Heat · 02
−8 mmHg
extra drop in systolic blood pressure when a sauna followed each workout
A sauna after exercise lowered blood pressure more than exercise alone.
In an eight-week trial, people who followed each workout with 15 minutes in a sauna ended with systolic pressure (the top number) 8 mmHg lower than people who only exercised.Source 1 · Randomized trialEffects of regular sauna bathing in conjunction with exercise on cardiovascular function: a multi-arm, randomized controlled trialLee E, Kolunsarka I, Kostensalo J, et al.. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 2022.Read the paper ↗PubMed ↗ Pooled trials of heat alone found smaller lasting drops or none.Source 2 · Meta-analysisHeat thermotherapy to improve cardiovascular function and cardiometabolic health: A systematic review and meta‐analysisPrice BS, Lucas SJE, Akerman AP, et al.. Experimental Physiology, 2025.Read the paper ↗PubMed ↗Source 3 · Meta-analysisNon-acute effects of passive heating interventions on cardiometabolic risk and vascular health: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trialsHamaya R, Joyama Y, Miyata T, et al.. American Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 2025.Read the paper ↗PubMed ↗
Try this
Take your sauna after the workout. If you take blood pressure medicine, stand up slowly when you finish, since these drugs can make pressure drop further after bathing.Source 4 · ReviewHealth effects and risks of sauna bathingKukkonen-Harjula K, Kauppinen K. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 2006.Read the paper ↗PubMed ↗