New studies have shown that sitting in a sauna can actually have dozens of benefits to your overall health.

New research concluded that sitting in a sauna can reduce the risk of vascular diseases (such as high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease), neurocognitive diseases, and nonvascular conditions, such as pulmonary diseases, mental health disorders, and mortality. Spending time in a sauna can also help with skin diseases, arthritis, headache, and flu.

Scientists from the University of Jyväskylä, the University of Eastern Finland, and the University of Bristol teamed up to conduct a review on the effects of Finnish sauna baths on health outcomes. These saunas expose people to a high environmental temperature between 80 to 100 degrees Celsius (176 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit) for a brief period. The study stated that the average Finnish person went to a sauna at least once a week, with the average person going two to three times per week for around five to twenty minutes at a time.

The researchers found that the health benefits of sauna bathing are linked to the effects of sauna on circulatory, respiratory, cardiovascular, and immune functions. They also found that visiting the sauna regularly can stabilize the autonomic nervous system, reduces blood pressure, inflammation, oxidative stress, circulation of bad cholesterol, arterial stiffness, and vascular resistance.

Other figures from this study include: over 2,000 Finnish men who frequently sauna bathed experienced a 66% reduced risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia; a 78% reduced risk of developing psychosis; a 62% reduced risk of incident stroke; and a 47% reduced risk of developing hypertension. On top of that, visiting the sauna can help circulate hormones and other cardiovascular markers.

“Sauna bathing, an activity used for the purposes of pleasure, wellness, and relaxation, is linked to a remarkable array of health benefits,” the scientists said. “It is a safe activity … [that] may be a remedy to the call for additional lifestyle interventions needed to enhance health and wellness, particularly in populations that have difficulty exercising, and also as an adjunct to exercise.”

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