As the weather outside begins to cool down, Hot Spell Sauna, a transportable sauna business, is just heating up. The fan-favorite barrel sauna will return to the Zócalo food truck park for the winter, starting November 1, and they’ve just introduced a new mobile sauna to their offerings. I sat down with the owner, Jaime Meyer, to discuss what a sauna is, what a sauna is not, and why saunas are so perfect in places like Milwaukee.
Inspired by her travels to Scandinavia, Hot Spell formed as a result of Jaime’s desire to bring the Nordic wellness staple back home with her. On a solo trip to Mälmo, Sweden, Jaime was introduced to her first authentic sauna experience. Jet-lagged from her travels, she touched down in Sweden and dragged herself to the sauna to see what it was all about. Unlike the saunas that are common in American gyms and spas, Nordic sauna bathing highlights the importance of alternating between hot and cold – sauna bathers sit in a heated sauna, then follow it with a cold plunge, and repeat. In the case of Jaime’s first sauna experience, the Baltic Sea served as the cold plunge medium. After a few rounds of alternating between hot and cold, Jaime left the sauna full of endorphins and free of jet lag, ready to enjoy the rest of her trip. It didn’t take her long to want to bring the Nordic tradition stateside.
Although “the Midwest can be slow to catch onto things like this,” as Jaime points out, she sees sauna bathing taking off all over the world, and has received great feedback from guests of her Zócalo pop-up. She explains her view of wellness in Milwaukee: straightforward, utilitarian, and fluff-free, and notes that saunas fit right into that category. “You don’t need anyone to convince you of the benefits,” she elaborates, “you just try it and you’re like ‘okay yeah, that makes sense.’” As the wellness industry grows and grows, Jaime points out that some of the “fluff” can be detrimental to well-being in the long run. The benefits of sauna bathing, however, have been proven anecdotally for many years, with science hopping on board in recent years. Aside from the immediate feel-good rush of endorphins, sauna bathing has a number of long-term health benefits, including heart health, muscle recovery, and detoxification.
In heat, the heart rate naturally speeds up, sometimes increasing to the same rate as that of moderate exercise. Increased circulation brought on by sauna bathing has been linked to a reduction in heart disease, decreased risk of blood clots, and increased brain function. In some cases, sauna bathing can bring similar cardiovascular benefits to that of a brisk walk. Heat is also a natural muscle relaxant, soothing sore muscles and aiding recovery time for athletes. Sweating, the body’s natural response to heat exposure, helps the body flush toxins through the sweat glands, including harmful compounds like BPA and organochlorinated pesticides.
A crucial part of the traditional Nordic sauna experience, the cold plunge, has its own set of benefits. The endorphin release that Jaime felt in her first sauna experience can be attributed to the repeated alternation between hot and cold. Exposure to cold also has been shown to decrease inflammation and boost the immune system. Anecdotally, many sauna users also report better mental health and deeper sleep.
A crucial part of the traditional Nordic sauna experience, the cold plunge, has its own set of benefits. The endorphin release that Jaime felt in her first sauna experience can be attributed to the repeated alternation between hot and cold. Exposure to cold also has been shown to decrease inflammation and boost the immune system. Anecdotally, many sauna users also report better mental health and deeper sleep
Jaime’s goal is not only to share the incredible health benefits of the authentic Nordic sauna experience with Milwaukee but to share education about what a sauna truly is. Though not without its own benefits, infrared heat is very different from authentic Nordic sauna bathing. “Without steam, it simply is not a sauna,” Jaime articulates, explaining that in Germany, it is illegal to advertise an infrared-heated room as a sauna since it is missing the critical component of steam. The cold plunge is another important element that Jaime notices is often missing from American saunas. With temperatures reaching 180º inside the sauna, the cold plunge compliments the benefits felt in the heat, constricting blood vessels to help increase circulation, and reducing stress by slowing down breathing. Jaime stresses the importance of taking the cold plunge outdoors, whether that’s in the Baltic Sea like her first experience, or in the cold Wisconsin air outside Zócalo.
The most authentic sauna experience is one with a wood-fired stove, which happens to be the newest addition to the Hot Spell Sauna family. With a wood-fired stove, solar panels, and a built-in changing area, the new mobile sauna is fully off the grid, and available for group rentals, including employee wellness programs, corporate retreats, wedding parties, and more. For smaller groups or individuals, the food truck park at Zócalo will once again host Hot Spell’s electric barrel sauna starting in November, and extending through May of 2023. To learn more about Hot Spell Sauna or book a session, visit their website.
