Sauna a hot tip even if you have high blood pressure?

Especially in Nordic countries, regular trips to the sauna are a normal part of life. Besides keeping up social contacts, they are also said to strengthen health. But does that apply if your blood pressure is elevated? Could it even have a positive effect on blood pressure?

Sauna can broadly mean steam baths or infrared cabins, but here we refer to the classic Finnish sauna. That is characterized by very high temperatures of 80 100 degrees Celsius with relatively low humidity. The wooden sauna room is heated by a stove topped with stones. Pouring water, often mixed with fragrances, onto these stones briefly raises the humidity and stimulates sweating.

Sauna sessions usually dont last long, typically 10 to 15 minutes, and sometimes shorter depending on how you feel. They are finished with a cold shower or a short dip in cold water, followed by a rest period before the next sauna round.

Its proven that this routine strengthens the immune system and regular sauna users catch colds less often provided they are healthy.

So what about existing high blood pressure? Are regular stays in the hot room possible or even recommended for people with hypertension?

A sauna session does put strain on the cardiovascular system thats a fact. Due to the heat exposure (body temperature can rise up to around 40 °C during the stay), the body reacts with a stress response similar to light exercise. Stress hormones are released, heart rate increases, and blood pressure rises during the time you sit or lie in the sauna. Only during the rest phase after or between sauna sessions does blood pressure fall, and it often stays lower for some time afterward.

Therefore, for people with high blood pressure, a sauna visit is possible if the blood pressure is well controlled including under stress. However, especially for those who are untrained or who have other medical conditions, a doctor should first check whether sufficient tolerance is present. Some conditions, like heart failure, but also repeated severe blood pressure episodes, may argue against using the sauna.

If the doctor gives the go-ahead, you should start sauna sessions slowly and get used to the heat in lower-temperature saunas first, such as a bio-sauna or steam sauna, which also have noticeably higher humidity. The time spent in the sauna should also be increased gradually until a training or acclimatization effect develops.

Its important for people with hypertension to keep the cooling-down after a sauna gentle. That means, instead of going under an ice-cold jet shower or into a plunge pool, its better to cool down slowly in the air or take a lukewarm shower. The required rest period between two sauna sessions should not be shortened the 30 minutes of rest should be observed.

Those who follow these recommendations, studies show, also do their blood pressure long-term good. It doesnt just drop briefly or immediately after the sauna; over time it often decreases long-term as well. This was observed in, of course, non-randomized studies. The systolic and diastolic blood pressure of regularly sauning people with hypertension fell noticeably. After three months the systolic pressure decreased by 23 mmHg and the diastolic by 9 mmHg.

Studies suggest that especially the blood vessels benefit from regular sauna sessions. Heat appears to have anti-inflammatory effects and also reduces stress. This also applies to the cardiovascular system sauna sessions seem to have a positive effect on cardiovascular health. Some researchers even suggest that regular sauna bathing could in some cases replace a workout session.

Conclusion:

Regular sauna bathing is possible for people with hypertension and also offers health benefits. However, blood pressure must be well controlled and there must be no other medical conditions that argue against sauna use. Before the first session, it should be checked by a doctor whether and at what intensity sauna visits are possible. The cold shock of the plunge pool or an icy waterfall shower after each round should be avoided in favor of slow cooling in the air or a lukewarm shower.

Sources:

This article comes from BloodPressureDB – the leading app since 2011 that helps hundreds of thousands monitor their blood pressure every day. Our content is based on carefully researched, evidence-based data and is continuously updated (as of 06/2025).

Author Sabine Croci is a qualified medical assistant with many years of experience in internal medicine and cardiology practices as well as in outpatient care, and has led BloodPressureDB's specialist editorial team since 2015. Thanks to her extensive additional qualifications as a paramedic, first responder and in various therapy and emergency areas, she provides solid, practical and reliably reviewed information.

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Sauna a hot tip even if you have high blood pressure?

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