Should You Use a Sauna Every Day? How Often to Use a Sauna

Everyone from celebrities and pro athletes to mothers of 3 are seeking refuge in the benefits of infrared saunas. And with good reason. By simply sitting in a hot room for about 10 minutes, saunas can provide incredible health benefits with regular use. With pollution increasing in our city’s atmospheres and the stress of our hectic lifestyle, there are many reasons why to turn to the relaxing and detoxifying uses of infrared saunas. 

One of the great things about infrared saunas is that they can easily be incorporated into your regular health regimen. But should you use one every day? And for how long? Learn more about how often it is safe to use an infrared sauna, and why you should implement it into your wellness routine.

Why Infrared Saunas?

People love infrared saunas for relaxation, but did you know that you can unwind while improving your overall health and wellness? Here are some of the many health benefits infrared saunas are known for: 

Boost Your Immune System 

Infrared saunas raise your core body temperature into a sort of “artificial” fever, which may help enhance your immune system as it alerts the body’s immune response and triggers your mechanism to naturally strengthen. This response combined with improved elimination of toxins through intense sweating strengthens your body overall and helps you fight off potential threats such as diseases. Time in infrared saunas can raise your body temperature from 1 to up to 3 degrees, helping your body naturally build a stronger immune system.

Improve Heart Function 

Train your cardiovascular system while you sit back and relax! As your body begins to sweat, your heart works harder to pump blood, boosting circulation. The entire cardiovascular system is actively training during a session of infrared sauna, increasing the person’s heart rate. Studies have shown, the frequent use of saunas improves heart function in people with heart failure. A journal by the American Medical Association also suggests regular use of sauna shares similar benefits on the cardiovascular system as running. Frequent sauna bathing can even help reduce your risk of stroke. 

Maintain a Healthy Weight

Sauna bathing is popularly known for supporting weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight. Through increasing sweat production, heart rate, and circulation, your body’s metabolism is active and primed to burn more calories over time. While it isn’t going to be a quick weight loss solution, using an infrared sauna for 30 minutes may help you burn an additional 45 calories, which can add up easily with regular sauna use. Infrared saunas also help promote reduced stress, better sleep, detoxification, and better lipid regulation for improved metabolism.

Detoxify Your Whole System

It’s important to detoxify your body of built-up toxins. Consistent infrared sauna use is an effective way to shed accumulated toxic chemicals and heavy metals (such as lead and mercury) through sweating. The liver and kidneys then take over removing this toxic waste to leave the body purified and clean. In turn, this boosts and stimulates the entire metabolism. This detoxification can also help your body recover during sickness, hangovers, or even help with the process of quitting smoking.

Relax Your Body

Probably one of the most known and obvious benefits of saunas is their relaxing nature. Sitting in a hot room with a bathrobe after a long, stressful day is one of the best ways to unwind and relax your whole body. On top of that, infrared saunas can help improve sleep and reduce blood pressure. The daily ritual of sauna use can be implemented into any self-care routine. It’s the perfect excuse to have “me time” to meditate, breathe, and recenter yourself. You can also add sound therapy, chromotherapy, and aromatherapy to add extra touches of relaxation.

Relieve Pain

Saunas are an optimal way to relax muscle tissue and relieve pain. The increase in blood flow aids in post-exercise muscle recovery and eases joint stiffness providing a greater range of motion and improved flexibility. Far infrared sauna heat increases the thermal energy of your muscles which may also relieve tension. Sauna use could also provide temporary arthritis relief. Regular sauna use can help ease aches and pains from the day and provide relief from long-term conditions.

Improve Your Skin’s Appearance

It’s true, people do look like they are glowing from the inside out after a sauna sesh. Due to the increased localized blood circulation of infrared light therapy, saunas can be an effective way to temporarily reduce the appearance of cellulite. Sauna use also opens clogged pores allowing impurities to exit the body, while dead skin cells shed off. You can also pair your sauna session with red light therapy to help with skin conditions and minor wound healing, and salt therapy to help with relief for rashes and dry skin.

Is it Safe to Use Saunas Every Day?

Whether it’s at the end of a workout, a spa treatment, a massage, or just after a tiring day, time in the sauna can be a part of anyone’s regular health routine. Aside from it being a pleasantly soothing experience every visit, all of the health and wellness benefits that saunas provide have longer-lasting effects when used regularly. But should you use one every day? The answer is, if you can, yes! 

To achieve optimal use of a sauna, you should use it at least once a week, but the more often you use it, the more improvements you will experience. Studies show it is perfectly safe to use saunas every day, just being mindful to stay hydrated during your sessions. Though daily sauna use is not harmful, prolonged single sauna sessions can increase the risk of dehydration.

How Long Should You Stay in the Sauna? 

It is easy to know how much time in the sauna is too much time. Just stay in for as long as it feels good. Once your body starts feeling hot enough, that’s a good time to walk out. Expert sauna bathers agree, starting small is best when it comes to time in the sauna. Follow these tips if you need time guidelines:

• Beginners should start out spending no more than 5 to 10 minutes at a time.
• After a few sessions, you can try to stay in the sauna for about 15 minutes. 
• At maximum do not exceed more than 20 minutes in one session

Using saunas consistently and for a longer period of time is associated with a number of health benefits, including reduced stress, better sleep, healthy weight management, improved appearance of skin, and even long-term health benefits such as reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, enhanced immune system, and relief from chronic pain. Because of these benefits, incorporating sauna sessions into your everyday healthcare routine is a great way to live a healthy life and feel the future benefits!