Whether it’s post-workout or as part of a spa day, a sauna session can relax and enhance wellness. The ultimate passive aerobic exercise, sauna time can increase heart rate, body temperature, and cardiac output and provide benefits similar to moderate exercise–all by sitting in the heat and trying not to make eye contact with the stranger across the way.
But how long should you stay in a sauna? This depends on the type of sauna, its temperature, your fitness levels, overall health, and how well hydrated you are. Take it easy and know your limits, suggest the experts.
Sauna Benefits
A sauna can be a treat for those that love the heat and a challenging endurance test for those that don’t. “In my experience, the benefits of the traditional Finnish sauna are profound,” says Michal Cohen-Sagi, founder of longevity and biohacking circuit Vidavii. “It’s one of the simplest and most powerful longevity practices that is deeply rooted in ancient tradition and easily accessible in the modern day. Regular sauna use can improve circulation and strengthen cardiovascular function. Some suggest that it can even help with reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s.”
A contrast therapy session is a great way to make the most of a sauna session in short bursts. “Contrast therapy is a combination of hot and cold exposure, whereby you might move from a sauna into a cryotherapy chamber or a cold plunge,” says Cohen-Sagi. “This intense shift in temperature trains your blood vessels to contract and dilate efficiently, boosting circulation, reducing inflammation, and improving resilience. It’s an incredible way to wake up the body’s natural healing systems and brain clarity and a kind of a reset.”
Fitness Levels and Sauna Use
How long you spend in a sauna, or any kind of hot or cold therapy, depends on your fitness level and your overall health. “The fitter you are—and that doesn’t just mean strength—you will likely be able to better handle the heat,” says Puck Alkemade, a researcher and physiologist with CORE, who has developed an innovative thermal performance monitor.
A study at the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport suggests that taking regular saunas can also help to improve fitness. “This particular study examined how sauna bathing after exercise affects endurance performance in male distance runners,” says Alkemade.
“Over a three-week period, participants who used the sauna post-training saw significant improvements in their running performance, including increased time to exhaustion and enhanced blood volume, suggesting a beneficial adaptation for endurance athletes. Genetics may play a role in how one tolerates heat, but as humans we have an ability to adapt to our environment. If we are exposed to the heat more often, we will be able to endure it for longer.”