No matter if you are visiting a spa, or you are lucky enough to have your own home sauna, safety is key.
Saunas are incredibly relaxing and can have all sorts of positive health effects, but can also pose a risk to your health if you do not take the appropriate precautions when using them.
As you might expect, the main threat of sauna use comes from over exposure to heat for a prolonged period of time, whether through overheating or dehydration.
Follow the following 7 top tips and your sauna experiences will be fantastic every single time.
Tip 1: Limit the time you spend in the sauna
The saying that you can have too much of a good thing is highly relevant to sauna use. In general, it is recommended that you limit your sauna sessions to around the 20 minute mark, and certainly no more than 30 minutes. There are some exceptions to this rule, if you have an infrared sauna for example sessions can be slightly longer, but this is a good place to start, especially if you are new to saunas.
Tip 2: Rehydrate
You lose a lot of fluid during a sauna session in the form of sweat and this is one of the reasons that staying in too long can result in dehydration. You should make sure to drink plenty before and after going in your sauna to counter this threat and might even take a bottle in with you.
If you experience any of the symptoms of dehydration such as headaches or dizziness you should leave the sauna immediately and contact a doctor is they persist.
Tip 3: Relax afterwards
Give your body the time that it needs to recover from a sauna session and take a 15 minute break after leaving the sauna before you resume your daily activities.
If you are going through a hold/cold cycle, take a break between each circuit.
Tip 4: Beware the cold dip
There is a long standing tradition in Nordic countries of going straight from the sauna into a freezing lake or ice bath but if your body is not used to such extremes the risk of an adverse reaction does increase.
Instead, why not take a cool shower to try out the effect before gradually getting colder once you know your limits. It is certainly worth trying out cold/hot treatments, however, as the health benefits can be significant.
Tip 5: Do not drink alcohol in the sauna
Alcohol dehydrates the body and this, combines with the effect of a sauna can have a dangerous effect on the body. When you are under the influence it can also be more difficult to notice your body’s natural warnings that something is wrong.
Tip 6: Be Aware
You know your body better than anyone, so listen to it. Saunas are not meant to be painful or to make you feel unwell, if your body is telling you that something is wrong get out and talk to a doctor before trying again.