Sauna Benefits and Risks: How to Use a Sauna

A sauna is a room heated to a high temperature to cause your body to sweat, often used to relax after a workout. The different saunas include dry saunas (either wood-burning or electrically heated), infrared saunas, and steam rooms. The first use of saunas dates back to more than two thousand years in Finland, and traditional Finnish saunas remain the most popular today.

No matter what type of sauna you use, your temperature will rise, increasing your heart rate and blood flow. In a dry sauna, this effect compares to moderate exercise and may supply the following benefits:

1. 1. Aids in physical recovery: After exercising, the heat of a sauna causes your body to release feel-good endorphins and your blood vessels to dilate and increase circulation. Both of these effects speed up the healing process in your body.
2. 2. Alleviates pain and inflammation: Sauna therapy may reduce pain and soreness from ailments such as rheumatoid arthritis and positively affect the biomarkers for inflammation.
3. 3. Burns calories: Sweating and an increased heart rate during a sauna bath burn calories, though sauna use alone will not lead to weight loss.
4. 4. Detoxification: When you sit in a hot sauna, you naturally sweat quite a bit, which promotes the release of harmful chemicals in the body.
5. 5. Improves cardiovascular health: A 25-year study by Dr. Jari Laukkanen (published in JAMA Internal Medicine) studied the benefit of sauna use on heart health and found that regular sauna use created a lower risk of heart disease, sudden cardiac death, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality. It also lowered blood pressure, which is a risk factor for incidents of heart attacks and heart disease.
6. 6. Improves memory loss: In a 2017 study, researchers found heat exposure from regular sauna use may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
7. 7. Reduces stress and improves overall wellness: Regular sauna bathing promotes relaxation and a sense of well-being, which reduces the stress hormone cortisol in your body. Too much cortisol negatively affects your immune system and causes sleep disruptions.
8. 8. Improves skin health: Sweating during a sauna session clears bacteria and toxins from your pores and improves capillary blood flow.
9. 9. May improve physical health: Sauna bathing after a workout may improve your overall endurance. Researchers studied the red blood cell, plasma, and blood volume of athletes who took a sauna bath after working out and found that over time it improved their ability to work out longer compared to a control.

The average sauna session lasts from five to thirty minutes, though you may be able to enjoy more or less time depending on the heat and your tolerance. Follow these tips for a good sauna session:

1. 1. Start at a lower temperature. If you are new to saunas, start by sitting in a sauna at 100 degrees Fahrenheit and work your way up to higher temperatures as you get more comfortable.
2. 2. Limit your time in the sauna. Begin using a sauna for ten to fifteen minutes. You can gradually build up to a thirty-minute session.
3. 3. Drink water before a sauna session. Hydrate with plenty of water before entering the sauna. Do not drink alcohol before a session. If you feel light-headed, leave the sauna and drink water, as you may be dehydrated. Once your body cools down, you can reenter the sauna.
4. 4. Cool down after your sauna session. Let your body cool down naturally after your infrared sauna session. Once your body temperature has returned to normal, you can shower.

While a dry sauna heats up around your body, infrared saunas use infrared lamps emitting electromagnetic radiation. Though infrared saunas operate at lower temperatures than dry saunas, the heat permeates your skin, increasing your core body temperature and causing you to sweat more than you would in a regular sauna. In addition to all the benefits a dry sauna provides, infrared radiation may also reduce wrinkles and the incidence of acne.

Steam rooms use moist heat through steam, which feels hotter on your skin than dry saunas because the humidity keeps your body from cooling itself through sweat as it would in dry heat. Steam rooms operate at lower temperatures and prove especially helpful if you suffer from respiratory issues.

You’ll find the health benefits of sauna sessions plentiful, but be aware of these possible risks:

1. 1. Dehydration: Perspiration means your body loses fluid, putting you at risk of dehydration. Always hydrate before entering a sauna, and take breaks to sip water if necessary.
2. 2. Lowered blood pressure: A systematic review study discovered that sauna use might cause low blood pressure, leading to dizziness. If you have low blood pressure already, talk to your doctor before using a sauna. If you feel dizzy or nauseous, leave the sauna immediately.
3. 3. Skin irritation: If you have skin conditions such as psoriasis, rosacea, or eczema, the humid conditions of a sauna may aggravate your symptoms. Talk to your doctor if you have questions beforehand.
4. 4. Temporary low sperm count: Some studies show that sauna use may lower your sperm count temporarily.

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