{"id":576855,"date":"2026-08-06T20:14:16","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T20:14:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/576855\/"},"modified":"2026-08-06T20:14:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T20:14:16","slug":"sauna-benefits-are-saunas-good-for-you-can-sitting-in-a-sweaty-box-really-improve-your-health-and-how-hygienic-are-they-we-uncover-the-truth-as-experts-explain-pros-and-cons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/576855\/","title":{"rendered":"Sauna benefits: Are saunas good for you? Can sitting in a sweaty box really improve your health? And how hygienic are they? | We uncover the truth as experts explain pros and cons"},"content":{"rendered":"

Throw a stone, and you\u2019re bound to cross paths with someone who has jumped on the recent sauna bandwagon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But can sitting in a sweaty wooden box really improve your health<\/a>? And can that really be hygienic?<\/p>\n

With too many questions to ask before I dare grab a towel and step foot in one, I asked the experts my burning questions to find out if the trend is actually worth the hype.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The word \u201csauna\u201d is the Finnish word for bathhouse. \u00a0iStock<\/p>\n

What exactly are the health benefits?<\/p>\n

According to experts, the strongest case for saunas lies in cardiovascular health<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Exercise physiologist Laith Cunneen<\/a> tells me while the evidence is solid, heat therapy shouldn\u2019t substitute for healthy habits like a good diet, sleep<\/a> and exercise.<\/p>\n

\u201cA sauna session raises heart rate, dilates blood vessels, and can temporarily lower blood pressure afterwards,\u201d Cunneen says, adding that lower rates of dementia and respiratory disease have also been reported.<\/p>\n

Industry expert Sonia Rendigs, from sauna manufacturer Orans Wellness, says the benefits extend to mental well-being and rest<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe drop in core body temperature after leaving the sauna signals the brain that it is time to sleep, deepening sleep onset and quality.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Laith<\/p>\n

Laith Cunneen, founder of Arcane Physio, says there\u2019s no one-size-fits-all approach to sauna use.\u00a0Laith Cunneen<\/p>\n

Tell me the truth: Are they hygienic?<\/p>\n

For anyone hesitant to share a public sauna with strangers, the good news is the heat actually works in your favour. (I know, it was a surprise to me, too!)<\/p>\n

Rendigs says the temperatures inside a traditional sauna \u2013 typically between 80 and 100 degrees \u2013 creates an environment where most bacteria struggle to survive. <\/p>\n

Still, that doesn\u2019t mean hygiene<\/a> can be ignored.<\/p>\n

\u201cBest practice is simple: shower<\/a> before and after, always sit or lie on a personal towel, and avoid synthetic fabrics<\/a> like nylon and polyester, which trap heat and bacteria against the skin,\u201d Rendigs explains. <\/p>\n

So just how often should you use a sauna?<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the average healthy person, around 10 to 20 minutes per session, two or three times per week, is a reasonable starting point,\u201d Cunneen says.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeginners should start with five to 10 minutes and gradually increase based on tolerance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Always leave sooner if you feel dizzy, nauseous, weak or light-headed.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve seen people sauna and ice bath, but which is better?<\/p>\n

Although often lumped together, saunas and ice baths work in completely opposite ways \u2013 which is why Rendigs says using them together is so powerful.<\/p>\n

\u201cA sauna accelerates recovery by increasing blood flow to fatigued muscles \u2026 an ice bath works in reverse. The cold causes blood vessels to constrict, which reduces inflammation and numbs acute pain.\u201d<\/p>\n

But when it comes to exercise<\/a> recovery alone, Cunneen says one choice stands out.<\/p>\n

\u201cIce baths have better evidence for reducing muscle soreness and perceived fatigue over the next 24 to 48 hours, particularly after intense endurance or team-sport exercise<\/a>,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

There is a catch, though. Regular ice baths right after strength training can reduce muscle gains, so they aren\u2019t ideal if building muscle is your primary goal.<\/p>\n

Are there any mistakes we should avoid?<\/p>\n

Rendigs says the most common mistake is treating your first session like a test of endurance. <\/p>\n

\u201cPeople push through discomfort, overstay, and then feel depleted or unwell rather than restored \u2026 longer is not necessarily better and can be counterproductive.\u201d<\/p>\n

She stresses that proper preparation is vital: \u201cHydration before and after is non-negotiable and routinely ignored,\u201d noting that alcohol<\/a> is an absolute no-go.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Throw a stone, and you\u2019re bound to cross paths with someone who has jumped on the recent sauna…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":576856,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[589,163,85,46],"class_list":["post-576855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-il","tag-israel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=576855"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576855\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/576856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=576855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=576855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=576855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}