How Long Should You Stay in a Sauna？

For many people, saunas are a way of life. Not everyone knows that there are certain rules and recommendations for observing the temperature regime, the number of visits, and the duration of being in the steam room. Neglecting these rules not only leads to poor health and spoils the rest, but also causes serious health problems.

So how much time should you spend in a sauna and how often should you go? We look at tips on what to do – or what not to do — when you use one.

How Long Should You Stay in a Sauna?

The time in the steam room should not be too long, although everything is deeply personal. As a rule, it is considered that one person will suffice for about four visits of 8-10 minutes each. Visiting the sauna will be very useful for those who need to speed up the body's metabolic processes. If a person is in the steam room for too long, thermoregulatory processes are disrupted, and recovery of the body is delayed. Experienced people say that the thing to be afraid of in the bath is overheating. Its symptoms can not be missed, because there comes the moment when a person's eyes begin to "fly", dizziness, palpitations, strong or dull pain in the temples, and may even begin nausea. In addition, a person who overheats in the bath can clearly hear ringing in their ears. If you have at least one of these symptoms while soaking in the sauna, you should immediately leave it and go to a cooler room.

If you are reclining on a bench in the steam room, it is not advisable to abruptly jump up. To stand up, you should first sit slowly on the bench and then rise gradually to avoid any adverse effects. Even getting up from the top shelf slowly and following the rules, it is still not recommended to exit immediately. First, descend to the lower bench, sit for a few minutes, and then exit the steam room.

The primary benefit of the sauna for the human body is the range of temperature between 60 to 100 degrees, as well as the temperature variation between air and water. Controlled heat can only penetrate the human body safely and quickly in the steam room. This becomes the main method of heating the human body tissue, where the tissue core temperature reaches about 38-40 degrees, while the tissue shell can warm up to 50 degrees. As a result, the total additional heat in the body increases about ten times!

Naturally, the body cannot be heated in this way for extended periods, which is why cooling techniques such as air baths, water, showers, snow, swimming pools, etc., are typically utilized.

What Happens if I Stay in the Sauna for Too Long?

Restorative processes that are expected after a bath visit can begin if such procedures are abused. Too long a stay in the steam room can eventually overload heat regulation mechanisms.

At the end of your stay in the bath or sauna, it is strictly forbidden to rise abruptly from the sunbeds. In such procedures, smooth transitions from one steam room to another are important.

Benefits of Using a Sauna

While far-infrared saunas are very popular for relaxing and socializing, taking a sauna at the end of a workout or work day can be good for your health.

Improving the work of the heart. The review shows that frequent sauna use is associated with improved heart function in people with heart failure.

Reducing the risk of stroke. A long-term study of over 1,600 Finnish men and women over several years found that frequent sauna use, four to seven times a week, was associated with a reduced risk of stroke.

Reducing the risk of dementia. A similar study in 2,315 Finnish men found an association between how often participants used saunas and a reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Reducing inflammation and muscle pain. Other small studies have concluded that people's use of a far-infrared sauna may help reduce muscle soreness after exercise, and found that the frequency of sauna use may help reduce systemic inflammation. Infrared sauna use ranged from two to five times per week.

The Right Procedure for Using a Sauna:

According to many medical studies, with regular visits, the bath really has a powerful therapeutic effect on a person. The result of such a rest can be an improvement in well-being, weight loss, normalization of pressure, a decrease in insulin levels.

• The optimal frequency of visits to the bath and sauna for beginners is 1 time per week, while the duration of one procedure should not exceed 5 minutes.
• People with heart and lung diseases can go to the sauna and steam bath 1 time every two weeks to gradually accustom the body to serious heat loads.

• Active bath attendants with good health can steam in the bath up to 4 times a week, while the time spent in the steam room is halved.
• When carrying out cosmetic procedures, it is enough to visit the sauna only 2 times a week.

Tips for Using a Sauna

It is best for a novice visitor to sit on an average sunbed. Optimally – in a lying position, so that the legs are at the same level with the body, or are slightly raised. This will help reduce the load on the heart and will promote more complete relaxation.

When it is not possible to take a lying position, you should sit down so that the head and legs are approximately at the same level. The fact is that in the sauna steam room, the temperature at the head level is usually 15-20 degrees higher than at the foot level. Therefore, if you stand in the steam room for a long time, or sit with your legs down, the risk of heat stroke increases significantly.

It is undesirable to be in a static position when entering the steam room. Periodically, you should change the position of the body – from one side smoothly turn on your back, after a while – on the other side, then on your stomach. This will contribute to a more uniform warming of the whole body.

Do not get up abruptly, intending to leave the steam room. Getting up from the prone position, it is best to sit on the bench for a couple of minutes first, which will help normalize blood circulation.

Between visits to the steam room, you need to drink tea or juice, always in small sips. This helps  improve sweating and restores the water balance.

To visit the sauna, a towel will be simply necessary, not only for hygiene reasons, but also for a comfortable stay on very hot sun beds. And also, be sure to wear a felt hat or a wool cap to avoid overheating.

Read the instructions carefully before use, or consult the relevant manufacturer experts. In special cases, please consult your doctor before taking a sauna.