If you have walked past the sauna at Hammer’s Gym in Nunawading and wondered whether it is worth the time, this is your introduction. Regular sauna use is one of the few wellness habits with genuinely strong long-term research behind it, and it happens to feel wonderful. Here are the sauna health benefits the evidence supports, the ones it does not, and how to get the most from our infrared sauna, which many members prefer to the traditional kind. For the difference between the two, see infrared sauna vs traditional sauna.
1. Improved circulation and recovery
Heat dilates your blood vessels and raises your heart rate gently, increasing blood flow throughout the body. That improves the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to muscles and soft tissue, which speeds recovery after a hard Muay Thai, BJJ or lifting session, eases soreness and stiffness and supports tissue repair. Improved circulation and relaxation also help mobility, making a post-sauna stretch unusually productive; see our contrast therapy routine. If you are coming back from injury, gentle heat can be a useful part of recovery, though check with your physio first.
2. Cardiovascular health and longevity
The most striking sauna research comes from Finland, where a study following more than 2,000 middle-aged men for around 20 years found that frequent sauna users had substantially lower rates of fatal cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality than those who used the sauna once a week; men using it four to seven times a week had roughly 40 per cent lower all-cause mortality over the study period. You can read the study in JAMA Internal Medicine. It is observational, so it shows association rather than proof, but the findings are consistent with sauna’s effects on blood pressure, vascular function and stress. One proposed mechanism is hormesis: repeated exposure to heat stress triggers protective responses, including heat shock proteins, that make the body more resilient.
3. A gentle cardiovascular workout
Sitting in a sauna raises your heart rate in a way similar to light exercise, which is why it has been called the lazy person’s workout. It does not replace training, and the energy it burns is modest, but for anyone injured, older or easing back into activity it is a low-effort way to give the heart and circulation some work.
4. Relaxation, mood and sleep
Heat relaxes muscle, quiets the nervous system and triggers a release of endorphins, so most people leave feeling calmer and in a better mood. Many members report deeper sleep on sauna nights, and sleep is the foundation of every other recovery process. Read how exercise and recovery help with stress.
5. Skin
A deep sweat and increased blood flow tend to leave skin feeling clearer and looking fresher. Just shower afterwards and moisturise.
What sauna does not do
Sweating does not “detox” you; your liver and kidneys do that, and sauna is not a cure for a big night out. Nor does it burn fat; the weight you lose in a session is water and returns when you rehydrate. The real benefits are circulation, recovery, cardiovascular health and relaxation, and they are more than enough.
Hydration and nutrition
You sweat heavily in a sauna and lose fluid and minerals with it. Drink water before and after, and eat a nutritious meal after your session to replace what you have lost. Our recovery foods guide has ideas.
When is the best time to sauna?
The time you will actually do it. Some members go in the morning, some use a short pre-training session to warm up in winter (a trick borrowed from old-school Olympic weightlifting teams), most use it after training to recover, and plenty use it in the evening to relax before bed. Fifteen to twenty minutes, two to four times a week, is a good target. Start shorter if you are new to it.
Safety
Sauna is low-risk for most healthy adults, but experiences vary. Step out if you feel dizzy, never use it after alcohol, and check with your doctor before starting regular sessions if you are pregnant or have heart, blood pressure or other medical conditions. Our full infrared sauna guidelines cover the details.
Happy sweating
For most people the sauna is high reward for low risk: a research-backed way to recover, relax and look after your heart, and a pleasant way to end a session. The infrared sauna is part of the recovery zone at Hammer’s Gym alongside the cold plunge and massage chairs; see our recovery hacks for how members combine them. Not yet a member? Claim a free one-day trial in Nunawading, minutes from Mitcham, Blackburn, Box Hill and Doncaster.