Sauna guide for beginners: how to get started safely
A good sauna session isn't about lasting the longest. It's about calm, heat, breaks, cooling down – and listening to your body along the way.
For many year-round bathers the sauna becomes a small sanctuary of calm and time to turn inward. A place where the shoulders drop, the skin tingles with warmth, and the body slowly finds balance between the warm and the cold plunge.
Here are our best tips to get started with the sauna – whether you're curious about sauna rituals (saunagus), sauna and year-round bathing, or just a quiet moment of warmth and presence.
The simple routine
Start gently. A typical sauna is often around 70–90°C, but you don't have to sit at the top where the heat is most intense.
Feel free to sit on the lower bench for 5–10 minutes. Breathe calmly, tune into your body, and go out if you feel dizzy, unwell, or nauseous.
After the sauna you can cool down gently with fresh air, a cool shower, or a short dip in the sea. Take a break, drink water – and repeat 2–3 rounds if it feels good.
Sauna and well-being
Heat increases the pulse and blood circulation, and many people find that the sauna eases tension and brings mental calm.
Research suggests that regular sauna use is associated in some studies with lower blood pressure and improved cardiovascular health. But the sauna is not a guarantee of better health.
If you have cardiovascular disease, low blood pressure, are pregnant, or have health concerns, you should talk to your doctor before starting sauna use or combining sauna and winter bathing.
Good sauna etiquette
Good sauna etiquette is simple: rinse your body before the sauna, speak softly, be considerate – and always sit on a towel. It's both more comfortable and more hygienic.
A large towel makes the experience a bit better. NORDBAEK Cosy Comfort Håndklæde Stort - BlueAqua is extra large and made of 100% OEKO-TEX cotton with high absorbency – perfect for both sauna and winter bathing.
Stand up slowly when you leave the bench. Your body is warm, and a calm pace makes the transition from heat to fresh air more pleasant.
Sauna and winter bathing
If you combine the sauna with cold-water dips, follow the same good principles as for winter bathing: don't bathe alone. Go with a friend and keep an eye on each other.
Enter the water slowly, breathe in a controlled way, and stay only as long as it feels right for you. It's not about performance, but about creating a routine you'll want to return to.
Always stop if you experience chest pain, severe dizziness, visual disturbances, shortness of breath, or any other significant discomfort.
What should you bring?
Pack simply: a towel, a water bottle with water that isn't ice-cold, swimwear, dry change of clothes, and optionally something warm to drink for the break afterwards.
If you change outdoors, a bit of extra comfort is worth its weight in gold. NORDBAEK changing ponchos are easy to change in and out of for the cold dip. You can dry yourself in them both before and after the sauna – completely without embarrassment.
Sauna rituals don't have to be complicated. Start short, take breaks, check in with yourself – and let the heat, cold, and nature do the rest.
Enjoy your first sauna session.
For life by the water
