How Long Should I Stay In, and At What Temperature?
It depends on your goal and your experience level, but the key principle is this: the sauna should challenge you, not deplete you.
Used correctly, it becomes a ritual that strengthens your cardiovascular system, clears your mind, and restores your body from the inside out.
For Recovery & Muscle Relaxation
After training or contrast therapy sessions:
- Temperature: 80–90°C
- Duration: 15–20 minutes
- Frequency: 3–5 times per week
This range is ideal for easing muscle tension, improving circulation, and accelerating recovery. Your heart rate gently elevates, blood vessels expand, and nutrient-rich blood floods tired muscles, all without the physical stress of exercise.
🔹 For Detox & Circulation
When your goal is deep sweat and cellular renewal:
- Temperature: 85–90°C
- Duration: 10–15 minutes (split into 2–3 rounds if desired)
- Frequency: 2–4 times per week
Higher heat sessions stimulate the release of heat shock proteins (HSPs) — powerful molecules that protect your cells from damage, improve mitochondrial health, and assist in detoxifying heavy metals and toxins through sweat.
Finish with a cold plunge or shower to contract blood vessels and enhance circulation, the alternating heat and cold creates a natural “vascular workout.”
For Relaxation, Mindfulness & Better Sleep
Evening or stress-relief sessions:
- Temperature: 75–85°C
- Duration: 20–30 minutes
- Frequency: 2–3 times per week
At these milder temperatures, your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and recovery mode) takes over. Cortisol drops, serotonin and dopamine rise, and your mind enters a calm, meditative state. As your body cools naturally afterwards, your core temperature drop mimics the body’s pre-sleep rhythm — helping you fall asleep faster and sleep deeper.
The Science Behind It
Every sauna session triggers a controlled heat stress response, heart rate rises, circulation improves, and your body begins to adapt to heat more efficiently.
This process (called thermogenesis) strengthens your cardiovascular system and increases your body’s tolerance to stress. Over time, regular use is linked to:
- Lower blood pressure
- Improved heart rate variability (HRV)
- Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease
- Enhanced endurance and post-workout recovery
Listen to Your Body
Hydrate well, take breaks between rounds, and exit if you feel dizzy or overly fatigued.
You should feel rejuvenated, not drained.
Finish with a cold rinse or plunge to seal in the benefits and bring your body back into balance, completing the ritual of contrast.
The sauna isn’t a race, it’s a rhythm.
Find your heat, breathe deeply, and let the body do the work.