Trying to stay sharp as you age? You’re not alone. Lately, sauna bathing has been getting more attention — not just for relaxation, but for its possible role in long-term brain health. There’s a well-known Finnish study spanning two decades that links frequent sauna use with a lower risk of Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.

While we can’t say a sauna is a ‘cure,’ the long-term data suggests spending around 20 minutes a day in a sauna might help support brain health and cognitive function — especially if you make it a regular habit. That regular heat exposure boosts circulation, chills you out, and could help lower stress levels that mess with memory and focus. Some new research even points to changes in brain activity post-sauna that seem to line up with better cognitive performance.

While these results are exciting, researchers note that sauna use is often part of a healthy overall lifestyle in Finland. It works best as one piece of a bigger puzzle that includes staying active and eating well. So adding a sauna (traditional or infrared) can fit right in with things like exercise, eating well, and getting good sleep.

In this article we’ll dive a little deeper to understand how sauna use can fit into your bigger brain health strategy — so you can make choices that help with longevity and mental clarity.

Sauna Use and Brain Health: Key Research Insights

There’s growing evidence from population studies and neuroscience that regular sauna use may be linked to better cognitive outcomes in later years. Scientists are still digging into how heat exposure might impact blood flow, inflammation, stress, and mental clarity.

Findings from the Finnish 20-Year Study on Sauna Use

One of the most talked-about studies comes from Finland, where sauna bathing is practically a way of life. In the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease study, researchers tracked over 2,300 men for about 20 years.

It found that those using a sauna 4–7 times a week had a 65% lower risk of Alzheimer’s than those going just once a week. Of course, this is an association, not a guarantee — but the long-term data is compelling. It hints that making sauna sessions a consistent part of your routine could play a role in keeping your brain healthier as you age.

Potential Mechanisms Supporting Brain Health

So, why might sauna bathing help? Scientists have a few ideas.

For starters, sitting in the heat gets your heart pumping and improves circulation. Better blood flow to the brain is key for cognitive performance down the line.

There’s also the effect on heat shock proteins. Think of these as quality control for your brain; they help ensure proteins fold correctly and help your body clear out ‘junk’ proteins before they can tangle or misfold — a hot topic in brain aging (neurodegenerative) research.

Plus, regular sauna use seems to lower overall inflammation and boost cardiovascular health. Since your heart and brain are so closely linked, improving one could help the other.

And don’t forget stress. Regular heat exposure seems to help regulate stress, which could take some pressure off memory-related brain areas like the hippocampus (your brain’s learning and memory center). Constant high stress can actually shrink this center over time, so ‘chilling out’ in a sauna acts like a protective shield for your memory.

Cognitive Function, Mood, and Relaxation Benefits

Short-term studies show that people often experience changes in brain activity and do better on cognitive tasks after sauna sessions.

Honestly, you might notice your own thinking feels clearer after a session. Increased blood flow, less muscle tension, and lower stress hormones all set the stage for sharper focus and mental efficiency.

Sauna time also ramps up your parasympathetic nervous system (the part of your body that handles ‘rest and digest’), nudging your body into recovery mode. That can mean better sleep—which is a big deal for memory consolidation (how your brain stores memories) and for brain health overall.

And mood? Lower stress and a steadier emotional state can lighten your cognitive load, which may help your memory and attention over time.

Considerations for Safe and Effective Sauna Sessions

Most Finnish-style traditional sauna research uses sessions of 15–20 minutes at temperatures between 170°F and 190°F, with people going 2 to 7 times per week.

If you’re new to saunas, take it slow. Start with shorter sessions and work your way up as you get used to the heat.

Hydration really matters. Drink water before and after, and skip the sauna if you’re feeling sick, dehydrated, or overheated.If you have heart issues, low blood pressure, or other health concerns, definitely check with your doctor first. Used right, sauna bathing can be a practical, enjoyable part of your wellness routine that supports both your body and your brain.

Integrating Sauna Into a Healthy Lifestyle at Home

Making sauna use a regular thing at home isn’t that hard if you’ve got the right setup and a plan. It comes down to picking equipment that fits your space, sticking with a routine, and taking care of your body with cooling and hydration.

Sauna Options Available for Residential Wellness

There are a few main types of home saunas. Traditional Finnish saunas use electric heaters and hot stones to warm the air, usually hitting 170 to 190°F. This intense, dry heat triggers deep sweating and gets your heart rate up — kind of like light exercise.

Infrared saunas, on the other hand, work at lower temps (up to 120°F) and heat your body directly using infrared panels. Some folks like these because they’re a bit gentler and heat up faster.

When you’re shopping for a sauna, think about:

• Space — indoors or out
• Seating — just you or more people?
• Maintenance — how easy is it to clean and service?

Honestly, having a sauna at home makes it way easier to stick with regular use, which seems to matter more than the occasional marathon session.

Routine Recommendations for Supporting Brain Health

The Finnish research followed over 2,000 men for about 20 years and found that those who used a sauna a few times a week had a lower dementia risk than once-a-week users. It’s not proof, but it’s a solid nudge toward consistency.

If you’re putting together your own routine, you might try:

• Frequency: 3 to 5 sessions weekly
• Duration: 15 to 20 minutes each
• Temperature: Similar to traditional sauna ranges in the studies

Start short if you’re new to it. Sit comfortably, breathe, and don’t push through if you feel weird or dizzy.

And remember, sauna use works best as part of a bigger picture  —  combine it with exercise, good sleep, and a diet full of real, whole foods. Heat therapy isn’t a magic bullet, but it’s a nice piece of the puzzle.

Complementary Practices: Cooling, Hydration, and Recovery

Alternating heat with cold can boost circulation and make the whole experience more comfortable. After your sauna, try a cool shower or, if you’re up for it and your doctor says it’s okay, a quick cold plunge.

Keep the cold brief at first — maybe 30 seconds to a couple minutes. Listen to your body.

Hydration, again, is non-negotiable. Drink up before and after, and replace what you sweat out.

Give yourself a few minutes to recover after cooling off. Don’t jump straight into intense activity — let your heart rate settle.

When you treat sauna time as a real, structured practice instead of a rare treat, you’re setting yourself up for better cardiovascular health, stress management, and — hopefully — long-term brain benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Regular sauna use gets your blood moving, raises your core temperature, and kicks off heat stress responses that researchers link to both heart and brain health. That big 20-year Finnish study connected frequent sauna bathing with lower Alzheimer’s risk, though the exact reasons are still being explored.

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Moving between deep heat and an intense cold is more than just a wellness trend. It’s a tradition that’s been around for hundreds of years because it creates real changes in how your body recovers, circulates blood, and manages stress. This practice is called contrast therapy, and it blends sauna heat, hot tub warmth, and cold plunge immersion to give your circulation a boost and cut down muscle inflammation. The bottom line? It helps you bounce back in ways you just don’t get with staying in one temperature.

You don’t need a fancy spa membership to get these perks, either. With the right setup at home, you can build your own contrast therapy routine that fits your life. Whether you’re using a classic sauna and a cold plunge, or bringing your hot tub into the mix, it’s all about knowing how your body reacts to the change in temperature — and how to get the most out of each session.

This guide breaks down the science behind contrast therapy, some practical routines you can actually stick to, and tips for picking equipment that’ll make your home wellness game feel complete. You’ll find timing suggestions, safety notes, and even ways to pair temperature therapy with breathwork if you’re looking to go deeper.

Maximizing Contrast Therapy: The Sauna, Hot Tub, and Cold Plunge Connection

Alternating between heat and cold creates real changes that can bring wellness benefits to the next level. When you pair a sauna or hot tub with a cold plunge, you’re teaching your body to adapt. This combo helps your heart, brain, and immune system all at once. It’s a powerful routine that can speed up recovery and sharpen your focus in ways that just using heat or cold alone can’t match.

Why the Sauna and Cold Plunge Combo is a Wellness Win

Going from heat to cold is a deliberate challenge for your body. A traditional Finnish sauna or even an infrared sauna session will crank up your core temperature, making your heart and blood vessels work overtime (vasodilation) as blood rushes toward your skin.

Once you hit the cold water, everything flips. Your blood vessels snap shut (vasoconstriction), and your circulation pulls back to protect your vital organs.

This push-pull—opening up in the heat and tightening in the cold—is like a workout for your vascular system. You can swap the sauna for a hot tub if you want; it can actually be a bit gentler on your heart because the water pressure helps your circulation along.

A typical contrast therapy routine:

• 15-20 minutes in sauna (160-180°F) or hot tub (100-104°F)
• 2-3 minutes in cold plunge (45-55°F)
• Repeat cycle 2-3 times
• End with cold exposure

The Vascular Pump: How Your Body Handles the Heat and Cold

At the heart of contrast therapy is the so-called vascular pump. In the heat of a sauna or hot tub, your blood vessels widen (vasodilation) to dump excess heat—sending a rush of blood toward your skin. In a high-heat sauna, your blood flow can actually jump by as much as 60%.

Then, once you step into the cold, vasoconstriction happens fast. Your blood vessels tighten up, pushing blood toward your core.

This constant expanding and contracting is like resistance training for your blood vessels. It teaches your circulatory system to handle stress more efficiently. The result? It can improve cardiovascular health, and if you’re an athlete, faster recovery.

This “pump” also helps flush out your system better than just sitting at one temperature. The warmth brings nutrient-rich blood into sore muscles, while the cold helps settle swelling and the minor tissue damage that causes that ‘stiff’ feeling the day after a workout.

If you’re dealing with DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), this can really cut down your recovery time between workouts.

The Brain and Body Boost: Neurochemicals and Immunity

The cold does more than just wake you up; it triggers an immediate release of norepinephrine. While long-term medical studies show big spikes over time, even a short 2-to-3 minute plunge is enough to sharpen your focus, boost alertness, and help you handle pain—all while calming down inflammation. It’s a powerful, natural ‘reset’ for your brain that stays with you for hours.

Heat, on the other hand, activates heat shock proteins. These little guys help your cells repair themselves and protect against stress-related damage. 

Even your immune system gets a boost. Regular cold plunges can increase your white blood cell count, and sticking to a sauna routine is actually linked to catching fewer common illnesses.

Key neurochemical effects:

• Norepinephrine: Rises during cold, sharpening focus and fighting inflammation
• Dopamine: Increases after cold plunges, lifting mood and motivation
• Heat shock proteins: Triggered by sauna, helping with cellular repair
• Endorphins: Released during both, offering natural pain relief

Clearing the Fog: Mental Focus and Better Moods

Moving between hot and cold isn’t just a physical challenge — it’s a mental one. Every time you step into the cold or push through the heat, you’re training your nervous system to handle discomfort and stress.

This kind of “controlled stress” helps with emotional regulation in your day-to-day life. And that dopamine boost from the cold? It can last for hours, giving you an extended mood lift and more motivation—no caffeine required.

Plenty of people notice sharper mental clarity after contrast therapy. Maybe it’s the intense focus needed for the transitions, or maybe it’s just the ritual itself that helps quiet the mind and create a reflective space.

Honestly, the routine matters. Setting aside time for this practice can anchor your week, adding a bit of structure and intention — whether you’re a fan of infrared saunas or you’re all about that classic Scandinavian sauna and cold plunge combo.

Contrast Therapy in Practice: Protocols, Tips, and Mainely Tubs Solutions

Getting the most from contrast therapy really comes down to following solid protocols, staying safe, and setting up the right equipment at home. Temperature ranges, timing, and gear quality also play a part in how well your routine works — and how much you actually enjoy it.

Evidence-Based Contrast Therapy Rituals and Protocols

A basic protocol: 15-20 minutes in your traditional sauna at 160-180°F, then 2-4 minutes in a cold plunge at 50-60°F. Most people repeat this cycle 2-4 times, always wrapping up with cold.

Beginner Protocol:

• Traditional sauna: 10-12 minutes at 150-160°F
• Cold plunge: 1-2 minutes at 55-65°F
• Cycles: 2-3 rounds
• Frequency: 2-3 times per week

Advanced Protocol:

• Traditional sauna: 15-20 minutes at 170-190°F
• Cold plunge: 2-3 minutes at 45-50°F
• Cycles: 3 rounds
• Frequency: 4-6 times per week

A hot tub can work as your heat source if you set it to 100-104°F, though it’s a little less intense on the cardiovascular front. Some people like to add breathwork during the heat phase for an extra layer of stress relief.

Cold plunge temperature really matters. Water between 50-60°F is usually the sweet spot — cold enough to activate your sympathetic nervous system, but not so cold it becomes dangerous for most people.

Best Practices: Safety, Hydration, and Getting Started

Ease into contrast therapy, especially if you’re new to heat or cold exposure. Start with shorter times and moderate temps, and build up your tolerance over a few weeks.

Hydration is a big deal. Between sweating in the heat and the way cold makes your body flush out fluids, you’ll lose more water than you think. Aim for 16–24 ounces before you start, keep a bottle handy during the heat, and drink another 16–24 ounces after.

Safety Checklist:

• Use the Buddy System: Don’t go it alone when you’re starting out
• Talk to Your Doctor:  Skip it if you have any heart, respiratory or any known health conditions.
• Stop if You Feel Off: Get out immediately if you feel dizzy, nauseous, or have chest pain.
• Start Short: Keeping your first few cold plunges to 30–60 seconds is a win.
• ​​Wait After Eating: Give it a couple of hours after a meal before you start your routine.

Your contrast routine should flex with your needs. Athletes might want daily sessions during heavy training, while most people see benefits with 2-4 times per week. Traveling? Even a cold shower can stand in for a plunge tub, though it’s not quite the same for muscle recovery.

Get the Most Out of Your Home Wellness Setup with Mainely Tubs

Mainely Tubs takes the guesswork out of building a home contrast therapy setup, with Tylo Saunas offering reliable, precise heat — key for getting the most out of your routine.For the cold side, dedicated plunge tubs keep water in that therapeutic 50-60°F zone. Unlike makeshift ice baths, these tubs are ready to go every day, no lugging ice bags required.

Recommended Mainely Tubs Configurations:

Setup Type	Heat Source	Cold Source	Ideal For
Traditional Contrast	Tylo Traditional sauna	Vigor Cold Plunge	More intense dry-heat sessions
Infrared Contrast	Tylo Infrared sauna	Vigor Cold Plunge	Lower-heat deep tissue sessions
Hot Tub Contrast	Hot Spring or Caldera Spa	Vigor Cold Plunge	Water-based recovery

Hot Spring Spas and Caldera Spas hot tubs from Mainely Tubs can fit right into your contrast routine. Their FreshWater salt system water care products keep the water clean and gentle on your skin without harsh chemicals.

For year-round outdoor use, Smartop and Covana covers protect your investment and make hopping in and out a breeze. Pairing a quality hot tub with a cold plunge tub gives you a dedicated wellness zone right in your backyard.

Endless Pools E2000 & X2000 Swim Spas are especially great if you’re tight on space. Use the warm swim area for active recovery, the hot tub for heat, and cool down the swim zone when you want cold exposure. It’s a three-in-one setup that’s surprisingly versatile.Mainely Tubs handles installation and maintenance, so you don’t have to stress about water quality or temperature accuracy. Just focus on your routine — they’ll handle the details.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pairing heat and cold exposure brings up plenty of questions — about safety, timing, and technique. Here are answers to some of the most common ones about mixing saunas, hot tubs, and cold plunges in your wellness routine.

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Getting to Know the Different Types of Saunas

Did you know there are two different ways that the sauna experience is delivered?  The choice is between a traditional sauna and an infrared sauna. Which one is better?

Well, it’s not about which one is the “better” sauna, it’s about the sauna experience that’s right for you, and the one you’ll enjoy using the most. This distinction should help:

• If you enjoy steam in the sauna, higher temperatures, and a more social environment, then a traditional sauna may be the best sauna for you. These saunas can be indoor or outdoor.
• If you prefer lower temperatures but with body-penetrating heat, an infrared sauna may be your best sauna choice. These saunas are designed only for indoor use.

If you’d like to learn more about the two sauna types, please check out our resource guide here. In the meantime, let’s explore saunas’ many health benefits!

1. Saunas Are Good for Your Cardiovascular Health

In both a traditional and infrared sauna, the skin heats up and the core body temperature increases. The heat also makes the blood vessels near the skin dilate and increases “cardiac output” in a sauna session. Research varies on heart rate numbers, but it’s believed the heart rate can increase from 60-70 bpm (beats per minute) to 110-120 bpm in the sauna (or even 140-150 bpm in a more intense session) and the heart rate post-bathing can go below normal as the body cools down.

What does this all mean for regular sauna usage? We can train our heart muscles and improve the heart rate/cardiac output at the same time helping the body’s regulatory system. For extra “cardiovascular conditioning,” bathers can do multiple sessions in the sauna separated by cool immersion into water. When this quick temperature changeover happens (from hot to cold), your heart rate increases by as much as 60% – pretty comparable to the increase experienced during moderate exercise.

Since elevated blood pressure is one of the biggest risk factors in cardiovascular disease, it’s also important to discuss how frequent sauna use can lead to lower blood pressure. As an example, a University of Eastern Finland study (published by the American Journal of Hypertension) showed “the risk of developing elevated blood pressure was nearly 50% lower among men who had a sauna 4-7 times a week compared to men who had a sauna only once a week.”

Sauna use may also be linked to other cardiovascular benefits including reduced risk of stroke and hypertension and decreased risk of fatal cardiac incidents. It also can help fight depression and anxiety. Saunas also have notable benefits in cold and dark climates where people may be less active and more prone to obesity and heart-health risks.  

2. Saunas Are Good for Your Brain and Mental Health

Following up on #1, did you know that the vast majority of disease (like heart disease) is partially linked to stress? Stress and anxiety do more damage to the body than may meet the eye, and saunas are effective in boosting endorphins and making you feel GOOD. It lets you truly exhale away the worries of the real world. Learn more on our 6 Key Benefits of Having A Home Sauna page.

3. Saunas Are Effective for Pain Management

Some magic happens in the sauna when heat releases! First, endorphins release into the body. Not only do endorphins make you feel good, they also have a mild and enjoyable “tranquilizing effect” —helping minimize the feelings of pain, especially in the joints and muscles.

At the same time, your increased body temperature increases blood circulation since your blood vessels dilate from the heat. This increased blood flow speeds up the body’s natural healing process and can help soothe pain and muscle aches, reduce muscle tension, spasms or cramps, eliminate lactic acid and/or other toxins that may be present, and may possibly speed up the healing of minor bruises or cuts.

4. Saunas Release Harmful Toxins from The Body

In everyday life, we come into contact with pesticides, industrial chemicals and other toxins, whether it’s through food, household cleaners, or beauty products. Toxins can collect in your body’s fatty tissue, in your organs (liver, kidneys), fat cells, and in your lymph system. The accumulation of toxins has been linked to things like weight gain, brain fog and fatigue.

How can you get rid of toxins? Deep sweating is key, and there is no better way to do this than a sauna.

Simply put, most of us don’t actively sweat on a daily basis, which is unfortunate since deep sweating has a wealth of health benefits. In a sauna, sweating is profuse and effective due to the heat that makes the core body temperature rise so much. The blood vessels dilate and cause increased blood flow; once it reaches the skin’s surface, the nervous system tells the millions of sweat glands that cover the human body to start working!

Sweat is composed of 99% water and it’s designed to cool the body. In deep sweat, the body may be effective at better reducing toxins like lead, copper, zinc, nickel, mercury, solvents, organic chemicals, PCBs, pharmaceuticals, heavy metal toxins and other chemicals commonly absorbed just from interacting with our daily environment. It’s also believed that sauna sessions can clear out about one-third of the toxic material that your kidneys remove from your bloodstream.

High temperatures also increase the body’s ability to kill bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses.

It’s also important to note the power of infrared saunas more specifically. Regular saunas heat the skin superficially, causing an opening of the sweat glands and allowing excess water to escape. Infrared saunas penetrate to a depth of 5-7 cm or 1.5 inches. At this depth, our fat cells are stimulated to cause a release of toxins to the surface. Compared to other saunas which only heat 20% of the air, 93% of the heat energy emitted from a FIR sauna is absorbed by our body tissues – which may signal a deeper detoxification experience by using infrared saunas.

5. Saunas Help Boost Immunity

Are saunas good for colds? It’s a pretty common question to explore the connection between saunas and colds but taking a step back—saunas can boost immunity before you get a cold.

When you raise your body’s temperature (by inducing an artificial fever), it helps kill bacteria and viruses by increasing white blood cells, antibodies, and other disease fighting agents. As your body works to lower its temperature, your immune system is “exercising” and getting stronger. 

More specifically, the number of white blood cells may increase as much as 58 percent with sauna temperatures, and your T cells and antibodies may increase by as much as 2,000 percent. Plus, lots of harmful microbes die off at temperatures of 104 degrees Fahrenheit. All of this is great for immunity.

So, can saunas help with colds? It can help you feel better. In more traditional saunas (that have steam/higher humidity), it can also help open the nasal passages, assist the sinuses to drain, and help relieve minor respiratory discomforts. Do saunas help colds in terms of timing? It’s possible that damaged cells repair themselves quicker in fever conditions due to an increased metabolic rate, so you’ll have to test it out and see!

6. Saunas Help Maintain A Healthy Weight and Fit Lifestyle

If you’ve ever Googled these phrases (“are saunas good for weight loss” or “can saunas help with weight loss”), you already know that the connection between saunas and losing weight exists.

However, saunas are not a magic weight loss tool whereby after a single session, you are down a few permanent pounds. That water weight lost during a sweating session will come back, but saunas are effective pairings for weight maintenance.

Here’s what saunas can do for your weight:

• Torch calories. When the heart rate increases, the body needs more oxygen and the body begins to convert more calories into usable energy. It’s believed that a 20-40-minute infrared sauna session can burn 200-500 calories, as many as rowing a boat for 30 minutes or running several miles.
• Help with overall fitness. It helps you meet your fitness goals with things like improved strength training through boosted growth hormones and improved recovery times.
• Helps burn fat deposits. These fat deposits get removed from the muscles and make room for newly formed muscle cells. By increasing the body’s metabolic process, you burn more calories (including the ones when you worked out). As a bonus detail, fat becomes water-soluble at a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit before it begins to dissolve and enter the bloodstream to be removed from the body.
• Increases fat metabolism. This can help with weight loss.

So, while saunas are not the complete magic solution to weight loss or weight maintenance, they can help you meet your weight goals.

7. Saunas Are Powerful for Youthful Skin and Overall Skin Health

Are saunas good for skin? Research indicates that saunas may indeed be a fountain of youth!

Heat bathing is one of the oldest beauty tricks for skin. Deep sauna sweating cleanses the skin, removes bacteria from the epidermal layer and sweat ducts, clears out pores, and replaces dead skin cells. With boosted capillary circulation, skin looks softer and more youthful. Heat bathing is also believed to be effective in maintaining the collagen structure of the skin, helping fight off wrinkles.

Can saunas help with acne? While a dermatologist is the best source of acne treatment and recommendations, there is some notable research to share.

There are two major types of glands in your skin that secrete substances to help it: Sweat glands and sebaceous glands. Sebaceous glands surround your hair follicles and secrete a waxy substance, called sebum, onto the surface of your skin and help moisturize it and repel water from your skin. When your sebaceous glands get blocked (via dead skin, cosmetics, bacteria, etc.), you can get a blackhead if the blockage is at the surface of your skin. If the blockage is underneath, you get a whitehead, pimple or a boil. In the sauna, the heat makes the sebum more fluid, and helps rid itself of the toxins and helps unclog pores.  

How else are saunas good for your skin? In addition to firming and improving skin tone, saunas may also be beneficial help with skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and cellulite, but these are all discussions you should have with your dermatologist.

8. Saunas Are Linked to Effective Prevention/Management of Many Health Conditions and Ailments

As with all health conditions and ailments, people should work directly with their doctor in terms of diagnosis and treatment, but we can share some medical findings around health and sauna use outlined below. It’s important to note that for this particular benefit, research seems to support the use of infrared saunas specifically, as this heat can more deeply penetrate the body.

• Saunas and arthritis: Arthritis causes joint inflammation which often restricts blood flow, and it’s painful. Are saunas good for arthritis? In the infrared heated sauna, pain relief is instantaneous. The sauna also helps dramatically enhance circulation to the joints, relax tense ligaments and tendons, and experience some relief.
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome are highly variable and fluctuate in severity, and treatment can be complex. Some researchers believe that these sufferers struggle with toxic build-up. Of infrared saunas, Dr. Michael R. Lyon says: “For the chronic fatigue patient, a consistent program of infrared sauna therapy will assist the problem of autonomic dysregulation, which is common to the condition. Symptoms of autonomic dysregulation are muscle pain, digestive problems, visual disturbances, and dizziness. These symptoms are reduced, as regular sauna therapy induces normal autonomic functioning. Through extensive research, it has been shown that saunas greatly assist in the elimination of accumulated toxins.”
• Fibromyalgia: Similar to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the exact cause of Fibromyalgia is not known, but it’s also believed that these patients may have high toxins (heavy metal poisoning like mercury, lead and arsenic) and their detoxification pathways are often compromised. Infrared saunas are helpful in working to restore normal autonomic nervous system functioning – the part of the body that governs unconscious functions such as muscle tension, sweating, blood pressure, digestion and balance.
• Alzheimer’s and Dementia: Frequent sauna use has been linked to lower risk for these conditions.
• Physical Disabilities: Infrared sauna therapy makes it possible for people in wheelchairs, or those who have a disability that affects their ability to exercise, to achieve a cardiovascular training effect.

9. Saunas Are an Effective Sleep-Booster

Short and sweet, saunas can help you kick insomnia to the curb and get better sleep. As part of your daily routine, a sauna before bed can finally help you get the sleep you need, not to mention better and more restful sleep that impacts all other facets of your life. 

10. As Part of Your Regular Routine, A Sauna Can Help You Be Your Healthiest and Most Relaxed Self Whenever You Need It

The more you use your sauna, the more you can experience all these incredible health benefits. These saunas come in both traditional and infrared models across many options, are affordable, easy to maintain, and accessible to you 24/7 for immediate use once you welcome one into your home.

Ready to Take Advantage of a Home Sauna’s Health Benefits?

There are so many sauna options to choose from and Mainely Tubs would love to help work with you on this process! At Mainely Tubs, we are here for you throughout the entire process – from initial consideration, to sauna comparisons, to delivery day. When you are ready, give us a call, email us, or pop by our showrooms in Scarborough, Maine or Rye, New Hampshire. We’re always happy to help you make the first steps to becoming a new sauna owner!

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Two Sauna Types to Choose from

While the sauna benefits we are about to explore are universal across all sauna types, there are two different ways that the sauna experience is delivered: in a traditional sauna and in an infrared sauna.

We went into all the distinctions between these two sauna types here, so we’ll make it very brief here. It’s not about the “better” sauna, but it’s all about the sauna type that is right for you, and the one you’ll enjoy using the most.

This quick profile quiz should point you in the right direction:

• If you enjoy steam in the sauna, higher temperatures, and a more social environment, then a traditional sauna may be the best sauna for you. These saunas can be indoor or outdoor.
• If you prefer lower temperatures but with body-penetrating heat, an infrared sauna may be your best sauna choice. These saunas are designed for indoor use only.

What Are the Six Benefits of Saunas?

1. A sauna is 24/7 wellness retreat at your home.

Before we get into all the reasons why saunas are good for you – above all else, sauna heat simply feels amazing on your skin! And, there is nothing better than having this personal getaway available at your own home whenever you need a little escape. For the most part, saunas are limited to expensive gym memberships or spa retreats, and even then, you are paying a lot of money to share this space (and potential germs or viruses) with other people that you don’t know. When you own a sauna, this is all yours and you can customize your sauna experience exactly how you want it.

2. A sauna is a much-needed escape from a stressful world.

Times of stress and anxiety can be detrimental to your health, and the world can be a very stressful place sometimes. Saunas can help your body and mind adapt to stress and reduce the risk of depression and other mental disorders – all due to the benefits of increased temperatures. When you enter into a small sauna space with hot temperatures, it helps your body secrete endorphins, which are the “feel good” chemicals in your brain. This is especially critical in cold and dark climates where less activity can contribute to depression. 

What else do sauna-induced endorphins help with?

• Sleep: Often hand-in-hand with stress, insomnia/sleep issues can kick up when the body is anxious. This is why many bathers use a sauna before bed, since the sauna session releases endorphins and boosts temperatures. Afterwards in bed, the combination of declining endorphins and decreasing temperatures can be great for deep sleep. In fact, some research shows that longer stage 4 sleep happens post-sauna, which provides a deeper and more restful sleep, as well as healthier dream activity. Sleep affects so many other aspects of health, including mood, immune function, and the ability to handle stress, so getting more ZZZs can have a pretty big impact.
• Pain: Endorphins make great painkillers and a sauna can provide deep pain relief. (Infrared saunas are especially effective for chronic pain sufferers).

The world can be challenging, but with a sauna, you have a lot more ways working for you to reduce stress, get better sleep, and enjoy a mental breather (including better focus and enhanced powers of meditation).

3. A sauna is an effective (and enjoyable) ally to your fittest and healthiest lifestyle.

How do saunas help you up your fitness game? If you are an exercise fanatic, you know how sore your body can get, and often this can lead to unwanted extended “rest” and recovery periods where you can’t workout. Sauna usage can help with faster recovery, eliminating lactic acid build-up, increasing growth hormones by 200-300% after a single sauna use, and help ease overall joint and muscle pain. Regular sauna use can also help with strength training through boosted growth hormones and improved recovery times.

Heat is critical in stimulating capillaries in the skin and muscle tissue, aiding in a faster delivery of blood – increasing both aerobic and anaerobic capacity. Boosted blood flow can also create an increase in the number of muscle fibers by 4-5% in the size of the muscle bundles.

Saunas are also effective calorie-torchers and can help with weight maintenance. While exercise can be hard, saunas are a pretty enjoyable (and easy!) way to boost your overall fitness!

4. Saunas provide a place for family and friends to socialize, relax, and unwind.

What are the benefits of using a sauna when it comes to your social life? It seems like an odd benefit, but it’s a really important one. While solitude is so necessary for relaxation sometimes, your mental wellbeing is also deeply nurtured through bonding time with friends and family.

Just like in historical times, traditional saunas are designed to be a social connection space – providing a warm, comfortable space to socialize and relax.

The psychosocial aspects of group sauna bathing have existed in many cultures over time, and this unique social spot is still an amazing tradition that exists today with home sauna ownership.

5. A sauna is a daily part of your routine with massive health benefits.

We love when people ask is a sauna good for you? The short answers are yes … and yes. We have compiled a pretty extensive Top 10 Sauna Health Benefits list over here, and you can see all the ways (heart health, mental health, pain management, detoxification, immunity boosting, weight maintenance, youthful skin, prevention/management of various health conditions, etc.) that a sauna can transform your life for the better.

And, the more you use a sauna, the better it is for you. Here are two frequent questions with the answers:

• How long should I stay in a sauna? While both the traditional and infrared sauna sessions are recommended at about 10-15 minutes for ideal timing, bathers can often stay in longer in the infrared saunas (about 25-30 minutes) due to the lower temperatures.
• How often should I use a sauna? While it will be totally up to you on your frequency of how often to enjoy your sauna, research shows that frequent sauna use will give you the most benefits. Certainly not a hard task to accomplish as most sauna owners incorporate this into their daily routine!

6. A sauna is an affordable (and easy to maintain) investment into your health and wellbeing.

A sauna is wonderful for your health and amazing to enjoy, and you no longer need to wait for the gym or spa to experience the many sauna benefits. There are many different sauna size options, with easy maintenance, and all at surprisingly affordable price ranges and financing options. It’s a one-time investment that gives you 24/7 daily access to improving your health and stress.

Want to Learn More About Buying A Sauna?

There are great sauna options to choose from, and Mainely Tubs would love to work with you on this process! At Mainely Tubs, we are here for you throughout the entire process – from initial consideration, to sauna comparisons, to delivery day. When you are ready, give us a call, email us, or pop by our showrooms in Scarborough, Maine or Rye, New Hampshire. We’re always happy to help you make the first steps to becoming a new sauna owner!

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