Sauna Before or After Your Workout: Yes, Timing Matters
Turns out, when you hit the sauna actually makes a difference.
February 17, 2026 - Updated February 17, 2026
So you've just discovered your gym has a sauna, or you're thinking about adding heat therapy to your routine, and now you're faced with the question: do you sauna before or after your workout?
Generally, most experts agree that if you're going to pair your sauna with your workout, doing it after your workout is generally the smarter move. And there are some pretty solid reasons why.
Let's get into it.
The case for a sauna after a workout
Post-workout recovery is where the magic happens
When you finish a workout, your muscles are tired, your heart rate is elevated, and your body is in recovery mode. Hopping into a sauna after training can enhance your recovery by increasing blood flow to your muscles, delivering oxygen and nutrients, and flushing out metabolic waste products like lactic acid. Think of it like giving your circulatory system a little boost when it's already doing the hard repair work.
Most evidence is in favour of the post-workout sauna, with research showing that it can help reduce muscle soreness, speed up recovery time and improve overall performance. Other research has shown that adding a sauna to your workout routine can also improve cardio fitness, blood pressure, cholesterol, and even running speed, VO2 max and time to exhaustion.
One thing to be mindful of if you’re delving into the research? Always check who the participants were to get a sense of how applicable the findings are to you, as (unfortunately, but unsurprisingly) a lot of health research is conducted solely on males.
Enjoy the post-workout mental wind-down
Sitting in a warm sauna feels absolutely incredible. It's meditative and relaxing, signalling to your body and mind that you’re in wind-down mode, which can help your nervous system calm down after a workout.
Feeling overly relaxed (or even dazed) isn’t what you want right before a workout - we want you feeling alert and focused to get the most out of your session and avoid injury.
It’s better to warm up with movement, not a sauna
Getting into the sauna might seem like a nice way to warm up your body for your workout, but we always recommend warming up with dynamic movement. Despite the fact that a sauna mimics exercise in many ways (your body temperature and heart rate increase, your blood vessels dilate, and your body starts to sweat), it doesn’t adequately prime your muscles, joints and mind for the movement to come. If you're not sure which movements to do, every Sweat workout includes an optional dynamic warm-up!
A pre-workout sauna can actually mess with your workout
Extended sauna sessions before working out can actually tank your performance. When you spend significant time in high heat, your core body temperature rises, your heart rate increases, and you start to dehydrate and feel fatigued - before you've done a single rep. This means you're starting your workout on the back foot, which can reduce your strength, endurance, and coordination.
Research has shown that under heat stress, endurance exercise capacity and performance are impaired, and your body fatigues more quickly.
Plus, there's the issue of overheating. Your body works hard to regulate temperature during exercise, and if you're already heat-stressed from the sauna, you're putting extra strain on your cardiovascular system and increasing your risk of heat-related illness.
A couple of words of caution
If you plan on hopping in the sauna after your workout, there are a few things we suggest to help you feel better when you get out, rather than worse.
Make sure you stay hydrated. No matter what time of day you choose to sauna, start hydrated and stay hydrated. Getting out and feeling dizzy and dehydrated is not a vibe.
Give yourself a minute. After your workout, we still recommend taking a few minutes to do some cool-down stretches, drink water, and let your heart rate return to baseline before you head to the sauna.
Listen to your body. If you’ve done an intense session and don’t feel great sitting in a sauna (we’re talking lightheadedness, nausea, dizziness, etc.), just get out. Don’t sit there hoping it’ll pass or that the benefits are worth the discomfort. Likewise, if you finish your workout and are already drenched in sweat and feeling fatigued, a sauna might not be what you need.
Start small. Your first time trying a post-workout sauna doesn’t need to be long. Hop in for 10 minutes, see how you feel and give your body time to adapt before hitting longer sessions.
Time it right
For most people, most of the time, the answer is after. You'll get better recovery benefits, you won't compromise your performance, and you'll actually enjoy it more when your hard work is already done.
At the end of the day, the best approach is the one that makes you feel good and that you'll actually stick with consistently. Whether that's a regular post-workout sauna session or a weekend recovery ritual, find what works for your schedule, your body, and your goals.
Erin is a writer and editor at Sweat with years of experience in women's publishing, the fitness industry, media and tech. She's passionate about the power of movement, and you can often find her on a yoga mat, a hike, a dance floor, in the ocean or the gym.
* Disclaimer: This blog post is not intended to replace the advice of a medical professional. The above information should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. Sweat assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article.
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