# How often should you use a sauna?

Source: https://saunabenefits.uk/how-to/how-often/
Author: Kit Ellery · Updated 2026-11-04

**Short answer:** In Finnish studies, risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure fell with each extra weekly session, with the lowest risk at four to seven a week. Two or three sessions a week was also linked with some benefit. Daily saunas are normal in Finland and safe for most healthy people. Build up gradually if you're new.

## What frequency did the studies look at?

The Finnish studies split people into three groups: one session a week, two to three, and four to seven. Almost everyone used a sauna at least once a week, because that is normal in Finland. In the best-known study of 2,315 men, 601 went once a week, 1,513 went two or three times and 201 went four to seven times.

## What did they find?

Compared with once a week, after adjusting for other risk factors:

| Outcome | 2–3 times a week | 4–7 times a week |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sudden cardiac death (men) | 22% lower | 63% lower |
| Death from heart or circulatory disease (men and women) | 25% lower | 77% lower |
| High blood pressure (men) | 17% lower | 47% lower |

The two-to-three-times figures could partly be chance; the four-to-seven figures are clearer. In the study of men and women, risk fell steadily with each extra session, with no obvious threshold. See [heart health](/benefits/heart-health/) for what these results can and can't prove.

## Is there a trial that tested frequency?

Not for long-term outcomes. The closest is an 8-week trial in which inactive adults followed an exercise programme with a 15-minute sauna after each workout; their blood pressure fell more than with exercise alone.

## How should you build up?

- **Weeks 1 to 2:** one or two sessions a week, one or two short rounds each.
- **Weeks 3 to 6:** add a session or a round if you're enjoying it and feel well.
- **After that:** whatever fits your life. Two to four sessions a week is realistic for most people with access to a sauna.

Drink water around every session and take a day off if you feel run down, unwell or have a fever.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is it safe to use a sauna every day?

For most healthy adults, yes, as long as you keep sessions sensible, stay hydrated and avoid alcohol. Many Finns use one daily. If you have a heart condition, low or high blood pressure, or are pregnant, ask your doctor first.

### Is once a week enough?

Once a week was the comparison group in the Finnish studies, so we can't say what it does compared with none. Most people there went two or three times a week.

### Can you use a sauna twice a day?

Some people do, but there's no evidence it adds anything. Make sure you rehydrate fully in between.

## References

1. [Laukkanen T et al. Association between sauna bathing and fatal cardiovascular and all-cause mortality events. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25705824/)
2. [Laukkanen T et al. Sauna bathing is associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality and improves risk prediction in men and women: a prospective cohort study. BMC Medicine, 2018.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30486813/)
3. [Zaccardi F et al. Sauna bathing and incident hypertension: a prospective cohort study. American Journal of Hypertension, 2017.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28633297/)
4. [Lee E et al. Effects of regular sauna bathing in conjunction with exercise on cardiovascular function: a multi-arm, randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Physiology, 2022.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35785965/)