but also emotional steadiness, resilience and nervous system calm.

Thank you for reading. Supporting women’s hormonal health is something close to my heart.

With warmth,

Rose