There is no doubt that having a sauna is one of the easiest and beneficial things you can do for your long term health. We go through the benefits of sauna in greater detail here but below is a short recap.
- Stress release: Regular saunas will help you relax and give you a better night sleep. Stress is one of the biggest factors in our overall health. This is an easy way to take control.
- Pain relief: Regular and prolonged exposure to heat can help reduce pain and stiffness. Whether you’re a professional athlete or a busy parent you will feel the benefits.
- Increased immunity: Increasing circulation will give your immune system a boost to help fight off those nasty colds and flus.
- Burn Calories: The increased heat raises your metabolic rate which burns more calories.
- Rejuvenated skin: By removing all those toxins and dead skin cells your skin will look and feel healthier
But should I sauna before or after a workout? There is no black and white answer but below we will take a deeper look at both options.
Sauna Before Workout
Many people warn against having a sauna before exercise. They would be right in doing so as if done incorrectly it can have a negative impact on your workout and health.
Like most things, if done correctly it can have a positive impact. Let’s look at why having a pre-workout sauna can be positive.
Having a sauna literally warms your body up. Slowly stretching in a sauna before a workout will get your body ready to go. Having a routine for exercise helps prepare the body for what’s to come.
If you make a habit of having a sauna before your workout the body will intuitively prepare itself for exercise. It is important though that you are careful in the way that you sauna before exercise. Below are our top tips for having a sauna before a workout.
- Limit your sauna session to 5 minutes Your heart rate will rise to between 120-150 bpm in the sauna, this is the equivalent to moderate exercise for most people. Remember the point of the sauna is a warm up
- Sip away on water while in the sauna Even in 5 minutes you will sweat quite a bit. You don’t want to start your workout on the backfoot dehydrated. Make sure you replace the fluids you lose. Remember small sips is always better than one big gulp at the end
- If you wear shoes for your workout have them on. Trying to fit your hot sweaty feet into socks and shoes is a nightmare. Even in as little as 5 minutes your feet will swell so make sure you’ve got them on ready to go
- Create a mantra or saying for the end of the sauna Saunas are very relaxing for the mind. It is very important to “switch on” when we are exercising or working out. By having a small saying that you say out loud this will help you transition from relaxing warm sauna to beast mode. It can be as simple as “lets rock” or “let’s rolls”. It might seem a bit silly at first but the power of self talk is huge.
If you feel light headed or ill at all during or at the end of your sauna it is important that you do not go ahead with your workout.
Sauna After Workout
Having a sauna session after a workout can have some serious health benefits above and beyond the normal benefits that we covered earlier. Let’s look at the main 3 benefits of having a sauna post-workout.
- Removes toxins Continuing the body’s sweating process you will remove toxins built up in your skin. More importantly it will help to clear any built up lactic acid in your muscles from your work out.
- Faster muscle recovery A sauna session helps the muscles to relax after an intense workout. Relaxed muscles that have been flushed of lactic can begin the repair and regenerate process.
- An increase in physical performance and endurance
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An increase in blood volume helps you perform better and longer. This would be considered the biggest benefit specifically to having a sauna after a workout. We will take a deeper look at this below.
Research has shown that a sauna session after exercise can enhance endurance performance. The study looked at six distance runners and how their performance changed with sauna use 1 after exercise. The participants had a 30 minute sauna session after a treadmill workout. They repeated the same exercise cycle without the sauna and saw a decrease in performance. The conclusion of the study was that the participants’ blood volume increased which increased their endurance. Let’s take a closer look to how this occurs.
When you have a hard workout you’re always going to be a little bit dehydrated. Dehydration means you are going to have a lower blood volume. Having a sauna session heats your body which causes it to send your blood to the surface to lower your body temperature. This means there is less blood flowing to your vital organs which they respond to by producing EPO and plasma. This in turn increases your overall blood volume and its ability to move oxygen around your body. When you are rehydrated correctly you should see an increase in your performance and endurance. It is important to note we are talking about a low level of dehydration. Having a sauna session when severely dehydrated is dangerous and not recommended.
So What Should I Do?
There is no right or wrong answer to our original question “Should I sauna before or after a workout?”. It all comes down to your personal preference and what you are wanting to achieve.
1 Scoon, Guy & Hopkins, William & Mayhew, Simon & Cotter, James. (2007). Effect of post-exercise sauna bathing on the endurance performance of competitive male runners. Journal of science and medicine in sport / Sports Medicine Australia. 10. 259-62. 10.1016/j.jsams.2006.06.009.
For some the thought of going into a hot sweaty environment after a workout is a major barrier. A few minutes spent in the sauna before exercise might be all they can handle, and that can certainly have benefits if done in the correct way.
If you are looking to increase your performance as an athlete then undoubtedly having a sauna after a workout has undeniable benefits. At the end of the day whether you are having your sauna before or after a workout the main thing is you’re having a sauna. This is going to have a positive impact on your health. Remember to always sauna in a safe and responsible way. If you are feeling ill or light headed leave the sauna. Always consult your doctor before taking up the practise of sauna if you have any underlying medical conditions or are taking medication.
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