This week marks Men’s Health Week, an annual campaign dedicated to raising awareness of the various complex issues affecting men’s physical and emotional wellbeing. Working in a predominantly male industry, this is an issue that is close to our hearts. But that’s not the only reason that we’ve been acknowledging Men’s Health Week in the office. As part of the wet leisure industry, we also recognise the role that saunas, spas, and swimming pools can have to play in the fight against these issues.

Did you know that there are a number of physical and mental health conditions that disproportionately affect men? Or that, on average in the UK, women live almost four years longer than their male counterparts? As well as being more likely to suffer from circulatory conditions, men have double the risk of diabetes compared to women – and are more likely to make unhealthy lifestyle choices such as smoking and drinking to hazardous levels.

Despite these increased risk factors, though, men are far less likely to visit the doctor – and often downplay concerns about their physical health. At the same time, experts insist that there is a mental health epidemic amongst men in the UK, with higher ratesof suicide and substance abuse issues disproportionately affecting the male population.

So how do we tackle this worrying situation? According to Men’s Health Forum – the driving force behind the annual Men’s Health Week initiative – the first step is to face up to the uncomfortable facts. In fact, many believe that the societal conventions which can prevent men from being as open as women when it comes to discussing health and emotions play a big part in these alarming statistics.

Of course, merely acknowledging the problem isn’t going to make it go away. Instead, we need to consider a multi-faceted approach to men’s health. Fortunately, Men’s Health Forumprovides a wealth of resources aimed at tackling these issues head-on. Covering everything from awareness raising and campaigning for policy change to practical advice on activities that can help fight ill-health and depression, it’s an invaluable source where all men – and women – can learn more about the issues at hand.

Here at Golden Coast, though, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on the positive impact of the wet leisure industry on mental and physical health. And the place where that link is probably most evident is Finland – the Nordic country consistently voted one of the happiest and healthiest on planet Earth.

In Finland, reports claim, there are approximately three million saunas installed around the country. And given that the population is only around 5.5 million, that’s an astonishing rate of saunas per capita. To put a different perspective on it, that’s more than enough saunas for everyone living in Finland to take one at the same time. Interestingly, it’s also around the same amount of cars that are on the country’s roads – make of that what you will!

In fact, saunas are so integral to the Finnish way of life that the practice was enshrined in UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage back in 2020. And while there’s no direct evidence linking the country’s regular appearance at the top of global happiness indices to its obsession with all things sauna, there is plenty of supporting data to suggest the connection is strong.

As detailed in our previous article, various studies have shown that regular sauna use can help fight depression, tackle fatigue, and improve poor appetite, as well as alleviate symptoms of anxiety and stress. And many believe that the practice helps people to stay healthy on a deeper level as well.

When Finland was announced as the world’s happiest country for the 7th year running, journalists began flocking there in an attempt to uncover the secret to its success. There, they discovered that saunas were helping to foster a sense of community as well as offering benefits to physical health. Broadly speaking, there is a global shortage of spaces in which men are encouraged to open up and share their feelings – leading at least in part to the mental health crisis currently sweeping our nation. In Finland, it seems, they are filling that gap with sauna culture.

But can we take the Finns’ passion for sauna and turn it into a tool for improving men’s health in the UK? Thankfully, the trend is on the rise, with new public saunas opening across the country all the time. And there are already men-only groupsdedicated to that other stalwart of the Nordic experience – dipping in ice-cold water – and the many mental and physical health benefits that it can bring.

At Golden Coast, we’d love to see the concept of sauna fully embraced by the UK – a development that could prove a huge breakthrough in the field of men’s health. And when looking at the advantages of sauna bathing alongside the well-documented physical and mental benefits of spas and swimming pools, it’s clear that the wet leisure industry has an important part to play.