The latest tool for reducing stress and inflammation: hormetic tech

Hormesis is essentially the good kind of stress. It occurs when the body is put under mild strain, such as high heat or cold temperatures, and it’s been shown to reduce emotional, physical and mental stresses in the body. 

Hormetic therapies have risen sharply in popularity in recent years, likely as a direct result of the focus on wellbeing that was prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

To improve their wellbeing, people often attempt to achieve a state of hormesis through high intensity workouts or jumping into cold water. A simpler way to do this is exposing the body to hormetic therapies such as interval training, saunas and ice baths. 

Hormetic therapies look set to become even more popular with the introduction of hormetic tech, which is essentially these same therapies but with a tech interface that helps users monitor their body’s wellbeing, and suggests the right amount of hormetic therapy to optimise their heath. 

General Manager, Bruce Jones of Found Space, a company specialising in hormetic tech equipment, says the app they’ve developed monitors a user’s hormetic therapy, but it will soon be able to take information from other apps to create the ultimate health programme. 

“Currently, you've got remote access through the app and you can adjust settings on our saunas and ice baths, but we’re developing phase two of the app, where we will be able to tailor sessions for individuals.”

Current hormetic tech available from Found Space includes infrared saunas and ice baths, which allow users to select and monitor temperatures, taking the manual labour out of hormetic therapies.

The saunas offered by Found Space are completely self-contained and are easily installed in a garage or indoor room, and they use a combination of types of red infrared light to heat the sauna, thereby prompting a mild stress effect in the user. 

“Infrared therapy has been shown to increase mitochondrial efficiency, reduce the burden of toxins on the body, assist in muscle recovery and promote collagen production in the skin,” says Jones.

But not only does the sauna produce health benefits, Found Space’s range is architecturally designed so that it elevates interior spaces, and provides a beautiful setting to experience the therapy in.

Their ice baths offer the same benefits, but by using cold rather than heat to stimulate a hormetic response.

“Our ice bath is a beautiful piece of equipment, and the quality of everything is top notch. We’re using the best quality stainless steel for the interior and Japanese cedar on the outside, and it allows you to experience that intense rush from cold therapy, without having to spend time setting it up.”

The chiller unit sits outside of the ice bath, and a sanitisation and filtration system is built into it. The water can go as low as three degrees, and to fill or empty the bath, you simply hook up your outdoor hose to the input or output. 

Found Space also delivers and instals its hormetic tech units, so clients don’t have to stress about getting them set up. 

Jones says the awareness of these types of therapies is growing, and the health benefits are becoming widely known. 

“People coming to us now know the incredible benefits of regular sauna use and regular cold exposure. They already know they’re a great weapon to use to elevate their physiology so they can live a longer, healthier life.”

Discover saunas and ice baths from Found Space