UrbanUpdate

If you're wondering about sauna benefits, you're in the right place. Sweating can be gross. (Just take a whiff of your heavy, sweat-soaked T-shirt and shorts after an outdoor run in the summer heat.) But it can also be really good for you. In many cultures, relaxing in a home sauna is the preferred way to work up a good sweat.

Research shows that the range of sauna benefits includes your skin, cardiovascular health, immunity, and brain health. But if you want to get the most out of your sauna sessions, it’s important to know how often you should go—and how long you should spend in there—for your body to benefit.

The difference between dry saunas, infrared saunas, and steam rooms

If you’re new to the heated world of saunas, the first thing you should know is that there are different types. The three big terms you’ll hear being thrown around are dry saunas, infrared saunas, and steam rooms. Deepak Nair, MD, a neurologist at OSF Healthcare, explains that the most well-known and scientifically studied type of sauna is the dry sauna. Also known as a Finnish sauna, he explains that a dry sauna is a small, enclosed heated room that uses dry heat generated by a gas, wood, or electric heater and is typically around 200℉.

Steam rooms (also known as “wet saunas”) are different. Dr. Nair explains that while both are heated rooms and can reach the same temperatures, steam rooms generate moist heat and have more humidity. As the name implies, the heat comes from steam. Think of a dry sauna as the West Coast in the summer and a steam room as the South in the summer; it’s still hot, but it’s a different kind of heat.

Infrared saunas are a little different. Infrared saunas use a form of light energy called far infrared (FIR) waves, which penetrate the skin. Infrared saunas can be small, enclosed rooms similar to dry saunas or steam rooms, but there are also infrared blankets that can be used too. These blankets heat the body without heating up the room.

8 Science-Backed Sauna Benefits

Since dry saunas are a normal part of different cultures (including Finland, Russia, Turkey, Iceland, and Japan), this is the type of sauna that’s been scientifically studied the most. That said, there are benefits to using any of the three types of saunas, which are explained below.

1. It’s good for your heart

Cardiologist Mary Branch, MD, says that spending time in a dry sauna or steam room can benefit cardiovascular health. The major reason why, she says, is that it lowers blood pressure. This happens for a couple of reasons: One is because hanging out in a sauna is relaxing, and relaxation lowers blood pressure. The heat itself also lowers blood pressure by dilating blood vessels, which increases blood circulation.

2. It can help increase your V02 max

Experts say that V02 max (how much oxygen your body can take in and use during exercise) is one of the most important health metrics we have. Improving your V02 max can literally add years to your life—and using a sauna or steam room is one way to do it. “Being in a sauna mimics the physiological changes that happen during exercise,” Dr. Nair says.

Take a seat in a 200℉ room and you’ll notice your heart rate start to increase, just like it does during a workout. Dr. Nair explains that exercise creates a temporary stressful period of activity, followed by recovery. Being in a sauna is similar: Stress hormones are increased, but when you leave the sauna, the body recovers from this brief period of stress. (Cold plunges work similarly, by the way.) Scientific research shows that eight weeks of sitting in a sauna for 15 minutes after exercising three times a week improves V02 max more than just exercising alone.

3. Regular sauna sessions could help with ED

This one is a bit of a stretch, but hear us out: By now you know that one of the sauna benefits is increased blood circulation. This includes increased blood flow to the penis, which could help with erectile dysfunction. While scientists haven’t studied using a sauna specifically for this purpose, there is vast scientific research showing that good blood flow means good erections.

4. It’s good for your skin

Whether your idea of skincare is splashing your face with water or you have a whole seven-step routine, using a sauna can make your skin look even better. “The heat from the sauna increases blood flow and circulation, which can help nourish the skin and give it a healthy glow. Sweating in the sauna also helps to flush out toxins from the skin, unclogging pores, and potentially reducing the incidence of acne,” says dermatologist Hannah Kopelman, DO.

Infrared saunas have skin benefits too. “An infrared sauna uses infrared light to generate heat, which penetrates deeper into the skin and tissues. This can lead to more intense detoxification,” Dr. Kopelman says. Scientific research shows that infrared saunas can also help with hyperpigmentation and slow the appearance of wrinkles.

Dr. Kopelman emphasizes that all three types of saunas are great for skin health, so no matter which one you use, your skin will look better than ever.

5. You might get sick less often if you use a sauna

One single sauna session isn’t going to cure COVID or anything, but scientific research does show that using a sauna regularly improves immune health. Dr. Nair explains that this comes back to temporarily putting stress on the body causing short-term inflammation. It “trains” the body to recover from this short-term stress, which carries over into recovering from other types of bodily stress, like getting sick.

6. It could make you a better athlete

There’s a reason why so many gyms have a sauna; incorporating it into your workout routine can help you up your game. In one scientific study, people who regularly hit the sauna for three weeks after working out could run 32% further than the control group that didn’t use it. Better cardiovascular health (including improved V02 max) will upgrade your athletic performance—period.

While sauna sessions can help athletic performance, Dr. Branch says it isn’t likely to help with burning fat or weight loss. She says the impact would be minimal, if any.

7. Using a sauna is good for brain health

You may feel a little hazy immediately after using a sauna, but in the long run, Dr. Nair says there are neurological benefits to using one regularly. He points to scientific research connecting sauna use to a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s. In one study, men who used a sauna four to seven times a week had a 65% reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s than men who used a sauna once a week. Why? Dr. Nair says it, yet again, comes back to the benefits of increased blood flow. Good blood flow to the brain gets brain cells the nutrients they need while removing harmful toxins.

8. Relaxation

The simple fact that sitting in a sauna (or wrapping yourself up in an infrared blanket) is relaxing shouldn’t be overlooked. All three experts emphasize that prolonged high-levels of stress are bad for the entire body—heart, brain, skin, gut, all of it.

Tips for getting the most out of your sauna sessions

There are clearly a lot of sauna benefits, but going once or twice isn’t going to do much. Dr. Nair emphasizes that in order to get the maximum health benefits, it’s important to use a sauna regularly—just like many people living in Finland, Iceland, or Japan do. He recommends doing it a few times a week for 15 to 20 minutes. You can tack it on to the end of your workouts as a way to reward tired muscles, since many gyms have saunas. (All the experts say you don’t have to wait until after a workout to use a sauna; your body will benefit no matter when you do it.)

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If you’ve never used a sauna before, Dr. Nair says to start slowly. You may want to do it for just five minutes the first time and slowly work your way up to 15 or 20 minutes. He adds that it’s also important to hydrate before and after using a sauna, since you’re going to be sweating a lot. If you feel light-headed or faint, that’s a sign to step out of the sauna or steam room and take a break.

Don’t invite anyone you know is pregnant to go to the sauna with you. Dr. Branch says people who are pregnant should avoid saunas because it can raise body temperature, which could harm the fetus.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that frequenting a sauna does a body good. After all, most things that make you sweat are beneficial. And in general, Americans can learn from other cultures and do a better job of prioritizing relaxing activities, like sauna bathing. Heating the body up might just be one of the healthiest ways to chill.

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Emily Laurence is a journalist, freelance writer, and certified health coach living in Raleigh, North Carolina. She specializes in writing about health, lifestyle, and social justice. Emily spent six years as an editor and writer at Well+Good, covering everything from food trends to serious issues like the opioid crisis in... Read moreInstagramRelated Stories for GQHealthWorking Out