USING A SAUNA

Most electric stove heaters require about one hour to heat up a typical home sauna.

Infrared heaters can provide the sauna effect immediately (as long as the sauna room is not cold), whilst gas and wood burning stoves are variable. (It will be necessary to check the manual for each model.)

Sauna temperature

There is no fixed temperature at which someone should take a sauna. Most who are new to the sauna experience build up both the temperature of the sauna and the amount of time they spend a single sauna session slowly.

Most sauna stove heaters have thermostatic controls that allow the heat to be regulated between temperatures that are roughly in the range of 40 degrees centigrade to 100 degrees centigrade.

How long should a sauna session last

Again, this is down to personal preference and there are no fixed rules or recommendations.

That said, a sauna should be an essentially relaxing experience and therefore squeezing a sauna into a window of time is never ideal. Some people like to stay in the sauna for the entire sauna session, whilst other apply the Finnish sauna approach and alternate hot short sauna bathing with cooling off periods, often aided by a drink.

How is a sauna session made up

Many people sit on a small towel on a sauna bench until they feel fully relaxed. They then stay in the sauna for a period of time that is dictated by either, the need to leave and do something else, or the over powering of the heat (and possibly the humidity) to the point where they feel compelled to leave. At this point they complete the sauna session, shower off and continue with life.

Those who prefer the Finnish style of taking a sauna intersperse sessions in the sauna (usually with very strong heat and often steam shocks) with cooling off periods. These cooling off periods may involve taking a cold shower, or lowering the body temperature in an equally rapid manner. Once the body is cool and refreshed, the hot-shower followed by cooling-off process is repeated again, often three or more times.

Should you be naked in the sauna

What you do, or do not, wear in the sauna is up to you. However, traditionally saunas were taken naked and this remains the best way to reap the full benefit of the saunas heating, sweating and cleansing processes.

Cleaning your sauna

For information about how you should clean your home sauna see this page - cleaning a sauna.

For information about the potential healh benefits of regularly taking a sauna you can see the summary on this Saunas and your health page.

To find out about a wet sauna and how to use water on with your volcanic rocks to generate a steam shock take a look at this page - wet sauna.