Have you ever wondered why so many gyms also offer saunas? Here’s the answer: taking a sauna after exercising is especially good for your health. Find out why and what you should keep in mind in this article.
This article covers:
- Reasons why saunas are good for you
- What’s best? Sauna before or after your workout
- Guidelines for using the sauna after exercising
- Positive effects on the body
- Possible negative effects
- Using the sauna to improve performance
This article aims to motivate you to finish your next workout with a sauna session and offers helpful tips on how to make the most of it.
Why are saunas so good for you?
For decades, Finns have relied on the sauna as a cure-all to strengthen their immune systems during the cold winter months, and for good reason. At average temperatures of 80-90 degrees, your body sweats heavily, which has a detoxifying effect. Your circulation also improves, helping you relax and giving you a rosy complexion. Sauna sessions have many other positive side effects, but it’s important to make sure that you use the sauna correctly.
Sauna before or after your workout?
Experts have a clear answer to the question of whether to use the sauna before or after your workout. An elevated heart rate and heavy fluid loss from sweating don’t make for ideal workout conditions. Quite the opposite: your muscles are adversely affected, and you won’t be able to perform at your best.
A sauna session after exercising, on the other hand, can help relax your muscles and gradually cool down your body, promoting natural recovery.
It’s also beneficial for your mind. Once regular sauna sessions become part of your routine, you’ll unconsciously internalize that your workout is over and begin to unwind.
What positive effects does a sauna after exercise have on my body?
Sauna sessions already have a range of positive effects on the body and mind, but when combined with physical activity, they can support the body’s natural processes, such as recovery and metabolism. Here’s all the important information about the positive effects of using the sauna after exercising.
Body
Your body is put under considerable strain during and after exercise. A sauna can help relax your muscles and improve circulation, helping muscle soreness and strains heal more quickly. Your body can recover better and, for example, break down metabolic by-products like lactate more quickly. This supports your body’s natural recovery process and helps prevent tension and muscle cramps.
It’s easy to overdo it during a workout and overexert yourself. This can lead to acute pain, and a sauna session can help with that too, because the heat releases beta-endorphins, the feel-good hormones, which have pain-relieving and euphoric effects.
At the same time, you’re treating your skin to a little wellness experience: the heat opens your pores, and sweating helps rid your body of toxins.
Mind
It’s not just your body that unwinds, but your mind too. Especially as a post-workout ritual, or combined with essential oils and herbal blends, a sauna session can become a treat for the senses. Using the sauna after exertion is an opportunity to relax, switch off, and give your mind a break.
Performance
Whether using the sauna after exercise improves performance is a matter of debate, with experts on both sides of the argument. An Australian study was conducted, which found a performance improvement of around 2% among runners after 3 weeks. Nevertheless, this is not conclusive evidence of an actual positive effect. Supporting the body’s natural recovery and circulation after a workout are important benefits that can certainly improve performance when you exercise regularly.
Weight loss
Weight lossRegular sauna sessions after exercise will help you lose weight, but unfortunately it’s only water weight - sweating off fat in the sauna is and remains a myth. Nevertheless, using the sauna can support weight loss. Temperature fluctuations may stimulate your metabolism and, as a result, promote fat burning.
What should you keep in mind when using the sauna after exercise?
To enjoy the positive effects of using the sauna after exercise, there are a few guidelines you should follow. Give your body about 20-30 minutes to cool down between exercising and your first sauna session, so your pulse can return to normal and the strain on your cardiovascular system can decrease.
Pay attention to how you feel and combine your workout with one to three sauna sessions. Each should last 8-15 minutes, and you can finish with a cold shower to stimulate your metabolism. Give your body a break after the sauna so your heart rate can return to normal.
Because of the substantial fluid loss, you should drink plenty of water or unsweetened fruit juice containing vitamins and minerals before and after your workout, as well as after your sauna sessions. It’s especially important to drink plenty of water to help your muscles recover optimally.
A sauna after your workout: a secret tip for recreational athletes
For elite athletes, using the sauna after exercise has long been no secret. The many positive side effects are so clear that recreational athletes can also benefit from combining their workouts with sauna sessions. The important thing is to follow our guidelines so you can enjoy all the benefits without putting unnecessary strain on your body.
Treat yourself and your body to a well-deserved wellness session after exercise and enjoy the many positive effects, so you can give it your all at your next workout.