For hundreds of years, people have enjoyed the physical and mental benefits of saunas. They’ve become especially popular in the fitness world because of their perceived advantages when it comes to promoting heart and muscle health.
If you’d like to make the sauna part of your fitness journey, you might wonder which is better: sauna before or after workout?
This guide covers the ways sauna use can support your overall well-being so that you can determine whether to hit the heat before or after your workout.
What Is a Sauna?
While there are several varieties, a traditional sauna is usually a wood-lined room heated to between 150-195 degrees Fahrenheit (65-90 Celsius). Some saunas also incorporate steam, but more often than not, they use dry heat. Why?
Time spent in high heat raises your heart rate and makes you sweat (more on the advantages of this later). In fact, it can feel like a workout—even though you’re sitting still. Saunas are safe for most people to use, and in some countries, such as Finland, they serve as a major social hub. However, you should avoid saunas if you have certain health conditions, such as hypertension or heart disease. If in doubt, check with your doctor first.
What Can 10 Minutes in a Sauna Do?
Saunas raise your heart rate and make you sweat. But what are the advantages of this? Interestingly, research indicates that sauna use, even in short sessions, offers major health benefits, such as:
- Relaxation – Sitting in a sauna can soothe a stressed-out body. Studies show that saunas are effective at lowering elevated levels of cortisol (the stress hormone).
- Muscle recovery – Heat increases blood flow, which can help heal sore muscles and promote quicker recovery.
- Circulation – Plenty of research indicates that regular heat exposure improves cardiovascular health.
- Detoxification – Saunas may help your body eliminate harmful substances through sweat, such as heavy metals.
- Skin health – Sweat also traps and removes bacteria and dead skin cells. This helps rejuvenate skin and gives it a clearer appearance.
Frequent users often notice improvements in sleep quality, too. They also report fewer colds and cases of the flu.
What’s more, the combination of all these benefits can also help boost your overall mood. This can make it easier to stay motivated to get to the gym.
High Profile Users
Many top athletes turn to saunas when they need help with recovery and conditioning. In fact, saunas are a popular recovery method for competitive weightlifters and are even a feature in most NFL and MLB clubhouses.
Gwen Jorgensen, world champion triathlete in 2014 and 2015, and winner of the 2016 triathlon Gold Medal, incorporates regular sauna use into her training regimen.
She credits heat exposure with:
- Raising her red blood cell count
- Improving her sleep quality
- Loosening her muscles after a grueling workout
She also states that time in the sauna helps her keep a calm mind amidst a hectic schedule of training and family life.
Another example is fitness guru Wim Hof. Although he’s better known for his commitment to cold exposure, he also endorses the sauna as a phenomenal way to strengthen the brain’s thermoregulator and promote social connection.
Hof once stated: “You bring 100 people together and they are all strangers, but in the sauna, you open up because your body is opening up. And then your mind follows.”
When Is the Best Time to Go to the Sauna?
So, you’ve decided to try using the sauna—but will it be more beneficial before your workout or after?
Ultimately, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. You can experience the benefits of sauna use both before and after your gym sessions.
Sauna Before Your Workout
It’s more common to find people using the sauna post-exercise, but there are solid reasons to consider getting some heat before you hit the weights.
A pre-workout sauna is a fantastic way to:
- Warm up – Since heat loosens muscles, increases blood flow, and raises your core temperature, heading to the sauna before your workout is an excellent way to ease into the warm-up process (although it shouldn’t completely replace it).
- Focus – It can be tough to get into the right headspace for a workout, especially if you’re coming straight from a challenging day at school or the office. A pre-workout sauna can help clear your mind and get you ready to focus on your training.
- Enhance cardio performance – Because sauna use can strengthen the cardiovascular system, sitting in one before a tough workout can help improve both endurance and cardio performance.
But there are also some possible drawbacks to consider:
- Dehydration – Saunas make you sweat, which can lead to dehydration. To combat this, be sure to drink plenty of water before your sauna session and throughout your workout.
- Electrolyte imbalance – Heavy sweating also depletes critical electrolytes your body needs for a workout. To that end, make sure to load up on electrolytes before jumping into the sauna.
Fatigue – Although it can feel relaxing, high heat is fairly taxing on your system. If you overdo it in the sauna, it can be tough to make it through your workout afterward.When adding saunas to your fitness regimen, it’s best to begin with smaller time increments. Studies recommend starting with 5-10 minute intervals until you get used to the effects. Monitor how you feel while exercising afterward and adjust your time accordingly.
Sauna After Your Workout
You’ve pushed yourself, and now it’s time to unwind after your workout. Spending some time in the sauna is the perfect way to top off a training session.
Some benefits of post-exercise sauna use include:
- Muscle recovery – Elevated temperatures cause blood vessels to dilate and encourage blood flow to your muscles. This extra boost delivers oxygen and nutrients which can help rebuild your muscle tissue.
- Inflammation reduction – If you’re feeling stiff and sore, spending 10 minutes in the sauna can help reduce inflammation (and soreness) in your muscles and joints. This helps increase flexibility and aids in injury prevention.
- Mental relief – A strenuous workout can be mentally challenging. The sauna is an excellent space to let your mind relax and recenter. This type of deep relaxation releases endorphins which can lift your mood.
In order to get the most out of these benefits (and avoid negative side effects), you’ll want to take the following steps after exiting the sauna:
- Rehydrate – The biggest risk of the sauna is dehydration. After sauna use, drink plenty of water or a sports beverage to replace what you’ve sweated out.
- Cool down – Take at least 10 minutes to allow your body temperature to drop. Sit or lie down at room temperature, or take a cool shower.
- Replenish electrolytes – Your electrolyte levels will likely be low after a workout and sauna session. Coconut water or protein-rich foods like chicken can replenish these.
You should also wait 10 minutes after exercising to enter the sauna. This gives you a chance to hydrate and allows your body to recover from the workout.
Is it Better to Sauna on a Rest Day?
Taking an occasional rest day to give your muscles time to recover is important, and the sauna is an excellent way to soothe sore muscles and promote healing. It also keeps you in the habit of going to the gym regularly, even if it’s not to exercise.
All the benefits of using the sauna post-workout apply here, as well as the same precautions, such as staying hydrated.
A solid rest day should also include some low-impact activities like:
- Walking
- Stretching
- Swimming
- Yoga
- Cycling
Experiment with different combinations to find what works best for you.
Let Your Goals Be Your Guide
We’ll say it again: there’s no right answer when it comes to whether you should sauna before or after gym.
When making the decision, it’s helpful to map out your goals. Think about where you are relative to where you want to be. Think about where benefits like muscle relaxation could make the most impact.
Ask yourself questions like:
- Is it tough for me to get warmed up?
- Does morning soreness often demotivate me when it comes to working out?
- Is my mind usually scattered and tense when I arrive at the gym?
- Do I need to decompress after my workout before returning to my daily routine?
Answering these questions can help you get a clearer picture of where the sauna can best serve your goals.
Listen to Your Body
The way to discover what works for you is to listen to your body. Try using the sauna before your workout and see how you feel. If it helps, keep going. If it makes you tired or throws off your flow, try it post-workout.
Keep in mind that there may be some days when pre-workout is the move and other days when it’s best to wait.
Ultimately, your body will let you know the right choice.
Chuze Fitness: Amenities Everyone Deserves
At Chuze Fitness, we believe that everyone deserves to reach their health and fitness goals. But there’s more to optimal fitness than lifting weights or hitting the treadmill—healing and recovery are just as critical. And they shouldn’t be out of reach for anyone.
That’s why Chuze Fitness gyms feature a world-class roster of amenities like gyms with sauna (infrared and traditional), steam rooms, cryo chairs, and hydro massage.
Become a member, and discover the gym you’ve been waiting for today.
Sources:
Healthline. How and Why to Use a Sauna. https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-use-a-sauna
Healthline. Are Saunas Good For You? Understanding the Benefits vs. the Risks. https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/are-saunas-good-for-you#when-to-avoid
GoodRX. 11 Sauna Benefits That’ll Have You Ready to Feel the Heat. https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/alternative-treatments/sauna-benefits
Sage Journals. Endocrine Effects of Repeated Hot Thermal Stress and Cold Water Immersion in Young Adult Men.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15579883211008339
Finnleo. Gold Medal Olympian, Gwen Jorgensen, Uses Her Sauna for Health, Workout Recovery and Family Time.
https://www.finnleo.com/finnleo-blog/gwen-jorgensen
SaunaTimes. Wim Hof Talks About Enjoying Sauna as Part of His Cold Plunge Therapy.
https://www.saunatimes.com/featured-posts/wim-hof-talks-enjoying-sauna-part-cold-plunge-therapy/
Hone Health. What’s Most Beneficial: a Sauna Before or After Your Workout? https://honehealth.com/edge/fitness/best-benefits-sauna-before-or-after-workout/
National Library of Medicine. Effects of regular sauna bathing in conjunction with exercise on cardiovascular function: a multi-arm, randomized controlled trial.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9394774/
Human Kinetics. Maintain health/fitness facility sauna, steam room, and whirlpool operating standards.
https://us.humankinetics.com/blogs/excerpt/maintain-health-fitness-facility-sauna-steam-room-and-whirlpool-operating-standards
Reviewed By:
Ani is the Vice President of Fitness at Chuze Fitness and oversees the group fitness and team training departments. She’s had a 25+ year career in club management, personal training, group exercise and instructor training. Ani lives with her husband and son in San Diego, CA and loves hot yoga, snowboarding and all things wellness.
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