The Norge Longevity Guide
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Live long, and well.
The Norge Longevity Guide. What the research actually says about heat, cold and light after 50, how to use each safely, and a simple week to start with. Every claim is linked to its source.
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Inside
- 01Australia's twelve year healthspan gap
- 02Why fitness comes before everything else
- 03Heat: the Finnish data and the trials
- 04Cold: what held up, what did not
- 05Light, and why more is not better
- 06A starting week, and the safety rules
The Norge Longevity Guide, as a designed PDF. Seven pages to keep or print.
Download the PDFThe number that matters
Mayo Clinic's analysis of WHO data across 183 countries put Australia's gap between lifespan and healthy lifespan at 12.1 years, second only to the United States. Lifespan is mostly a result. Healthspan is something you can work on.
Fitness is the strongest lever. In a Cleveland Clinic study of 122,007 adults, higher cardiorespiratory fitness tracked with lower mortality at every level, with no upper limit seen. Heat, cold and light earn their place by keeping you training, sleeping and recovering well.
Heat
What the research shows
- Finnish men who used a sauna 4 to 7 times a week had fewer fatal cardiovascular events and deaths than once-a-week bathers, over about 20 years. Observational, traditional saunas.
- In an eight-week trial, 15 minutes of sauna after exercise lowered systolic pressure about 8 mmHg more than exercise alone.
- Steam matters. A 2026 study found humidity raises heart rate and core temperature on its own.
- Frequent sauna did not offset the risk of pressure at 140 mmHg or above. Heat is not blood pressure care.
How to use it
- Start near 10 minutes and build towards 15 to 20.
- Use heat after training, not instead of it.
- Add water to the stones gradually, and shorten the round when you do.
- Water before and after. No alcohol.
Cold
What the research shows
- A University of South Australia review of 11 studies and 3,177 people found lower stress about 12 hours after immersion, and better sleep and quality of life. No clear effect on mood.
- The gasp and racing heart of cold shock fade after about four immersions, and milder water trains it too.
- Cold straight after lifting modestly reduced muscle and strength gains in pooled studies.
How to use it
- Start warmer than you think and step down over weeks.
- Slow breaths first. Head stays out.
- One to two minutes is plenty early on.
- Keep cold away from strength days.
- Never plunge alone when you are new to it.
Light and sleep
What the red light research shows
Small UCL studies found brief morning 670 nm light improved colour contrast in people around 40 and older, using low-power devices made for the eye. In healthy adults, one 15-minute session of 670 nm light reduced the rise in blood glucose after a glucose drink by 27.7 per cent. One session, healthy people, not a treatment.
A randomised trial of 136 people on full-body red light devices found higher skin collagen density after 30 sessions.
Why more light is not more benefit
Red light follows a dose curve: low doses often outperform higher ones, and the benefit falls away past a point. Consistency at a sensible dose beats intensity. Always use eye protection with high-power devices.
The 90-minute warm water rule
A meta-analysis found a bath or shower at 40 to 42.5 °C, one to two hours before bed, improved sleep quality and helped people fall asleep about 10 minutes faster. Aim for 90 minutes before bed and keep the bedroom cool.
A starting week
Morning daylight every day. In your first month, two sauna sessions and two short cold sessions a week is plenty.
Safety
- No sauna with unstable angina, a recent heart attack or severe aortic stenosis.
- No alcohol before or during heat.
- On blood pressure medication or diuretics, sit for a minute before standing and cool down gradually.
- Skip sessions with a fever or when you feel unwell.
- With a heart condition, high or low blood pressure, or pregnancy, speak with your GP first.
Sources
- Garmany and Terzic, JAMA Network Open, 2024
- Mandsager et al., JAMA Network Open, 2018
- Laukkanen et al., JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015
- Lee et al., sauna after exercise trial, 2022
- Laatikainen-Raussi et al., humidity and sauna, 2026
- Laukkanen et al., blood pressure and sauna, 2023
- Cain et al., PLOS ONE, 2025
- Barwood et al., cold shock habituation, 2024
- Piñero et al., cold water and muscle growth, 2024
- UCL, morning deep red light, 2021
- Powner and Jeffery, light and blood glucose, 2024
- Wunsch and Matuschka, red light and collagen, 2014
- Huang et al., biphasic dose response, 2009
- Haghayegh et al., warm water and sleep, 2019
- Hannuksela and Ellahham, sauna benefits and risks, 2001
General information, not medical advice. Nothing here claims that a Norge product treats or prevents any condition.
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