Quick answer: 10 to 20 minutes per round in a traditional sauna, 20 to 40 minutes in an infrared sauna (they run cooler), and 10 to 15 minutes if you’re new to it. Get out the moment you feel dizzy, sick or your heart’s racing, whatever the clock says. Past the point of comfort, longer isn’t better.
Sauna timing comes up a lot at 5EW in Fitzroy North. Here’s what the research says, why infrared sessions run longer, how often to go, whether to sauna before or after a workout, the signs you’ve overdone it, and who should check with a GP first.
How long should you stay in a sauna: what the research says
Most of the hard data on sauna comes from Finland. The best-known Finnish study followed middle-aged men for about 20 years. Sessions over 19 minutes were linked with a lower risk of sudden cardiac death than sessions under 11. And the men who went 4 to 7 times a week had a 40% lower risk of dying over the study period than the once-a-weekers.
Worth knowing once: that was men only, in a traditional sauna, and it can’t prove the sauna caused any of it. It still points to roughly 15 to 20 minutes as the useful range in a traditional sauna.
The biggest review of sauna research we’ve seen, from RMIT in Melbourne, pooled studies across traditional and infrared sauna. It puts typical temperatures at 70 to 100 degrees Celsius for a traditional sauna and 45 to 60 for infrared. Side effects were rare and mild. Session lengths were all over the place, and there’s no single proven perfect duration. The 10 to 20 minute range is common practice that sits inside what the studies used.
How long in an infrared sauna: why sessions run longer
Infrared saunas run a lot cooler (see the temperatures above). The panels warm your body directly instead of heating the air first, so you can sit longer before you hit the same discomfort, and you still sweat plenty.
That’s why infrared sessions run 20 to 40 minutes rather than 10 to 20. The one infrared recovery study we know of used 30 minutes, and the men in it found it more comfortable than a traditional sauna. Our infrared sauna at 5EW runs warmer, at 55 to 65 degrees, in 30-minute bookings. For most people that’s a full session.
How long should a beginner stay in a sauna
Start at 10 to 15 minutes, whatever type you’re in. Use the first few sessions to learn how heat feels in your body: when the sweat starts, when your heart rate picks up, when you start wanting out. Leave at that point.
Add 2 to 5 minutes a week until you’re at 15 to 20 minutes in a traditional sauna or 25 to 30 in an infrared one. If you’re light-headed when you stand up, you stayed too long or drank too little. Shorten the next one. There’s no prize for toughing it out.
How often should you sauna
The Finnish men who went most often did best, but they also live in Finland, where the sauna is practically a room in the house. For most people with a job and a training program, 2 to 4 sessions a week is realistic and enough to notice a difference.
Heat is a mild stress on the body. A review from the Mayo Clinic described the heart rate and blood flow response as similar to moderate exercise. Treat it like an easy cardio session: a few times a week, and less on weeks when you’re run down.
Sauna before or after a workout
After. Nearly all the evidence for sauna as a training tool comes from using heat after the session, not before.
Benefits of sauna after a workout
The 2 small studies we have point the same way. In the infrared study above, jump performance recovered faster after a post-training sauna. In a study of competitive runners, 3 weeks of about 30 minutes of traditional sauna straight after training saw run time to exhaustion go up 32%.
Small studies, so not a mountain of evidence. It’s enough to say heat after training is safe for healthy adults and probably helps recovery. It’s also the easier habit to keep, because you’re already at the gym.
Sauna before a workout
A short stint of heat before training can loosen stiff joints. Keep it to 10 minutes or less, drink water, and follow it with a proper warm-up. A sauna isn’t a warm-up. It raises your core temperature but doesn’t rehearse the movements you’re about to load.
Longer pre-workout sessions work against you. You start mildly dehydrated with a raised heart rate, and your grip and focus fade sooner. If you want a good lift, save the heat for afterwards.
Signs you’ve stayed too long
Your body warns you first. Watch for:
- Dizziness or light-headedness, especially when you stand up
- Nausea
- Headache
- A racing or pounding heart
- Confusion
If you notice any of these, get out. Sit down outside the sauna, sip water and cool down gradually. Don’t go straight into a cold plunge if you feel faint. Don’t drive until your head is clear. If it doesn’t settle within a few minutes, ask for help.
Hydration and cooling down
Most sauna problems are dehydration problems. Our protocol at 5EW is simple. Drink 250 to 500 ml of water before you go in. Sit or lie back for the session. Shower and rehydrate afterwards. Any drop on the scales is water, and your job is to put it back.
Cool down slowly. Sit for a few minutes before you shower, then start lukewarm and finish cooler. Skip alcohol before and after. It’s the safety rule every sauna review repeats.
Pairing sauna with cold
Heat followed by cold is popular, and not just because it feels good. A large Australian review found cold-water immersion after hard training helps muscle power recover and eases soreness within the first day. We cover order, timing and safety in our guide to sauna and ice bath contrast therapy.
If you try it, keep the cold short. Our cold tub runs at 6 degrees Celsius, and 3 to 5 minutes is plenty. Lower in to shoulder depth and slow your breathing. Don’t go from a long sauna into cold water if you feel dizzy. Cool down first.
Who should be careful
Most healthy adults can use a sauna safely. If you have a heart condition or high blood pressure that isn’t under control, you’re pregnant, or you’ve had surgery recently, talk to your GP before you start. A few medications affect how you cope with heat too, so ask if you’re not sure. And never push through symptoms to hit a number on the timer.
How we do it at 5EW
The sauna at 5EW is a private FAR infrared room at 79 Queens Parade, Fitzroy North, set to 55 to 65 degrees and booked in 30-minute slots. Members and non-members can both book it.
The protocol we teach is the one in this post: 250 to 500 ml of water before, sit or lie back, shower and rehydrate after. For the full picture of what the heat does and doesn’t do, read our guide to infrared sauna benefits. You can read more about the infrared sauna at 5EW or book a session directly.
Frequently asked questions
Is 30 minutes in a sauna too long?
In an infrared sauna, no. A 30-minute session is standard, and the infrared recovery study we mentioned used exactly that. In a traditional sauna, which runs a lot hotter, 30 minutes in one go is a long time for most people. Break it into 2 rounds of 10 to 15 minutes with a cool-down in between. Whatever the type, leave early if you feel unwell.
Can you sauna every day?
Most healthy adults can. The Finnish men with the best outcomes included daily users, though that was a traditional sauna and men only. Keep daily sessions moderate, drink water, and skip it when you’re unwell, dehydrated or have been drinking. If you feel flat rather than refreshed, cut back to 3 or 4 sessions a week.
Should you shower after a sauna?
Yes. A shower rinses off the sweat, brings your skin temperature down gradually, and marks the end of the session so you actually stop and rehydrate. Start lukewarm and finish cooler rather than going straight to cold, especially if you feel light-headed. Then drink water. At 5EW, shower and rehydrate is the last step of our sauna protocol.
Is a sauna good on rest days?
Yes, and for a lot of people it’s the best day for it. You’re not competing with a workout for hydration or energy, so you can take a full 20 to 30 minute infrared session, cool down properly and rehydrate. It’s a mild cardio stimulus without loading your joints. Think of it as active recovery.
How long should a beginner stay in an infrared sauna?
Start at 10 to 15 minutes, even though infrared runs cooler than a traditional sauna. Add a few minutes each week until you settle around 25 to 30 minutes. Most people get there within 3 or 4 weeks. Drink 250 to 500 ml of water first, sit up rather than lie back for the first few sessions, and leave the moment you feel dizzy or off. Comfort sets the limit, not the clock.
If you’re new to sauna, the easiest way to find your time is to book one session, start at 15 minutes and pay attention. Our infrared sauna in Fitzroy North is open to members and non-members, and you can book a sauna session whenever it suits.
Written by the coaching team at 5th Element Wellness in Fitzroy North. Meet the coaches.
