Madeleine Finlay

speaker
2,527 appearances 37 recordings 2 series first heard Apr 2026 last heard 4d ago

Madeleine Finlay’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.

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Recordings per month over the last 12 months — 37 in all, peaking in Aug 2026 with 8.

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Science Weekly · Revisited: Saunas and cold plunges, where does the evidence stand? · 30 Jul 2026 podcast
Or an outdoor bath.
Or maybe even a bucket of cold water splashed over you.
And these days, it's not just the Finns hitting the saunas and cold plunge.
In the UK and plenty of other countries, people are increasingly taking up the habit and getting a shot of relaxation and adrenaline.
If you talk to any of those people, you'll no doubt be told why it's unbelievably good for the body and the mind.
So we just had to ask, is it?
What's the scientific evidence that hot and cold immersion can improve your health and wellbeing?
From The Guardian, I'm Madeleine Finlay, and this is Science Weekly.
Ian, we wouldn't be a Guardian podcast if we didn't talk about saunas and getting into cold water, plunging, swimming at some point.
And to be honest, I'm shocked and surprised that it's taken us this long.
Before we talk about what these things can do for us, what kind of temperatures are we actually talking about?
Starting with the sauna, which I'm far more partial to, what happens to the body when you're sat in those nice warm temperatures?
That's really interesting.
So that drop in blood pressure, even though your heart's beating faster, is probably why when sometimes I come out the sauna, I feel a little bit dizzy.
Let's go on to cold water immersion now.
I know this is more your bag, Ian.
So is this when you get into cold water why you feel absolutely buzzing after?
Absolutely.
So Ian, sauna and cold water immersion both have a really long history all around the world.
But is there any scientific evidence that sitting in a hot room, dipping into a tub of cold water is actually good for us?
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