Sauna the right way: the beginner's guide
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The sauna is one of the oldest wellness classics – and yet beginners often stand a little puzzled in front of their first sauna door. How long do I stay inside? What is the infusion all about? And how do I cool down properly? Don’t worry: doing the sauna right is not a secret science. With a few simple rules you’ll get everything right from the start and fully enjoy the soothing interplay of heat and cooling down. This guide takes you step by step through your first session in the sauna.
Before you enter the sauna
Good preparation makes the sauna more enjoyable. First shower thoroughly and dry yourself afterwards – dry skin sweats faster and better. Take off jewellery and glasses, as metal can become uncomfortably hot in the heat.
Don’t go into the sauna on a full stomach, but not completely on an empty one either. A light meal one to two hours beforehand is ideal. Important: avoid alcohol before the sauna, as it puts additional strain on your circulation.
Bring at least two towels – one to sit or lie on and one to dry off. In the sauna there is an iron rule: no part of your body touches the wood directly, so lay out the towel in such a way that your feet rest on it too.
How a sauna session works properly
A complete sauna round consists of three phases that you repeat two to three times:
- Warming-up phase in the sauna (8 to 15 minutes)
- Cool-down phase in the fresh air and with cold water
- Resting phase to relax (at least as long as the sauna session)
The warming-up phase
As a beginner, it’s best to choose the lower or middle bench, as it is significantly cooler there than at the very top. For the last two minutes you should sit up so that your circulation gets used to the upright posture. Stay as long as it feels good – after 15 minutes at the latest, it’s time to stop. If you feel dizzy or your heart is pounding hard, leave the cabin immediately.
The cool-down phase
Cooling down is just as important as sweating. First go briefly into the fresh air to breathe the hot air out of your lungs. Then cool yourself down with cold water – always from the outside in and from the bottom up. So start at your feet and work your way towards your heart. Only use a plunge pool after you have pre-cooled with the hose or under the shower. That way you avoid a cold shock.
The resting phase
After cooling down comes recovery. Wrap yourself in a towel or a bathrobe and rest until your circulation has settled. This break is not a luxury but an integral part of the sauna experience.
The infusion (Aufguss) – the centrepiece
During the infusion, the sauna master pours water, often with essential oils, onto the hot stones of the heater. The resulting steam suddenly increases the perceived heat, and wafting it with a towel spreads it around the room.
For beginners: an infusion is intense. For your first time, feel free to sit on a lower bench and observe how your body reacts. You don’t have to stay until the end – step out if it becomes too much. Out of consideration for the other guests, you should avoid entering or leaving the cabin in the middle of an infusion.
If you catch the bug, you can recreate the infusion at home: the guide on making your own sauna infusion with simple recipes covers scent blends and the right dosage.
Important sauna rules at a glance
To keep everyone relaxed, a few unwritten laws have become established:
- Sauna naked is common and more hygienic in many saunas; the towel serves as a base.
- Stay quiet: In the cabin people speak softly or not at all.
- Close doors promptly so the heat doesn’t escape.
- Be considerate: No loud conversations, no phone, no jostling at the plunge pool.
- Mind cleanliness and always sit on your own towel.
How to behave correctly on every bench is laid out in even more detail in our thorough sauna etiquette guide with the most important rules.
How often and how long?
For beginners, two sauna rounds per visit are plenty. Those who are more experienced treat themselves to three. More rarely brings more; instead it tends to strain the circulation. Plan around two hours in total for a relaxed sauna visit so that you don’t have to rush.
After your sauna visit, drink enough to make up for the fluid loss – water or unsweetened tea work well. During the sauna rounds themselves you deliberately drink little, so that the body properly detoxes and sweats.
If you’re wondering whether the classic sauna or a gentler variant suits you better, the comparison Sauna or steam bath: differences, benefits and what suits whom will help you. And anyone who wants to fully enjoy a wellness day likes to combine the sauna with a treatment from the overview of types of massage. If you’d like to discover bathing culture beyond the Finnish sauna, the Japanese bathing culture of the onsen offers a wholly distinct form of warmth and relaxation.
Who the sauna is less suitable for
The sauna is a beneficial thing for most healthy people. However, with cardiovascular complaints, high blood pressure, acute infections, fever or during pregnancy, you should be cautious. When in doubt, have a sauna visit checked by a doctor beforehand. As a basic principle, always listen to the signals of your body – wellness should do you good, not overwhelm you.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
How long should I stay in the sauna as a beginner?
For a start, 8 to 10 minutes per round is ideal. More important than the clock is how your body feels: as soon as you feel unwell, become dizzy or your heart is pounding hard, you should leave the cabin. With a little practice you can extend the time to up to 15 minutes.
Do I have to be naked in the sauna?
In many classic saunas, sauna nudity is common and desired for hygienic reasons, since sweat stays in the swimwear. But there are also textile saunas and mixed times with a swimwear requirement. Check the rules of your sauna beforehand, then you’ll feel comfortable from the start.
How do I cool down properly after the sauna?
First go into the fresh air to breathe deeply, then cool down with cold water from your feet upwards towards your heart. Only use a plunge pool after this pre-cooling, to avoid a cold shock. The cool-down phase is a firm part of every sauna session.
How many sauna rounds make sense?
Two to a maximum of three rounds per sauna visit are optimal for most people. Between the rounds, a cool-down and a resting phase belong. More rounds bring no additional benefit but rather unnecessarily strain the circulation.
