Latest news with #sauna
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Sports Direct-owned gym blames former model's heatstroke sauna death on 'alcohol use and medication' as it fights £100k lawsuit by her actress daughter
A gym owned by Sports Direct has blamed an ex-model's sauna death on alcohol and medication as it battles a £100,000 lawsuit brought by her actress daughter. Mileva Brooks, 75-year-old mother of TV comedy actress Milanka Brooks, died after suffering heatstroke at an Everlast gym in Cheltenham in August 2022. Her daughter, who starred in TV sitcoms Benidorm, The Windsors and My Family as well as satire Black Mirror, is suing the Sports Direct-owned gym chain at London's High Court. A coroner's inquest in September 2023 found the pensioner died three days after being rushed to hospital when other gym users alerted staff that she had collapsed in the sauna and was experiencing breathing difficulties. But in their defence to the action lodged at London 's High Court, Fitness Ltd deny any blame. And they claim Mileva Brooks 'had a documented history of substance abuse, including but potentially not limited to alcoholism, along with medical conditions consistent with the use of prescribed medication'. Milanka, 41, found fame starring in a number of TV sitcoms after being cast in multi award-winning BBC1 sitcom My Family in 2000 after graduating from drama school. She had a regular role in ITV's Benidorm, playing Johnny Vegas' fiancée Ionela, as well as portraying Princess Svetlana in Channel 4's Royal family parody The Windsors and Nigel Planer's wife Elena in 2014 BBC2 comedy Boomers. She then found success in a high-profile role as a blue-faced alien crew member, Elena Tulaska, in the multi-Emmy Award winning Black Mirror episode called USS Callister in 2017. She has described her mother Mileva as her 'best friend in the world'. Mileva collapsed and died after using the sauna at the Everlast gym, in Henrietta Street in Cheltenham, on August 26 2022, having joined the gym six months earlier. Roland Wooderson, assistant coroner for Gloucestershire, recorded a narrative verdict after an inquest in 2023. She said the former model had 'died from the effects of heatstroke' after being 'found unresponsive in the sauna of the gym'. He had earlier heard medical evidence that Mileva's body temperature was 39.2C when measured by paramedics attending the scene. According to legal documents filed at London's High Court, Ms Brooks is now suing the gym's owners, claiming 'damages in excess of £50,000, but limited to £100,000'. The action comes in her role as administrator of her mother's estate for 'personal injury and consequential losses' and under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976. But in a defence now lodged with the court by Natalie Green for Sports Direct, the company claims the staff at the gym did nothing wrong. Ms Green said: 'The deceased had a documented history of substance abuse, including but potentially not limited to alcoholism, along with medical conditions consistent with the use of prescribed medication.' She added that a post-mortem had found traces of the antidepressant lorazepam and epilepsy drugs clobazam and lamotrigine in Mileva's system. The barrister said there had been a sign outside the sauna stating conditions of safe use, including: 'Do not use the sauna if you suffer from epilepsy.' She added: 'The defendant replies upon the totality of the said signages' content, in particular the full list of conditions mandating non-use of the sauna, which include those relating to prior alcohol use and or medication impacting on the advisability of sauna use. 'By the publication of such guidance to its members, the defendant acted reasonably in the discharge of its duty of care. 'In the alternative, should breach of duty be proved against the defendant, the court may be invited to reduce any award of damages on account of the deceased's contributory negligence. 'The deceased suffered from temporal epilepsy and therefore should not have been using the sauna.' Ms Green added that the gym group would be calling for expert evidence 'as to the potential effects of any prescribed or controlled substances or alcohol in her system at the point of accessing the sauna'. She also claimed that a member of staff checked the sauna twice during the time the former model was in there and saw no cause for concern. She added: 'The deceased was recorded on CCTV as having entered the sauna at 14.15. The CCTV coverage of the wet areas did not include the interior of the sauna for reasons of privacy and practicality. '(But) the contemporaneous evidence indicated that the deceased was lying down on an upper bench throughout her time in the sauna on a towel with her eyes closed and her head supported by a foam pool weight. It is a position consistent with normal sauna use. 'It is clear from the contemporaneous evidence that a visual check into the sauna would have been unlikely to have elicited any cause for alarm. 'It is not admitted that the deceased was slumped in the sauna. The deceased was lying in a conventional position for sauna use and concern was only raised as to the manner of her breathing just prior to the alarm being raised at 15.15. 'At 15.00 the deceased continued to lie in a normal position for a sauna user. The index incident is unique in the history of the defendant's operation of gym and spa facilities. 'The sauna in question was less than a year old at the material time and there was no evidence that the sauna was defective. 'Members were provided with comprehensive guidance as to their safe use of the sauna and there was in place an alarm button,' the Sports Direct barrister said. In online posts, Milanka Brooks has spoken repeatedly of the close relationship she enjoyed with her mother - calling her 'the light and inspiration of my life,' her 'partner in crime' and 'best friend in the world'. In 2020, Frasers Group, the Sports Direct parent company, bought a number of DW Sports Fitness locations out of administration and started the Everlast Gyms chain. By late 2023, they had nearly 60 branches located across the UK.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Trendy Brighton beach spa is embroiled in woke row as organisers apologise for banning transgender women from all-female sauna event
A trendy Brighton beach sauna has today been accused of bowing to the ' woke mob' - and breaking the law - after it said it had been 'wrong' to ban transgender women from a women's event. Beach Box Spa organised a female-only steam room session last Thursday and told instagram followers that trans-women were excluded. The session was to allow female customers in swimwear to relax in a hot sauna without men present. But following a pile-on by trans activists, the south coast company has changed its mind and said banning transgender women had been 'wrong' and 'goes against everything we believe in'. The spa also has a note to its website declaring: 'At Beach Box we believe trans women are women and trans men are men' - despite the Supreme Court ruling otherwise for the purposes of the Equality Act in April. It has outraged many customers who claim it makes them feel unsafe and accused them of flouting women's rights. Some campaigners have even threatened legal action given because just six weeks ago the Supreme Court ruled trans women are legally male and trans men are legally female. One critic said: 'This self-flagellation over supporting women's right to safety, privacy and dignity is sickening'. Another follower was outraged for their 'trans siblings' and said it was 'disappointing' for a spa operating in Brighton, calling it a 'queer city' Another wrote that the sauna business had decided to 'alienate and offend women' rather than stand up to transgender women in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling on gender. A third critic said: 'Beach Box is nothing but a woman hating team! They don't think women should be afforded privacy or dignity! You make me sick'. A fourth said their claim to be 'fully inclusive' now 'simply excluded women who would wish to visit a single sex event. Their apology shows how little they care for women'. MailOnline has asked Beach Box Sauna Spa to comment. Its bosses have said they had been wrong to exclude trans-women from their all-women event last week. Staff may require further ' LGBTQ + inclusion training', the business has admitted, and they are launching a new 'queer sauna session', starting on Thursday this week. The row began when Beach Box advertised and women-only session on Instagram. In the comments a follower asked if transgender women could attend and the business said no, adding: 'This is for cis women'. It sparked a social media pile-on. Transgender news reader India Willoughby, a vocal critic of JK Rowling, shared the post and accused Beach Box Spa of 'excluding trans women from women's spaces'. Another critic said: 'I absolutely loved your saunas but your decision to exclude trans women is incredibly disappointing. 'Your business operates in a queer city. I won't be using a space that excludes my trans siblings. Please do better than this'. Beach Box Spa then issued a humbling apology. It said: 'We got it wrong and we are so incredibly sorry. 'At Beach Box, we've always aimed to create an inclusive, welcoming space for everyone-regardless of gender, identity, background or lived experience. 'But this week, we made a mistake that caused hurt and disappointment, particularly within our trans communities. 'We want to say, with sincerity - we are truly sorry. 'We now understand that promoting or hosting a cis-only event goes against everything we believe in. 'It was wrong, and we take full responsibility for the harm this has caused. One of our comments on Instagram added to that harm, and we deeply regret it. 'While we have undertaken LGBTQ+ inclusion training with the brilliant team, it's clear that we still have work to do. We are listening and learning and we know that being inclusive in intention isn't enough when the impact tells a different story. 'To those who have spoken up and shared how this made you feel, thank you. Your voices matter deeply to us, and we're committed to doing better, both now and in the long term. 'We want Beach Box to continue to be a space where everyone feels welcome and we'll keep doing the work to make sure it feels that way'. MailOnline revealed last week that LGBTQ acts have threatened to boycott the Download Festival after organisers followed the Supreme Court 's ruling and said trans men and women should use toilets according to their biological sex - not the gender they identify as. Trans pop-punk artist Noahfinnce says the decision will be put people 'in danger', declaring the decision means: 'My trans sisters have to risk outing themselves in the men's [toilets] '. The row has come to the attention of Harry Potter author and women's rights campaigner JK Rowling, who said of the complaints by trans artists and campaigners: 'Nothing short of women's total capitulation will be good enough for them'. The rock and metal festival held in Donington Park, Leicestershire, between June 13 and 15 will be attended by up to 130,000 people and will feature performances from Green Day, McFly, Korn and Weezer. The vast majority of the portaloos on site will still be gender neutral. Yet Noahfinnce threatened to quit claiming the decision is 'unsafe' - with some trans men and women vowing to defy the rules and use whatever toilet they want. 'I had a great time playing last year but will not be attending again if I have to queue up for the ladies' and my trans sisters have to risk outing themselves in the men's. All this does is put trans people in danger', the singer said. In a post on Twitter, Noahfinnce wrote: 'Hey @DownloadFest what the f**k are you doing? How have you got the gall to invite trans people like me to play your festival, then ban them from using the toilet? If the only way we can p*ss is by outing ourselves, then you've created an unsafe environment'. Manchester band Witch Fever said: 'The threat to trans people's safety by forcing them to enter toilets that are assigned to a gender that they don't associate with is a complete f***ing tragedy. We are hoping this decision gets changed'. American rock band Pinkshift then said on Instagram: 'Playing @downloadfest was fun last year but what f***ing music festival policies gendered bathrooms? 'Thanks Noahfinnce for being the only artist [we've] seen talk about this. If Download is part of your life, speak up. They think they can get away with discrimination in the year of 2025'. Download then issued a statement declaring that the 'Festival has always been and remains for everyone', adding: 'We want to reassure all of our customers that the majority of the toilets across the site are gender neutral'. Artist and campaigner Birdy Rose said that Download had done the right thing to offer single sex toilet facilities and gender neutral toilet facilities to be available to those who want to use them. But she added: 'This should have been a good and reasonable way to make everybody happy whilst also abiding by the law. Instead 'trans' activists seem to be having an absolute meltdown, claiming that this is 'immoral' and men should just ignore the law and enter the female spaces anyway.
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Travel + Leisure
24-05-2025
- Travel + Leisure
This High-tech, Infrared Sauna at Amazon Is Like a Personal Spa at Home—and It's on Sale for Under $2K
As a travel writer, there are days I wish I could jet off to a Nordic wellness retreat and sweat away my stress in a sauna. But packing my bag for a spa getaway is pricey, and hitting one up several times a year is far out of budget. Leave it to Amazon to have the solution. The retailer is selling at-home saunas that look similar to ones at a wellness retreat, but for a fraction of the cost. I'm eyeing an infrared home sauna that fits two people, has double insulation for durability, and is $250 off when you use the on-site coupon. When you take into account the price of round-trip flights, lodging, food, transportation, and spa treatments, investing in an at-home option makes sense. You can experience spa-like sauna treatments whenever you want, minus the additional costs. The wooden design gives it a natural look, and the reversible glass door punctuates its sleek and modern aesthetic. At 47.3 inches by 39.5 inches, it can fit right in your basement or large walk-in closet. And up to two people can fit inside, so you can decompress by yourself or with your partner after a long day of work. It even includes luxe features, like two built-in Bluetooth speakers for playing meditation sounds or your favorite relaxing music. It also has seven cool-to-touch carbon fiber heaters to help distribute heat throughout the sauna, and the digital control panel allows you to set the temperature and time for your session. The infrared sauna uses built-in LED lights to create heat, unlike steam saunas that rely on an external device to generate steam and heat. Out of 1,434 Amazon ratings, 1,219 were a perfect five out of five, which just attests to its quality. One reviewer said it was a 'breeze' to put together (about 30 minutes with two people), only takes around 10 minutes to heat up, and comfortably seats two people. They've been using it almost daily. Another fan confirmed that it was easy to assemble, and added that it provides plenty of heat to detox. Shop the Jnh Infrared At-home sauna while it's still on sale, and check out more at-home and portable saunas available at Amazon, below. Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week.
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Finland is obsessed with saunas, but are they any good for you?
The Finnish tradition of a sauna followed by a plunge into icy water or a roll in the snow is spreading around the world. What does science say about the claimed health benefits? Sometimes I wonder why I do these things to my body. I'd just been for a mid-winter run in a frozen park in the Finnish city of Oulu. The air temperature was -15C (5F). At 170km (106m) south of the Arctic Circle, this is the world's northernmost Parkrun. Less than an hour later, I ducked into a sauna – a dimly-lit wooden room where intense heat was radiating from a massive wood-burning stove. The thermometer read 85C (185F). As I sat there, sweating like crazy, a fellow sauna-goer threw a ladleful of water onto the stove's hot stones to make "löyly" – Finnish for a sudden burst of steam that surges through the air. It's a powerful sensation, almost shocking. The heat reached deep into my skin and muscles, melting away any tension. But that wasn't enough for me. Stepping outside into the cold air, steam rose from my body, and I clambered down an ice-encrusted ladder into the excruciatingly cold water of the Oulu River, which had a temperature of around 1C (34F). I felt piercing pain, like a million needles striking my skin. But I didn't jump out. Instead, I counted slowly up to 12. And after a few seconds the pain seemd to disappear – I actually felt okay with it. It was almost like an icy hug. When I clambered out, the air around me seemed almost warm. To some, it might sound like the morning schedule of a deranged masochist. But this sequence of cold, hot and then cold again made me feel strangely alive. A sauna followed by an ice bath is known as contrast therapy in sports medicine – and it feels surprisingly good. When I do it, I experience a rush of energy, which gives way to a mood of happiness. It's something I have long enjoyed, like millions of other Finns who regularly take part in the traditional sauna bathing rituals. It is such an important part of life in Scandinavia that Sweden's entry to this year's Eurovision Song Contest – performed by Kaj, whose members hail from Finland – is an ode to the sweaty heat of saunas. The song "Bara Bada Bastu", which translates roughly as "just take a sauna", had been among the favourites in the competition and had been topping the charts ahead of the competition. In the end the performance came in fourth place. To those outside of Finland the lurch from cold, to hot and to cold again can seem extreme, but it is a health craze that is now spreading beyond Scandinavian borders to other parts of the world. So I wanted to delve into the science behind the Finnish sauna and find out whether it really is good for me. "Finns go to the sauna at least once a week and spend between five to 30 minutes in about 80–100C (176-212F) heat," says Heikki Junkkari, a doctor who sits on the board of the Finnish Sauna Society, an organisation that has promoted Finnish sauna culture since 1937. Saunas have existed for thousands of years and going to them is a deeply-rooted part of Finnish life. It unites Finns across generations and regions. Saunas have even made it onto Unesco's Intangible Heritage List. There are an estimated 3.3 million saunas in this country of 5.5 million people, meaning they are accessible to almost everyone. Sauna users often cool off in an icy lake or river or take a cold shower. People typically alternate between hot and cold several times, says Junkkari. But going from heat to ice is an intense experience that affects blood circulation in the human body, says Setor Kunutsor, a cardiovascular epidemiologist at the University of Manitoba. "When you go to the sauna, the temperature inside the body goes up slowly from 37°C (99°F) to as high as 39C (102F). Blood vessels dilate, you start sweating and that reduces blood pressure," he says. "Being immersed in cold water does the opposite: blood vessels contract and blood pressure goes up." Many medical papers have discussed the potential health benefits and risks of saunas and cold baths, but Junkkari warns that many of these studies lack scientific quality. "Very few studies are good quality randomised controlled trials," he says, referring to a scientific methodology in which participants in a study are randomly sorted into groups in order to test the effectiveness of a drug, activity or some other intervention. There are also reports in the medical literature of people who have fallen ill and even died after diving straight from the heat of a sauna into ice cold water. One 1998 study, for example, reported the case of a person in Japan who died from a heart attack after entering cold water immediately after leaving a sauna. Data suggests, however, that these incidents are extremely rare. Most tend to involve people who have been drinking alcohol or have pre-existing conditions. There have been some studies, however, that also warn short sauna baths interspersed with rapid cooling is associated with heart arrhythmia in patients with existing cardiovascular disease. A case report published earlier this year also warned how a patient needed hospital care in Birmingham, UK, for 12 days after suffering heatstroke in a sauna that led to a heart attack, seizures and injury to the liver and kidneys. More like this: But there is other evidence that suggests sauna bathing may well have a protective effect against sudden cardiac death. Kunutsor has worked with Finnish cardiologist and reseracher Jari Laukkanen on some of the largest sauna and ice bath studies to date. Their research is based on data collected during a 20-year period, involving 2,682 middle-aged and older men in eastern Finland. This research, which is part of an ongoing observational study, suggests that there could be positive effects of sauna use on respiratory health, dementia and cardiovascular health. "Going to the sauna a few times a week is associated with a reduced risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and sudden cardiac death," says Kunutsor. The reason, he and his colleagues suspect, may be linked to the effect sauna bathing and cold immersion has on the cardiovascular system as blood vessels rapidly dilate and contract. This may reduce arterial stiffness, they say, but also help to control other risk factors such as inflammation and stress. Those who combine sauna with exercise may experience even more cardiovascular benefits, adds Kunutsor. He and colleagues set up a randomised controlled trial in which one group of 47 participants used a sauna and did exercise three times a week, for eight weeks, while another group only did the exercise. "We found that sauna sessions combined with exercise produced a mean reduction of eight millimetres of mercury," says Kunutsor, referring to a measure of blood pressure. "This is a very substantial reduction." There is also some research that suggests sauna use might also be good for the brain. In 2017, Kunutsor and his colleagues published a study of more than 2,300 men over a 20-year period. Men who took part in two to three sauna sessions a week had a 20% lower risk of Alzheimer's disease and 22% lower risk of dementia than those who only took one weekly sauna. The effect was enhanced the more frequent the sauna use was, with a 66% reduction in dementia and 65% in Alzheimer's disease among those who used a sauna between four and seven times per week, compared with those who only used the sauna once per week. "We've found a strong inverse association between the frequency of sauna bathing and the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease," says Kunutsor. The study did not, however, compare the effects of a sauna against the risk in men who did not use saunas at all and so the results may also reflect something more generally about the lifestyles of people who have time to indulge in sauna bathing in the first place. It is also worth remembering such observational results do not necessarily mean a direct cause and effect relationship between saunas and dementia. Instead it provides a glimpse at an effect that warrants further research. Nonetheless, Kunutsor and Laukkanen's observational research has also found hints that frequent sauna bathing may reduce the risk of mental disorders. Anecdotal reports of psychological benefits associated with sauna use include that of Juha Mieto, a well-known Finnish cross-country skier. He credits saunas with restoring both his and his son's mental well-being after the sudden death of his wife. "It was a huge shock. My son had just turned eight. I started heating the sauna at 6pm every evening. It became a ritual that brought us calm," Mieto recalls. "We kept this up for many years. Sauna played a key role helping us find peace, giving rhythm to our lives." One possible explanation is that people find sitting in a hot, scent-filled room relaxing by triggering short-term changes in certain hormone levels. A randomised controlled study found that regular sauna bathing was effective at reducing the intensity of chronic tension headaches, for example. "When you go to the sauna, hormones that respond to physiological stress will increase. Levels of endorphins, our body's natural mood-boosters, our internal feel-good chemicals, will go up," says Ilpo Huhtaniemi, an endocrinologist at Imperial College London, who co-authored a review of research on how saunas effect hormones. "There's also an increase in growth hormone levels, although all these hormonal changes tend to be short-term." Martha Newson, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Greenwich in the UK, is currently conducting a study with the British Sauna Society to assess how the rituals associated with sauna bathing can effect people's mental wellbeing. "Sauna is a space where our norms and conventions are temporarily suspended – we take off our clothes, sit in close proximity, and endure extremes together," she says. "These are great, ritual environments for our identities to transform." Sauna therapist Laura Foon says the warm, calm atmosphere induces a sense of relaxation. "Today, we're constantly on high alert," she says. "Diving into soothing darkness in the sauna is profoundly healing." It is like returning to the womb, she suggests. The sauna is a reassuringly safe space. But what about when you skip out of the sauna and plunge yourself into a lake shrouded in ice? That's not exactly womb-like. When a person enters cold water, they experience an increase in heart rate and blood pressure – a reaction known as "cold shock". Generally, their heart rate and blood pressure return to normal levels shortly after leaving the water. Somewhat counterintuitively, regular exposure to cold water can lead to a remarkable change in the opposite direction: a decrease in both average heart rate and blood pressure. Huhtaniemi says there's also a hormonal reaction: the cold triggers a release of neurotransmitters, including norepinephrine, which plays an important role in the body's "fight-or-flight" response. It increases blood pressure and causes heightened alertness, also giving a boost of energy. "Cold water raises the levels of other hormones such as serotonin, cortisol, dopamine and endorphin that play a role in emotion and stress regulation," Huhtaniemi says. Ice baths can have various effects on both our bodies and minds, says Antti Lindfors, a cultural researcher at the University of Helsinki, and an ice swimmer who has interviewed other winter swimmers about their experiences. His main finding, based on 640 responses, is that ice swimmers say the activity makes them feel bolder and more self-confident. "People view entering a frozen body of water as a mental feat. Once you've done it, everything else becomes less of a struggle," says Lindfors. Studies suggest that cold amplifies emotions and bodily sensations. Lindfors hypothesises that learning to relax while in cold-induced pain, for example, may help people deal with stress in other areas of their lives. One Finnish study of 49 people found that winter swimmers reported reduced tiredness, improved mood and self-esteem versus a control group. "Winter swimming is probably not a miracle treatment for mental health problems but it's worth trying out," says Lindfors. "The key to success is learning to accept the cold rather than shutting down for a few painful seconds and quickly escaping." Lindfors suggests that the best results occur when people endure temperatures of between 0-10C (32-50F), and over a period of at least 30 seconds for two or three times a week. That said, swimming in very cold water can be dangerous. Some people have died during cold water swimming sessions, due to risks including cold shock and incapacitation. Medical experts say that it can raise your blood pressure to dangerous levels, especially in people with undiagnosed heart conditions, for example. They also recommend having supervision or help close by when undertaking cold water swimming, in case you get into difficulties. There is also the risk of hypothermia if people remain immersed in the cold water for too long. Lindfors cautions that it is important for cold water bathers to acclimatise to the experience by using progressively colder water. "It will take about two weeks for the body to adapt. It's important not to overdo it; stay as long as it feels right," he says. Huhtaniemi agrees. "Doing it little by little is very important," he says. "Gradual adaptation helps minimise any negative effects." Lindfors and Huhtaniemi say it is still not clear how years of ice baths may affect the human body – there have been no long-term studies on this. Knowing there is at least some research supporting the health benefits of saunas and ice baths has added depth to what was previously just a "feels good" ritual for me. Hopefully my body will be a bit more grateful too. * All content within this article is provided for general information only and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of health care professionals. -- For trusted insights into better health and wellbeing rooted in science, sign up to the Health Fix newsletter, while The Essential List delivers a handpicked selection of features and insights. For more science, technology, environment and health stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Times
16-05-2025
- Health
- Times
Does ‘contrast therapy' work? What to know before taking the plunge
We've all heard that cold water swimming is supposed to be good for us and that regular use of traditional saunas can make us happier and healthier, but the latest trend combines the two extremes. Contrast therapy, as it is known, entails switching between hot and cold temperatures, jumping from cold water to sauna and back again, and is said to improve circulation, boost mood and promote muscle recovery. It's not a new concept: the Romans would have a caldarium (hot steam room) and a frigidarium (cold pool) in their bathhouses, while for decades athletes have used contrast therapy to aid recovery. However, the practice has recently caught the imagination of the wellness brigade and word has spread about its healing capabilities. • Read more
