Saunas are heated rooms that are used to provide medical benefits for the body. Sauna rooms can be used to help relax your body, to improve your cardiovascular system, and they can be used to help people to sleep. Most people are not used to taking on the heat that a sauna generates.
So, when they first use a sauna, it can be a bit of a challenge to stay in the room. Sauna enclosures should be hot enough to impact the body. However, they shouldn’t be so hot that they cause people to pass out or to become seriously overheated. The following material will explain how hot should a sauna be for use.
What Are the Different Types of Heat for Different Sauna Rooms?
If you want to find out how hot a sauna room should be, then look at the type of sauna space that is being used. There are four basic types of sauna rooms. They include Finnish sauna, Infrared sauna, Portable sauna and steam sauna room.
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Finnish Sauna
Each of these different types of sauna rooms has their own unique heat settings and functions. The Finnish sauna design is optimized for providing health benefits.
The heat generated for this model is between 160 to 194 F (71 – 90 C). This type of sauna compartment is commonly used within many facilities that have sauna spaces. Gas, electricity, or wood is used as heating sources to generate the heat.
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Infrared Sauna
The infrared model uses infrared heating sources such as hot lamps, heated rocks, or other heat friendly materials. This design emits heat from the sources which is then absorbed into a person’s body.
Infrared heating rooms generate 100 to 150 F (38 – 65.5 C) temperatures.
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Portable Sauna
Portable saunas are small compact heating units that are big enough for one person. People get inside of these heating contraptions and are warmed by an infrared heating source. These types of saunas also have a heat range between 100 to 150 F (38 – 65.5 C).
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Steam Sauna
Steam Sauna rooms have a steam generator to heat up occupants. This type of sauna room design elevates temperatures between 90 to 120 F (32 – 49 C).
Each of these different types of sauna room designs produce a decent amount of heat. However, the original Finnish style sauna is the hottest of them all.
Sauna Room Facilities Set and Monitor Heat for Safety Reasons
Facilities with sauna rooms typically have attendants working the rooms. Attendants have to ensure the rooms are safe for guests.
The last thing that they want are lawsuits or for the place of business to be shut down because of people developing heat related medical issues. They will generally keep their sauna rooms at a fairly decent temperature.
What this means is that the rooms will be hot enough to provide benefits to your body. However, they will not be so hot that a person gets heat stroke and passes out or dies from being in the room.
They will also give time limits to people before they enter a room. Again, this is a safety precaution. It is very necessary for beginning sauna room users.
Until a person is able to build up a tolerance to heat, they will be monitored by attendants. Well, a good facility will have staff on hand to monitor the rooms to ensure that guests are okay.
Temperatures for most public sauna rooms are set between 150 to 200 degrees F. This is more than enough heat to get the blood pumping, the oxygen circulating, and the sweat pouring from your skin.
Again, this heat rating is for experienced sauna room users. Users will probably be exposed to lower (but still hot) temperatures between 90 to 130 degrees.
How Long Should You Stay in a Sauna?
You should determine your sauna use based off your experience with this type of enclosure.
- Beginners should only use saunas for no more than 5 – 10 minutes. This is necessary for keeping a person from experiencing heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
- Intermediate sauna users should stay in a sauna for no more than 15 – 20 minutes. People who have been using a sauna for short while (between 5 – 18 months) should fall within this range.
- Individuals who have been using saunas from 18 months and up, should be able to withstand the heat longer while in a sauna room. These individuals should be able to stay in a Finnish styled sauna room for up to 30 minutes.
Some people are naturally more use to heat than others. That is okay. Some people can’t take hot temperatures at all. Again, that is fine.
Everybody is not the same. Some human bodies are designed to take the heat better than others. The main thing that you must remember is that extreme heat is dangerous and if you’re not able to handle it – then don’t get into sauna.
However, if you can take on the heat; make sure you stay hydrated and don’t overdo it. Hydration is a key to lasting longer within a sauna. You can keep pumping cold water into your body to help offset the effects of the heat.
Still, you should be wise enough to know when you have to exit.
Remember, the human doesn’t like to be too hot or too cold for long periods of time. Your body will always try to balance itself to a normal temperature. You shouldn’t fight against this natural process.
Conclusion
Our peek into “how hot should a sauna be” comes an end here.
Ultimately, you will be able to reap the benefits of sauna rooms as time passes. Once you built up your heat tolerance over time, there is no telling how long you actually stay in a heated sauna space.
Just remember that saunas work wonders for your body; but be wise with the amount of time that you spend inside of these spaces.
