Sauna after training seems to be a good way to relax and recover quickly - high temperature relaxes the body and soothes aching muscles and joints. However, it is a mistake to enter a hot room immediately after training. In order to benefit from the sauna, you need to know when it is safe to use it and how to do it so as not to burden your tired body.

Is the sauna he althy after training ? It depends on several factors - including the time that has elapsed since the end of the exercise and its intensity. Our individual he alth condition and the existence of any contraindications are also important. What serves some may turn out to be harmful to others, so be sure to read the rules of safe use of the sauna before going to the sauna.

Is the sauna he althy right after training?

There are saunas in many fitness clubs, which may suggest that it is best to use them immediately after training. This is a big mistake though!Never enter the sauna immediately after exercise.Why?

The room has a very high temperature and humidity - in such conditions the body sweats, loses water and electrolytes, the heart works at a speed of up to 140-160 beats per minute, and breathing becomes shallower and faster. All this makes the body tired. Therefore, entering the sauna after exhausting training, especially aerobic training, weakens us even more instead of rest. After the exercises, the heart must calm down and the body regain its normal temperature - it is impossible in a sauna, because its temperature rises to 40 degrees Celsius and the heart rate increases significantly. Such a condition is not only harmful, but also dangerous to he alth - it may cause overheating of the body, fainting, and in extreme cases, even a heart attack.

Instead of warming up in the sauna, after training, we should use cool-down exercises and replace the lost fluids. In this way, our body will regain its balance, calm down and rest.

Sauna after the gym - yes or no?

Strength training is less tiring than aerobic training, but we feel more muscle tension after it. So it may seem that a sauna will be a good way to relax a tense body. Contrary to appearances, this is also wrong thinking.

During strength exercises, muscles remember specific onesstimuli, thanks to which they are able to work more efficiently at a later time and get used to higher loads faster. This is a phenomenon called muscle memory. Another important process that takes place right after training is the muscle pump - the state of muscle tension, in which they are better supplied with blood and oxygen, which promotes the building of muscle mass. Going to the sauna immediately after the end of the effort eliminates both of these phenomena and thus destroys the effects of training. It should also be remembered that strength exercises, although less strenuous, also cause an increase in body temperature and water loss, so using the sauna afterwards is as harmful as in the case of aerobic exercise.

Important

The sauna should also not be used before training. Being in a hot room dehydrates and weakens the body, so we do not have the energy to exercise. In addition, the sauna excessively relaxes the muscles and reduces their nervous tension, so they are less resistant to stress and react less to stimuli.

Sauna after training - when and how to use it?

The contraindications described above apply only to the time from a few minutes to several hours after training. This is all it takes for the body to recover from exercise. After this time, using the sauna is completely safe - of course, provided that we do not show any additional he alth contraindications.

To sum up, for the use of the sauna to have a positive effect on the body tired with training, the following rules should be followed:

  • do not go to the sauna immediately after finishing exercises - you should wait at least a dozen or so hours, and it is best to use the sauna on days free from training;
  • 2-3 hours before entering the sauna, remember to hydrate the body; after leaving, we also refill fluids;
  • during one cycle we do not stay in the sauna for more than 15 minutes;
  • we use the sauna no more than twice a week.
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Sauna after training - he alth benefits

Going to the sauna on training-free days has a positive effect on the body and increases the effects of exercise:

  • accelerates blood circulation, thanks to which the muscles are better supplied with oxygen and nutrients - this in turn accelerates their regeneration and growth;
  • soothes aching muscles and joints;
  • promotes recovery after injuries and strains;
  • increases blood volume, which has a positive effect on efficiency;
  • toughens the body and makes it more resistant to diseases;
  • cleanses the body of toxins;
  • relaxes and loosens the body.

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ABC of exercises