Sports, Sauna and Recovery – How Physical Exercise and Traditional Finnish Sauna Support Wellbeing

Physical effort first. Sauna, relaxation, and recovery next. What a perfect match.

The connection between sports and sauna has been part of Finnish everyday life for generations. Today, it is also gaining growing international interest, not only as a cultural habit, but as a simple and enjoyable way to support recovery and overall wellbeing.

Sports and Sauna Recovery in Practice

Pictured here is a great example of how sports and sauna naturally come together. At Fairgrounds Racket Club in Leaside, Toronto, you can now step into a Hetki Sauna right after pickleball or padel. From fast rallies on the court to unwinding in the sauna next door, everything happens under one roof. If you are nearby, it is definitely worth a visit. Book a court, book a sauna, and experience how seamlessly physical exercise and recovery can be combined.

Experiences like this also reflect something we genuinely hope to see more of. Gym saunas and sauna facilities connected to sports and movement, built properly and with respect for the tradition. Not dry saunas, but authentic, high-quality traditional Finnish saunas, where löyly is allowed and encouraged, where water is poured on the heater to create that soft, enveloping heat that defines the sauna experience. And saunas with proper ventilation, so the space remains pleasant, breathable, and enjoyable even during longer sessions.

In Finland, saunas in gyms and sports facilities are common, and they are very much about what comes after physical exercise. Cleansing, relaxation, recovery, and social connection. A place to slow down, breathe, and share a moment together. Sauna is not used as a warm-up before sports, but as a natural continuation of movement, helping the body and mind settle after effort.

Physical Exercise Followed by a Traditional Finnish Sauna – What Research Shows

Research has also examined what happens when physical exercise is followed by a traditional Finnish sauna. One research study found that:

“In conclusion, regular exercise using the recommended guidelines three times a week, for 50 min each time, can effectively improve CRF and body composition. The addition of a regular 15-min typical Finnish sauna after exercise supplemented the gains in CRF, reductions in SBP, and lowered total cholesterol levels considerably.”

Lee et al. (2022)*

These findings suggest potential supplementary benefits when sauna is added after exercise. At the same time, it is important to be clear and responsible. Further scientific research is needed, and very much welcomed, to fully understand how physical exercise and sauna work together across different sports and populations. More broadly, research into the health effects of sauna itself is still evolving.

While science-backed findings are valuable, sauna should not be framed as a shortcut or miracle solution. Instead, it should be seen as a supportive and enjoyable practice that fits naturally into an active and balanced lifestyle. In our view, sauna is not a wellness protocol or a performance to be optimized or measured. It is an integral part of good living, a simple way of enjoying life, taking care of ourselves, and bringing joy, much like physical activity itself.

A Personal Perspective on Sports, Sauna and Recovery

Alongside research, lived experience also plays a role in how many people understand sauna:

“Sports, sauna, and recovery? A small reflection from my own experience: The older I get, the better sauna feels after any kind of physical effort. When I was younger, recovery felt almost automatic. You trained hard, you slept, and the next day your body was ready again. Now I notice the difference. I feel I need the sauna more for recovery as I get older. Sauna after exercise seems to help my body settle, calm down, and recover. At least for me it does. A purely empirical observation, of course. And a biased perspective, I admit… but an honest one. And even though there is some science-backed evidence already, I underline that more research on this topic, and more broadly on the health effects of sauna, would be very welcome.”

Janne Oksanen, Hetki's CEO & Founder

Sauna Is Not a Competition – A Calm and Respectful Way to Recover

You may enjoy competing on the court, pushing yourself in sports, chasing scores or personal bests, but sauna lives in a different world. In the sauna, there are no rules, no timers to beat, and nothing to prove. Sauna is not a competition. It is about listening to your body and following what feels right in the moment. Your body will tell you when it is time to step out, cool down, and decide whether to return for another session, for as long or as briefly as feels good for you. This is why you practically never see sauna timers in Finland. Sauna is a place for relaxation, not restriction.

While the Finnish approach emphasizes a calm, go-with-the-flow attitude, it is not presented as the only way. Timers can be helpful for newcomers or certain settings, but the essence remains the same. Sauna should not be over complicated. There is no ideal duration, no perfect number of rounds. The best measure is simple: how it feels. You may measure yourself against others in sports, compare results, rankings, and achievements, but in the sauna, you go on your own terms.

At the same time, sauna is often shared, particularly in gyms, racket clubs, and other sports environments. Respect for others, their space, and their experience helps keep the sauna a calm and pleasant place for everyone.

Supporting Wellbeing With Sports and Sauna

Whether used on their own or combined, sports and sauna both support wellbeing in a simple and effective way. They help us transition from effort to rest, from activity to calm, and from movement to stillness.

Making us feel good. Both in body and mind.

*Lee, E., Kolunsarka, I., Kostensalo, J., Ahtiainen, J. P., Haapala, E. A., Willeit, P., Kunutsor, S. K., & Laukkanen, J. A. (2022). Effects of regular sauna bathing in conjunction with exercise on cardiovascular function: A multi-arm, randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 323(3), R289–R299.