Sauna vs Pool for Recovery: Which One Should You Use First?

If you’re into your recovery optimisation, whether it be post-workout or post-sports, utilising a sauna or steam room, along with a pool session, is a great idea to help relax your muscles and boost recovery. While either one of these options is fantastic after a hard session, what’s the best order if you want to try and do both?

Saunas and Steam Rooms

Firstly, there are two types of ‘heat’ therapy rooms: saunas and steam rooms.

Saunas use dry heat from rocks, electric heaters, or burning stoves; whereas steam rooms use steam from pipes to generate heat in the room. The result is that saunas have around 10% humidity, while steam rooms have 100%. There are some slight differences between them, especially around maximum heat generation, but for most people, they both offer similar benefits.

In a 2018 study, it was found that regular sauna or steam room use can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, improve blood pressure, and improve lung function; and spending time in a sauna can also help to relieve stress, tension and muscle and joint pain.

When using a sauna or steam room, remember to keep hydrated and don’t stay in for more than 15-20 minutes at a time.

Pool recovery

Pools, particularly for swimming, are an effective low-impact exercise with many other health benefits. Performing active recovery in a pool helps to reduce soreness, flushes out lactic acid and prevents a drop-off in performance. A study in the International Journal of Sports Medicine concluded a “swimming-based recovery session enhanced following-day exercise performance.”

Part of what makes pool recovery workouts so effective is that they let you put your body through a controlled range of motion without any of the pounding and impact inherent in dry land training.

So, you can essentially get your body moving again and loosen up the muscles in a pool, with subtle resistance and less weight and strain on your joints and limbs. Below is pretty great video showcasing some recovery exercises and stretches for the pool session:

What’s the best order to do them?

Now, in terms of doing a sauna or steam room first and then jumping in the pool, there seems to be two schools of thought around this. In terms of clinical differences and improvements though, it doesn’t seem to matter too much, but practically speaking, doing a hot session and then cooling off in the pool (after a shower for hygiene sake) is a great protocol to follow.

Start with the sauna / steam room — This can help warm up your muscles and improve blood flow – which can improve your swimming performance and make soaking in the spa more effective.

Next, take a dip in the pool — Before you jump in the pool, take a shower to rinse off the sweat and toxins. After the shower, you can go for a swim to cool down your body temperature and prevent overheating.

Remember, always listen to your body and take breaks as needed. If you feel dizzy or lightheaded, immediately exit the sauna, pool or spa and seek medical attention.