When you train hard and get a lot of exercise, it’s absolutely essential that you prioritise rest and rehabilitation as part of your training programme if you’re to keep injuries at bay and give your body the chance to recover in between workout sessions.
As well as resting up and performing myofascial release on a regular basis, you could do yourself a huge amount of good by hitting the sauna after you’ve trained, as studies have shown that doing so can decrease any muscle soreness you may experience and give your recovery a boost.
When you exercise, you’re pushing your muscles harder and causing microscopic tears in order to improve strength and drive muscle growth – which is why you can experience soreness, tightness and sensitivity after you’ve trained.
But exposing your body to heat in a sauna after your workout helps your muscles to relax, relieving all that built-up tension and increasing blood circulation as your blood vessels dilate, giving your muscles even greater exposure to oxygen-rich blood and improving kidney function to clear your body of toxins, helping support tissue health, improve recovery times and reduce the level of soreness you feel.
If you’re new to the sauna experience, take your time and build up your tolerance slowly. Start off with five to ten minutes and see how you go, slowing down your breathing and checking in with your body to assess how it feels. If you start feeling dizzy or have a tingling sensation in your fingers and toes, get out and take a break.
Always make sure that you drink water after a sauna session so you can rehydrate – and you may want to consider using some leave-in conditioner or scalp treatment to protect your head and hair while you bake.
