There is nothing more soothing, satisfying, and relaxing than spending time in a sauna after a busy day at the office or after a long session of workout. Whenever you use the sauna, it offers you multiple health benefits. However, excessive use of the best thing could cause you harm, and saunas too, have some drawbacks and limitations if you use them excessively. Multiple studies have shown that excessive use of sauna and long sitting sessions could cause you numerous health issues. Therefore, You must use the sauna moderately.
We know what you are thinking right now. You must be thinking about how long you should stay in a sauna to get the health benefits and to avoid any type of adverse effects. The Royal sauna team has prepared this blog for those who want to use the sauna to get the ultimate health benefits without any negative effect. If you are one of them, we dedicate this blog to you. So keep on reading, and we will let you know, how long should you stay in a sauna.
- How Long Should You Stay in a Sauna?
- Why Should You Use the Sauna?
- How Long Should You Sit in a Sauna?
- How Long is Too Long for a Sauna User?
- What Happens If You Stay for Too Long in a Sauna?
- In Which Conditions Sauna is Not Good for You?
- Some Risks Associated With Sauna
- How Often You Should Use a Sauna?
- How to Use Sauna Properly to Get Health Benefits?
- Some FAQs About How Long Should You Stay in Sauna
How Long Should You Stay in a Sauna?
If you are a new user, you must know the ideal time to stay in a sauna to get the benefits and avoid negative outcomes. However, before you know the perfect duration to stay in a sauna, it is vital to know why should you use the sauna. So let’s start the discussion.
Why Should You Use the Sauna?
You could get multiple health benefits by just sitting in a sauna. Following are some remarkable health benefits you could get from a sauna.
- Post Workout Recovery
- You feel Relaxed and Calm
- Remove toxins from Your Body
- Help you Fighting Against Multiple Diseases
- Improve Your Sleep Patterns
Post Workout Recovery
The sauna sessions could give you remarkable health benefits if you use the sauna after a workout. It boosts up the fat and calorie burning. Moreover, if you have done an intense workout session at the gym and you are feeling muscles, body, and joint pain. The saunas have a remedy for you, and the process is just too simple. Get in the sauna for 15-20 minutes, and you will get rid of the sore muscles, body aches and joint pain. The warmth and soothing temperature bring calmness to your body, and you will feel relaxed. Therefore, if you are feeling lethargic after a workout, get in a sauna and it will help you in recovering from the pain and muscle soreness.
You Feel Relax and Calm
The soothing warmth in the sauna environment helps you in relaxing. The heat of the sauna penetrates in your body and stimulates the release of the endorphins that give you a feeling of happiness and relaxation. Moreover, the sauna ambiance is quiet, peaceful, and tranquil, and it frees you from any sort of distraction and allows you to be yourself. The saunas give you an opportunity to be yourself and allows you to spend some quality time in your own company and ultimately bring a positive change in your mood and mental health.
Remove Toxins from Your Body
The warm ambiance and heat of the sauna penetrate your body, and when your body temperature increases, your nervous system sends a signal to the sweating gland to start sweating. The sweating has water and some toxic chemicals and when you sweat your body not only release water, but it gets rid of certain toxic chemicals as well. Therefore, a sauna could help you in the detoxification of your body.
Help You Fighting Against Multiple Diseases
Multiple studies show that if you use a sauna on a regular basis, it helps you in fighting various diseases. The heat dilates your blood vessels and normalizes your blood pressure. Moreover, it helps you in fighting against multiple respiratory system issues. Furthermore, it helps you in fighting against obesity by burning calories and fats from your body. Therefore, if you want to enjoy all these benefits, get a sauna and spend a few minutes sitting in the sauna to notice multiple positive changes in your body.
Improve Your Sleep Patterns
Many of us have messed up sleeping schedules and if we improve our sleeping patterns we could overcome many physical and mental health issues. Amazingly, a sauna could have positive effects on your sleeping patterns. If you get a sauna session, your mind, and body and get relaxed and you will get a quality sleep and wake up fresh and relaxed.
So these are the health benefits of a sauna that you can get if you sit in the sauna regularly. However, make sure to sit for an appropriate time to get the positive changes and avoid any issues. What is the ideal time and how long should you sit in the sauna to get the health benefits? Let us reveal it to you.
How Long Should You Sit in a Sauna?
How long should you stay in a sauna? The answer to this question depends upon what type of user you are. The perfect timing to get the sauna bath varies for beginners, post workout users, and the experienced users.
For Beginners
If you are a beginner, the Royal sauna suggests you to sit in the sauna for 5 to 10 minutes and you must not sit in a sauna more than this. The sauna offers your numerous health benefits, but abrupt changes in your routine could bring negative repercussions for your body and health. Therefore, always start with small steps and sit for just 5 to 10 minutes and then gradually increase the sitting duration. Moreover, if there are upper and lower benches in the sauna, the Royal Sauna suggests new users to sit on the lower bench.
Post Workout Users
Studies show that if you use the sauna after a workout, it could bring multiple positive changes in your body. It helps in recovering your muscles, reduces body aches and joint pain. Moreover, it boosts the calorie and fat burn. Therefore, it is recommended to use the sauna after a workout. However, perfect timings are crucial. The Royal Sauna suggests you to sit in the sauna for 10 minutes if you are using it after a workout. Additionally, it would be best if you sit on the lower bench in the sauna.
For Experienced Users
The perfect timings to sit in a sauna is different for the experienced users because they are regularly using the sauna and their body is adaptable to the changes. So, if you are an experienced user, you can spend 15-20 minutes in a sauna to get all the health benefits without getting any adverse effects. Moreover, if you have an infrared sauna, you can sit in the sauna for 20-25 minutes because the infrared sauna has a relatively lower temperature and your body can bear it for a longer time.
Furthermore, many saunas have upper and lower benches; even if you are an experienced user, the Royal Sauna suggests you change your sitting on the upper and lower bench to get an idea of which sitting and temperature suits you the most. If you are used to high temperatures and your body could bear it for 15-20 minutes, you can sit on the upper bench. Otherwise, the lower bench is suitable for you.
How Long is Too Long for a Sauna User?
Many users ask this question that how long is too long for the sauna users. The answer to this question is very subjective and it depends upon the stamina, experience, and body strength of the user that how long he/she could sit without getting any health issues.
For Beginners
If you are beginner and you want to get the health benefits of a sauna, you can sit in the sauna for 5 to 10 minutes. Anything more than this could adversely affect your health and body. Therefore, avoid sitting in the sauna for more than 10 minutes.
Post Workout Sessions
If you use the sauna after your workout, the Royal Sauna suggests you to sit for maximum 10 minutes in the sauna. You have lost a lot of water in sweating during your workout, and if you sit in the sauna for too long, you will further lose the water. The long session after the workout could cause you dehydration and other health problems.
For Experienced Users
If you are an experienced user, you have got enough strength and stamina to bear the heat and humidity of the sauna. Therefore, you can sit in a sauna for a longer time. However, if you are using traditional sauna, it must not exceed from the 20 minutes, and in case of the infrared sauna you can sit for maximum 25 minutes without any danger of health issues. Even if you use the sauna frequently, but you haven’t built enough stamina, you can sit for a specific time according to your stamina. It is not necessary to sit for the longer sessions.
What Happens If You Stay for Too Long in a Sauna?
Sauna loves the users who use it moderately, and it offers you countless health benefits to only those users who use it wisely and for a specific time. If you stay in the sauna for a longer time, you have to face the following negative repercussions for your body and health.
Dehydration
Your body needs water to function properly, and it needs water in a specific amount. If you sit in the sauna for too long beyond your body’s stamina and strength, you lose a lot of water in sweating. Therefore, by staying in the sauna for too long, you will be at the risk of dehydration that will further bring multiple other health issues.
Dizziness
The heat and warm temperature of the sauna is soothing and relaxing for you, only if you use it for a specific time. If you stay for too long, you feel dizzy and profound sleep that is not good for your health and body.
Respiratory Issues
No doubt sauna could help you in fighting against your breathing and respiratory issues, but it does so only if you sit for a limited time. If you sit in the sauna, specifically in a traditional sauna, you could face breathing issues because of the humid environment of the sauna. Therefore, the Royal Sauna suggests you must avoid sitting in the sauna for too long.
High blood Pressure
The heat of the sauna dilates the blood vessels and it ultimately increases the blood circulation in your body. If you sit for a longer time, it raises your blood pressure. If you are a high blood pressure patient, sitting in the sauna for too long could raise your blood pressure to a dangerous level. Therefore, you must avoid sitting in the sauna for too long.
Heart Rate
The heat of the sauna increases your blood circulation and ultimately increases your heart rate. If you are a heart patient, you must avoid sitting in the sauna because it could be lethally damaging for your heart health.
If you are using a sauna and feel any of these signs, the Royal Sauna suggests you must immediately open the door and allow fresh air into the sauna. Moreover, you must not use the sauna for a few days to avoid any complicated health issues.
In Which Conditions Sauna is Not Good for You?
The sauna offers multiple health benefits. However, there are certain conditions in which sauna is not good for you and if you use the sauna in those conditions, it will inflict you harm than doing any good. The Royal Sauna suggests you must avoid the sauna if you have any of the following health conditions.
Pregnant Women
Pregnant women must avoid the heat and high temperature of the sauna during pregnancy. The body temperature during pregnancy is already high, and if in such case you go into the sauna, the sauna heat further raises your body temperature, and it is damaging for your and baby’s health. Therefore, you must not use sauna if you are a mommy to be.
Young Children
Sauna is designed for the adults, and the body of young children could not endure the heat and high temperature of the sauna. Therefore, you must keep the young children away from the sauna otherwise it would be damaging for their health.
People with Health Issuse
Certain health conditions could not endure the heat and high temperature of the sauna. Therefore, if you have any of the following health conditions, you must avoid the sauna because it could be life threatening.
- High blood pressure
- Heart issues
- Diabetes
- Respiratory issues
Under the Influence of Alcohol
If you are under the influence of alcohol, you must avoid sitting in the sauna. Alcohol raises your body temperature and if you sit in the sauna after drinking alcohol, the heat causes more damage and health issues.
Some Risks Associated With Sauna
Everything that has a bright side to offer you countless benefits, has a bleak side with some drawback and saunas are no exception in this regard. Following are some risks that you could face while using the sauna.
Increase Your Body Temperature
If you are exposed to heat in the sauna for a longer time, the heat in the sauna could damage your body’s cooling system and the normal temperature of your body remain high. Therefore, you must not sit in the sauna for a longer time.
Heat Burns
You are at a risk of burns if you use the traditional saunas. To avoid the heat burns, the Royal Sauna suggests you to sit at a lower bench in the sauna and you must not spend more than recommended time to avoid the heat burns. However, if you use the infrared sauna, the chances of heat burns are minimized.
Affects Reproductivity in Men
Multiple studies have shown that the heat of the sauna affects the reproductivity in men. The heat and high temperature of the sauna, raises the temperature of the testicles, which reduces the sperm count in men. Therefore, if you want a baby, the Royal Sauna suggests you to avoid the sauna at least for the time duration you want to conceive.
How Often You Should Use a Sauna?
The sauna increases blood circulation, reduces body pain and aches, strengthens your immune system, boosts your metabolic system, and gets all these benefits you must use the sauna. However, a question arises that how often you should use the sauna to get all these benefits.
The Royal Sauna suggests you to use the sauna once in a week to get these health benefits. However, if you are healthy and your body has stamina, you can go to sauna more than once in a week. But, in case, you noticed some negative affects on your health and body, you must avoid going to the sauna before you recover from those negative changes.
How to Use Sauna Properly to Get Health Benefits?
If you want to properly use the sauna to get the health benefits without getting any adverse effects, the Royal Sauna suggests following the following tips and precautionary measures.
Adjust to the Surrounding Ambiance
Once you use the sauna, your body temperature increase and therefore, you have to give ample time to your body to adjust to the surrounding ambiance temperature before going into the cold shower. This will help you adjust your body temperature and save your body from the shocking effects. s
Drink Plenty of Water
When you sit in the sauna, your body temperature increases, and your body lose a lot of water in sweating. If you don’t drink enough water, you may face the issue of dehydration, therefore the Royal Sauna suggests to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration.
Take Care of Your Diet
If you are going to get a session at sauna, the Royal Sauna suggests to take care of your diet. It would be best if you eat a meal before sitting in the sauna. You could lose a lot of your energy in the heat and high temperature of the sauna, therefore you must eat your meal before getting into the sauna.
Leave the Suana If You Feel Uncomfortable
The session duration depends upon your choice and health conditions. If you have built the stamina, you can stay in the sauna for 25 to 30 minutes. However, if you feel uncomfortable in the sauna, the Royal Sauna suggests you to immediately leave the sauna and get into the fresh air to feel normal and comfortable again.
Some FAQs About How Long Should You Stay in Sauna
What Happens If You Stay in the Sauna for too Long?
The Royal Sauna suggests you must not stay in the sauna for too long. If you do so, you can face severe dehydration, dizziness, and headaches. Therefore, if you don’t want to feel the adverse effects of the sauna, avoid overstaying in the sauna.
How Long Should You Stay in the Sauna?
Your stay in the sauna depends upon your stamina, health conditions, and the type of the sauna. If you are a new user, you must not stay in the sauna for more than 5 minutes. However, if you have built the stamina, you can sit in the sauna for 20 to 25 minutes. Moreover, if you have a traditional sauna, you should sit for the small sauna sessions. However, you can sit for the longer sessions if you have an infrared sauna.
How Long Should You Stay in the Sauna to Lose Weight?
If you want to lose weight you should sit in the sauna according to your health conditions and stamina. The Royal Sauna suggests you not be hard on yourself. Sit for the session as long as you can endure the heat and temperature of the sauna. The duration of the session could be different for different users.