Saunas, Heat, And Circulation
How heat and circulation interact
Heat makes the body work, and circulation is part of how it responds.
Sitting in a sauna is not passive for your body. Heat raises your heart rate and opens your blood vessels, and your circulation responds to that load. This is one of the oldest reasons people have used saunas, and it is the area the long-running Finnish sauna research has studied.
This page explains how heat and circulation interact. It is educational, not medical advice, and nothing here is a claim that a sauna prevents or treats any condition. If you have a heart condition or any cardiovascular concern, speak with your doctor before using a sauna.
How it works
When you heat the body, the cardiovascular system responds in ways that researchers have studied for decades, particularly in the traditional Finnish sauna setting.
Heat raises heart rate
As your body warms, your heart rate rises to move blood to the surface and shed heat. The effect on the heart during a sauna session has been compared to the load of light physical activity.
Blood vessels open
Heat causes the blood vessels to dilate, which increases circulation throughout the body. This is the vascular response that has made heat exposure a subject of ongoing cardiovascular research.
The traditional protocol is what was studied
The long-running Finnish research was conducted on traditional hot rock saunas used regularly over many years. The Heritage Traditional model is that same format: an 8kW Harvia kiuas, high ambient heat, and löyly steam.
What we recommend
If the traditional sauna format is what interests you, the Heritage Traditional Outdoor Sauna is that format: a genuine hot rock sauna with a Harvia kiuas. The infrared range in the same collection offers a lower-temperature alternative that many people find more comfortable for frequent home use. Both are in the sauna range.
Frequently asked questions
Heat raises your heart rate as your body works to move blood to the surface and shed heat. During a session the load on the heart has been compared to that of light physical activity. If you have a heart condition, speak with your doctor before using a sauna.
Heat causes blood vessels to dilate, which increases circulation through the body. This vascular response is the reason heat exposure has been studied for its effects on the cardiovascular system.
The long-running Finnish sauna studies were conducted on traditional hot rock saunas used regularly over many years. The Heritage Traditional model is that same format, with a Harvia kiuas and high ambient heat.
Heat places a load on the cardiovascular system. If you have a heart condition, high or low blood pressure, or any cardiovascular concern, speak with your doctor before using a sauna. This page is educational and not medical advice.