Yes. Using a Sauna is Good for You.

Maybe you’ve already heard that using the sauna is correlated with increased lifespan and improved health. Well, it’s true. Studies have shown this.

Why? That’s less clear.

Perhaps people who have the luxury of visiting a sauna, or are inclined to look after their health skew the statistics. Or, maybe it’s just any kind of regular self-care downtime meditative activity that confers benefits.

Maybe it’s the sweating?

Or maybe heat exposure does something at the cellular level? As you’ll encounter over and over again, adversity and challenge in general (when you are capable of recovering and adapting from them) are correlated with anti-aging effects at the cellular level.

Even a combination of all these factors could be true with not a single one bearing a statistically huge load.

Regardless, many studies have shown sauna usage is correlated with reduced blood pressure, better heart health, and reduced disease and mortality risk in general.

Be Sure to Use Saunas Correctly

One thing that’s probably more elusive is the exact conditions under which the benefits of sauna use arise.

First, you must use them regularly. Once or twice here or there will do nothing for you. A minimum of once or twice a week, sustained indefinitely is your goal. Four or five times a week is even better. Every day is unlikely to be much better, but if you can do that, more power to you.

Second, you have to spend a certain amount of time in them. 5 minutes won’t do much. 15 is getting around to the sweet spot. 20 minutes is about the maximum. If you have trouble tolerating the heat for long, or if you’re new to saunas, keep your time on the low side. 10 minutes max. Over time, you can experiment with adding a minute and seeing how you do.

Third, they must be the correct temperature. This is where it can get tricky if you depend on a public sauna. Not all saunas are hot enough. Whether because the establishment offering it wants to save on energy costs or is afraid of liability, it’s safer and easier to keep the temperature too low rather than risk it being too high. So, finding saunas that run at least a little colder than optimal is fairly common. The flip side to this is that finding a sauna that’s too hot is rare, though possible. Your sauna should be 150°F minimum, and, ideally, should be closer to 170°-200°F. You’re unlikely to find anything close to 200°. If you get one near 180°, you’re doing very good.

Fourth, your behavior and attitude in the sauna matter. If you are visiting a sauna and thinking you can step out when it feels too hot and then back in again, you’re defeating the purpose and wasting your time. The studies show benefits accruing when you push yourself on the time spent. Up to a point, of course. If you push too far, heat exhaustion and death follow. At the risk of stating the obvious: the corollary to not spending enough time in the sauna is spending too much. This is not the time to engage in competitive spirit! People do die trying to outlast others in the sauna. Finally: exercising in the sauna or using a sauna while sick are bad, bad, bad ideas. Just don’t. If you’re not feeling well, don’t get in one and if you’re just getting over something, it’s best to hold off a bit more before starting up again (and ramp back into it when you do). And exerting yourself in a sauna is begging to hurt yourself.

Fifth, make sure you allow yourself time to cool down and recover immediately afterward. A cold plunge is not necessary, but a lukewarm or cool shower could be good. Resting a little and rehydrating for several minutes are also recommended. Pay attention to how you’re feeling right after your session. If you’re still sweating for several minutes after, it’s best to not exert yourself and not over-dress. Just chill out and sip some water until you feel adequately recovered.

With all the above in mind, it’s also important to use the sauna AFTER your workouts are done. Taxing your organs with heat before a workout is a terrible idea. I have seen people who think it’s a good way to “warm up”.

If you only spent a few minutes in the sauna, that’s actually somewhat true, except you’re warming up everything —every organ including your brain— not just the joints you care about for your workout. But it also means you’re not actually getting the health benefit of the sauna — while taking that benefit away from someone else (because public saunas have limited capacity and because every time the door opens, heat is lost).

So now you know:

Regular sauna use is consistently associated with reduced blood pressure, reduced mortality from cardiovascular disease, longer lifespans, and other benefits.

So if you haven’t already, go ahead and add regular sauna visits to your self-care routine or simply consider them to be part of your training routine. It will take a few weeks to acclimate yourself to using them properly, but once you do, you’ll really come to appreciate the extra bit of de-stressing they add to your life.