Cooling down after the sauna: how to do it properly

Many people treat cooling down as the gap between two sauna rounds. In reality it is half the ritual, and it is exactly where the contrast comes from that makes a sauna feel so good.

Why cooling down belongs to it

In the sauna your blood vessels widen and your blood pressure drops. Cooling down makes them contract again. That swing between hot and cold is where the effect lies: you feel it in the tingle on your skin and in the deep, calm feeling that follows.

Skip the cooling down and you just keep sweating, and that feeling never arrives.

How to build it up

1. Fresh air first. Step outside and let your breathing settle. A minute or two is enough.
2. Then cold water. Start at your feet and work upward toward your heart. Never put your head or chest straight under a cold shower.
3. Optionally immerse. A plunge tub, a pond or the sea. Short is enough: 10 to 30 seconds already does what it needs to.
4. Then rest. This is the step most often skipped.

Why you work up from your feet

A cold jet straight at your chest triggers a shock response: your breath catches and your heart rate spikes. Starting at your feet and legs lets your body adjust gradually, keeping it pleasant instead of overwhelming.

How long do you rest afterwards?

Allow 10 to 15 minutes between rounds. Sit or lie down, wrapped warmly in a robe or towel, and wait until your heart rate is back to normal and your body temperature has settled.

Go into the next round too soon and the load stacks up, leaving you tired rather than relaxed.

In the garden with a sauna tent

Here you actually have an advantage over a spa: outside is genuinely outside. In winter a minute in the cold air is already enough to cool down completely, and a garden hose or a bucket of cold water works just as well as a plunge tub.

Anyone by the water has the finest version ready and waiting. One caution: do not jump straight into deep water after the heat, and never swim alone directly after a sauna.

When to be careful

Cold immersion is a significant stimulus for your heart and blood vessels. If you have cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure, or are pregnant, stick to fresh air and a lukewarm shower and talk to your doctor before going cold.

Finally: drink

You keep losing fluid while cooling down too. Have something to drink between every round, and finish the session with a large glass of water.