Saunas are all the rage now. Well, in the United States anyway. In Finland and other Nordic countries, sauna bathing is a way of life and has been forever. Good on them…smart folks. And I am smart now too because I put one in my backyard. I loooove it. Sauna is next level wellness and sauna fits into my lifestyle now too.
In the past 5-6 years saunas have hit the mainstream as part of relaxation rituals, recovery tools, and longevity mechanisms. I always loved a good sauna or steam room when I visited a spa and would often spend way longer in the spa than just my treatment time because I would be be hopping in and out of the steam room or sauna before and after. Super relaxing. Fast forward a few years and I kept reading about infrared saunas as I read about inflammation and other getting older things that were…bothering me. I was intrigued and wondered if the claims were true. As is my nature, I started reading–a lot– and trying to find definitive research that infrared sauna therapy was actually therapeutic. It is easy to find, oh, I don’t know, thousands of people touting the benefits of infrared saunas online. All these “influencers” who, for whatever reason, the public believes are health experts. Suzie cutie pants fit and trim says it works, then it must work! Look how great she looks! She sleeps well! Her joints don’t ache! But aside from anecdotal evidence, I couldn’t find anything scientific to back up the claims. I used an infrared sauna in NYC once too. It was hot (150 degrees) and was relaxing. And, really, I think a lot of what helps people and works or doesn’t work for each individual is highly individual. I do not doubt the anecdotal claims that infrared sauna helps them feel better. I was relaxed after my session, for sure. But in terms of health benefits, the traditional sauna has the edge.
See these studies that allude to the benefits and small n studies. NIH. Mayo Clinic
Sauna bathing in Finland is practiced religiously and this practice dates back to forever. Finland does it in sauna houses usually with wood burning areas with hot stones and water poured over the stones to create steam (loyly, with two dots over the o!). This is the essential part of Finnish sauna bathing. Thus, when I went about researching one for my own backyard, I was looking toward maximizing the efficiency and getting all the terrific benefits of a traditional sauna without having 5 acres to build a large hut with a wood stove and changing room. I mean, we have to be practical, right? So how does sauna fit into my lifestyle? Let’s find out!
I wanted to elevate my wellness routine and incorporate “sauna bathing” into my lifestyle and had to do it in a way that made sense. No gyms where I live have saunas and because my house is 100 years old, I had no way to put this in my basement. However, many people have awesome saunas in their homes. I love mine outdoors. In the winter, walking back inside in the snow is part of the fun! As soon as you step out of the sauna, your whole body is steaming. My perfect temperature seems to be 180-185 and I stay in a long time. Feels awesome.
After much research, I settled on Finlandia and my “dealer” made it semi-custom for my space. Here it is being built:
Finlandia has many options from custom kits or pre-fab. I have a 4 x 6 so I have room to lay down on the top bench. It is technically a sauna for 3 but I use it solo 99% of the time. The heater is slightly oversized heater because I live in a cold climate (boo). It takes about 20 minutes to heat up in the winter and operates around 190-195 degrees consistently. This shows a door with a full glass panel, but I actually ordered a door with a smaller glass window, which is being replaced. Given that this faces my sliding glass doors and I bath au natural (!!) Need a smaller window. 😉
So what is my schedule? I sauna at least 4 times per week for at least 40 minutes duration. I find it takes about 20 minutes for me to be pouring sweat (am I a delayed sweater??) and I like to hold that for at least 20 minutes. Often I am in there an hour. Sometimes I meditate, listen to a podcast, relax, look out at the trees….whatever. There is no agenda. Any bad juju melts away and disappears. I also use some essential oils in this add-on gadget as well. I use lavender or eucalyptus, depending on the mood and time of day.
In terms of mixing up a wellness protocol, I highly recommend sauna time whether this is at the gym, at a spa, or in your own home. Sauna is next level wellness and I encourage people to give it a try and incorporate it into your wellness plan.