Why Sauna? Health Benefits and Safety Tips

Saunas can be an incredibly relaxing experience, and a centering wellness practice that can be implemented into our routines regularly. Have you ever been to a sauna? 

A sauna is an enclosed, heated, and wood-lined room designed to experience humid or dry heat sessions at high temperature. The inside of a sauna room is typically kept between 150-195 F degrees. The word sauna is Finnish for “bathhouse” – while the first saunas are thought to originate in Finland, there is evidence of this type of therapeutic practice in a variety of countries dating back thousands of years. 

Why sauna?

Saunas can provide us with a variety of wellness benefits. The calming environment can reduce stress, and the dry heat can assist with soothing sore muscles as well as improving cardiovascular health. Heat raises heart rate and sweating while lowering blood pressure and improving circulation. This increase in blood flow can reduce chronic pain and pro-inflammatory agents, relieving sore muscles.

Saunas are also thought to be a helpful practice for stress relief – giving ourselves a block of time to rest and disconnect has proven to be quite successful in combating stressors including depression, anxiety and burnout. A sauna session can also improve our sleep quality. 

Saunas can be an incredibly therapeutic experience, however safety is key! Saunas are safe in general, however might not be the best wellness solution for everyone. Always check with your trusted healthcare professional if the sauna is right for you, and be informed before you hop in.  

Let’s go over a few non-negotiables on how to have a great sauna session, and do it safely. 

• Hydrate. 

• Saunas are hot. Ideally, we should be drinking water before, during, and after time spent in a sauna. Be sure to have at least one glass of water before entering the sauna room. 

• Limit your time. 

• Remember: Saunas are a wellness resource, not an endurance challenge! 15-20 minutes is considered the maximum amount of tolerable time. This can vary from person to person, and how an individual responds to heat – if you are prone to overheating, make it a short session. 

• Avoid alcohol, large meals, and intense exercise before sauna. 

• The heat of a sauna makes our hearts work harder. Large meals and intense exercise before sauna can make us dizzy or dehydrated, and we should never drink alcohol before entering the sauna. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, headaches and fainting. 

• Rest and cool down afterwards. 

• The Finnish tradition is to go from the sauna to cool down in the snow! While you don’t need to find a snowbank, cooling down and resting for 10-15 minutes after the sauna allows our bodies to rest and re-regulate temperature. Taking a cool shower is recommended.

• Check in with your body. 

• If you start to feel nauseous, headache or dizzy, leave the sauna immediately. Moderation is the name of the game! If you want to feel more confident and social, use the buddy system. Bring a friend, and check in with each other. 

If you’ve read this far, you’re ready for the sauna! Remember to relax, remember to use common sense, and make the most out of this wellness experience. 

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References + Sources 

Cleveland Clinic Staff. 2024. “Get Your Sweat On: The Benefits of a Sauna.” Cleveland Clinic. Cleveland Clinic. August 12, 2024. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/sauna-benefits.  

 Hussain, Joy, and Marc Cohen. 2018. “Clinical Effects of Regular Dry Sauna Bathing: A Systematic Review.” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2018: 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/1857413.  

 Laukkanen, Jari A., Tanjaniina Laukkanen, and Setor K. Kunutsor. 2018. “Cardiovascular and Other Health Benefits of Sauna Bathing: A Review of the Evidence.” Mayo Clinic Proceedings 93 (8): 1111–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.04.008.  

 UCLA Health Staff. 2023. “Benefits of Sauna Bathing for Heart Health.” Www.uclahealth.org. UCLA. February 1, 2023. https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/benefits-sauna-bathing-heart-health.