How Relaxing in a Sauna After a Workout Can Improve Your V02 Max, and 7 Other Benefits You Should Know About

If you’re wondering about sauna benefits, you’re in the right place. Sweating can be gross. (Just take a whiff of your heavy, sweat-soaked T-shirt and shorts after an outdoor run in the summer heat.) But it can also be really good for you. In many cultures, relaxing in a home sauna is the preferred way to work up a good sweat.

Research shows that the range of sauna benefits includes your skin, cardiovascular health, immunity, and brain health. But if you want to get the most out of your sauna sessions, it’s important to know how often you should go—and how long you should spend in there—for your body to benefit.

The difference between dry saunas, infrared saunas, and steam rooms

If you’re new to the heated world of saunas, the first thing you should know is that there are different types. The three big terms you’ll hear being thrown around are dry saunas, infrared saunas, and steam rooms. Deepak Nair, MD, a neurologist at OSF Healthcare, explains that the most well-known and scientifically studied type of sauna is the dry sauna. Also known as a Finnish sauna, he explains that a dry sauna is a small, enclosed heated room that uses dry heat generated by a gas, wood, or electric heater and is typically around 200℉.

Steam rooms (also known as “wet saunas”) are different. Dr. Nair explains that while both are heated rooms and can reach the same temperatures, steam rooms generate moist heat and have more humidity. As the name implies, the heat comes from steam. Think of a dry sauna as the West Coast in the summer and a steam room as the South in the summer; it’s still hot, but it’s a different kind of heat.

Infrared saunas are a little different. Infrared saunas use a form of light energy called far infrared (FIR) waves, which penetrate the skin. Infrared saunas can be small, enclosed rooms similar to dry saunas or steam rooms, but there are also infrared blankets that can be used too. These blankets heat the body without heating up the room.

8 Science-Backed Sauna Benefits

Since dry saunas are a normal part of different cultures (including Finland, Russia, Turkey, Iceland, and Japan), this is the type of sauna that’s been scientifically studied the most. That said, there are benefits to using any of the three types of saunas, which are explained below.

1. It’s good for your heart

Cardiologist Mary Branch, MD, says that spending time in a dry sauna or steam room can benefit cardiovascular health. The major reason why, she says, is that it lowers blood pressure. This happens for a couple of reasons: One is because hanging out in a sauna is relaxing, and relaxation lowers blood pressure. The heat itself also lowers blood pressure by dilating blood vessels, which increases blood circulation.

2. It can help increase your V02 max

Experts say that V02 max (how much oxygen your body can take in and use during exercise) is one of the most important health metrics we have. Improving your V02 max can literally add years to your life—and using a sauna or steam room is one way to do it. “Being in a sauna mimics the physiological changes that happen during exercise,” Dr. Nair says.

Take a seat in a 200℉ room and you’ll notice your heart rate start to increase, just like it does during a workout. Dr. Nair explains that exercise creates a temporary stressful period of activity, followed by recovery. Being in a sauna is similar: Stress hormones are increased, but when you leave the sauna, the body recovers from this brief period of stress. (Cold plunges work similarly, by the way.) Scientific research shows that eight weeks of sitting in a sauna for 15 minutes after exercising three times a week improves V02 max more than just exercising alone.

3. Regular sauna sessions could help with ED

This one is a bit of a stretch, but hear us out: By now you know that one of the sauna benefits is increased blood circulation. This includes increased blood flow to the penis, which could help with erectile dysfunction. While scientists haven’t studied using a sauna specifically for this purpose, there is vast scientific research showing that good blood flow means good erections.

4. It’s good for your skin

Whether your idea of skincare is splashing your face with water or you have a whole seven-step routine, using a sauna can make your skin look even better. “The heat from the sauna increases blood flow and circulation, which can help nourish the skin and give it a healthy glow. Sweating in the sauna also helps to flush out toxins from the skin, unclogging pores, and potentially reducing the incidence of acne,” says dermatologist Hannah Kopelman, DO.