Going to Sauna After Workout? Do It the Right Way

Want to reap more benefits of your gym sessions? Then go to a sauna after workout. But you need to be careful. Find do's and don'ts inside.
man relaxing inside a sauna

One of the biggest misconceptions about saunas for many workout fanatics is that it’s an indulgence and has less health benefits. If you’re one of those people, you couldn’t be more wrong. Saunas offer an array of health and fitness benefits that can actually compliment your workout. This is why we highly recommend using sauna after a workout.

Benefits of Sauna After Workout

Wondering – Is it good to go to the sauna after a workout? Sure it is. Here are the benefits of post-sauna workout sessions –

→ You must have witnessed swelling or soreness for an extended period of time after a particularly taxing workout. Muscle-soreness is common as you push your body to its limits during the workout.

A quick sauna bath can help your body initiate and fasten the muscle-healing process.

By sweating in a steam room, you are not only cooling your body but also ridding yourself of toxins that could otherwise harm your health.

→ Besides this, going to the sauna after gym can help in weight-loss. Time spent in an infrared sauna can help burn calories and decrease body fat.

According to Harvard Medical School, a sauna session increases your heart rate meaning your heart is pumping more blood which enables you to relax.

Other sauna benefits include lowered blood pressure, a decrease in levels of bad cholesterol, relief to arthritis patients, etc.

benefits of sauna after workout

How to Use a Sauna After a Workout?

There are three stages – before, during, and after visiting a sauna that you need to be mindful of.

Word of Caution – Ensure that you are not wearing any jewellery. You can use finger rings but inside the sauna your fingers will swell which will cause you discomfort.

1. Before Going into the Sauna

Before you step into the sauna session, make sure you follow the sauna etiquettes below:

  • Shower before you enter.
  • Always carry an extra towel or two to sit on.
  • Maintain complete silence.
  • Avoid using tech.
  • Make sure to set the temperature to what you feel comfortable in.

2. When You are Inside the Sauna

  • We are often asked – How long should you stay in a sauna after a workout? You should ideally use the sauna for 15 to 25 minutes post-gym.
  • While sauna bathing, your sore muscles will start relaxing and you’d want to stay longer but don’t. You’ll end up dehydrating your body.
  • During the sauna exposure, please be alert for signs of illness such as feeling lightheaded, dizziness, or headaches. If you don’t feel well, walk out immediately and drink a lot of water.

3. When You Come Out of the Sauna

  • When you want to leave, avoid jerky movements as it may make you dizzy. Stand up slowly, come out and sit down on a bench. Remain there for a few minutes so that your body can adjust with the normal temperature outside.
  • Then you need to drink a lot of water – at least three glasses full.
  • Once you are dehydrated, avoid any taxing activities. It will disrupt the recovery process. Just relax to increase blood circulation in oxygen-depleted muscles.

That’s all you need to do to ensure you are getting the most out of your workout sessions.

You don’t need to go to the sauna every time you are working out but you may visit it 2 to 3 times a week.

Final Thoughts

If you are serious about your health, we suggest regular post-workout sauna sessions. Sweating is proven to detoxify the body and a warm temperature causes muscle-relief. If you want to make your sauna experience more enjoyable, we recommend getting yourself a few sauna accessories.

If you have questions, we’d love to answer you. Please leave a comment below.

1 Comment
  1. Great tips, Mark! Just wanted to add that if someone wishes to take a shower after the sauna, then they should wait for a few minutes. Also, they should wash their feet first and make sure that their head is not the first part of the body to be hit by the water to avoid dangerous disturbances to blood circulation.

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