In the sauna: Minute by minute

Our founders started using saunas on the basis of relaxation and recovery. That meant resetting the body in preparation for our collegiate competitions and post night outs. After years and years, session after session, we questioned how regular sauna use really helps our body? 

Cardiovascular benefits are NEXT-LEVEL.

Most scientific studies on sauna use a 15-20 minute session as the benchmark. Here we have broken it down, minute by minute, to show you exactly what happens for our cardiovascular health. 

Minutes: 1–3: Heart rate rises 30–50%.

Minutes: 4–7: Blood vessels dilate → blood circulation improves.

Minutes: 8–12: Cardiac output (the amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute) increases up to 70%.

Minutes: 13–17: Body starts to adjust to the heat, arteries relax, blood pressure regulation improves.

Minutes: 18–20: Endothelial function strengthens, supporting long-term vascular resilience.

In these studies, research has shown reduced cardiovascular disease risk with regular sauna use. This “passive cardiovascular exercise”, may be one of the most powerful, underrated tools for our health-span and longevity. 

Just 15–20 minutes, 3–4x per week could transform your heart health.

At Foghouse, our mission is for everyone to transform their health and wellness anywhere in the world.

References:
Laukkanen et al., JAMA Intern Med. 2015
Kihara et al., J Am Coll Cardiol. 2002
Hannuksela & Ellahham, Am J Med. 2001
Laukkanen et al., Am J Hypertens. 2017
Francisco et al., Exp Physiol. 2020