Quick Answer: Sit on a towel — always, everywhere. Start with 8–12 minutes on the lower bench (heat rises; the top bench is advanced seating), drink water before and after, and keep voices low with no phones. Leave when you feel pleasantly cooked, never when you feel dizzy. That’s the whole protocol.

The gym sauna sits behind its little glass door, occupied by people who clearly know the rules.

The rules are posted nowhere.

So first-timers hover outside doing arithmetic about towels, timing, and whether anyone talks in there. Here’s the unwritten protocol, written down — plus the survival math that keeps a session pleasant instead of alarming.

What Are the Towel Rules?

One towel to sit on. Always.

Bare skin on shared benches is the cardinal violation in every sauna culture on earth. Sit on your towel, and put it under your feet too if you’re on an upper bench — your feet are on someone else’s seat.

Swimwear rules vary by facility. Gym saunas: usually worn. Dedicated spas and some traditional saunas: varies, and there’s often a posted rule or an obvious local convention. When in doubt, wear it — nobody has ever been asked to leave for being overdressed.

The sit-towel rule, though, never varies.

A second small towel for your face marks you as a professional. It’s also just more comfortable.

How Long Should a First Session Be?

8–12 minutes, on the lower bench.

Heat rises sharply in a sauna — the difference between the top and bottom bench can be 20°C / 35°F or more. The top bench is advanced seating; there’s no prize for taking it on day one.

Exit at “pleasantly cooked,” never at dizzy. Lightheadedness, a racing heart, or nausea means you’re already past the point — leave immediately and sit down somewhere cool.

Veterans do multiple rounds with cool-down breaks between. First-timers do one round and a victory shower. Nobody in there is timing you but you.

A useful cue: if you’re counting down rather than sitting comfortably, you’re done. That’s the body’s signal, not a failure of willpower.

How Much Water Do You Need?

More than you think. A sauna session sweats out serious fluid — commonly half a liter or more in fifteen minutes.

Water before. Water after. Keep a bottle in the locker room and drink it as part of the ritual rather than as an afterthought.

Skip the sauna entirely if:

• You arrive already dehydrated
• You’ve been drinking — alcohol plus sauna is a genuinely bad combination, not a spa tradition, and it’s implicated in most sauna-related medical incidents
• You’re unwell or running a fever
• You’ve just finished a very hard workout without rehydrating first

That last one catches people out. The post-workout sauna is lovely; the post-workout sauna on an empty water bottle is not.

What’s the Social Etiquette?

Sauna culture is quiet-friendly.

Low voices or comfortable silence. Nods over introductions. If someone’s clearly there to decompress, let them.

No phones. It’s rude, and the heat genuinely damages them — which is either a deterrent or poetic justice depending on your view.

Other small courtesies: don’t sit directly in front of someone else’s view of the door, don’t leave sweat on the bench (wipe it with your towel when you go), and if the sauna has a water ladle, ask before adding steam. Some people are there for dry heat specifically.

The exit move: cool shower, then sit for a few minutes and rehydrate slowly. That specific boneless calm afterward is why entire nations organize their week around this.

5 Mistakes Everyone Makes

1. Sitting directly on the bench. The one unforgivable one. Towel down, every time.
2. Taking the top bench first. Twenty degrees hotter, and it turns a pleasant ten minutes into an endurance test.
3. Going in dehydrated. The single biggest factor in feeling awful afterward.
4. Staying to prove something. Nobody is watching, and the benefits don’t scale with suffering.
5. Bringing a phone. Rude, and you may kill the phone.

FAQ

How often can I use a sauna?

Regular users typically go two to four times a week, and the observational research on frequent sauna use comes from populations doing roughly that. Start with once or twice weekly and build.

Should I sauna before or after a workout?

After, generally — it’s more relaxing and doesn’t compromise your session. Rehydrate first. If you’re lifting heavy right afterward, skip it; heat before strength work tends to reduce performance.

Can I sauna if I have high blood pressure?

Many people with well-managed blood pressure use saunas without issue, but heat causes real cardiovascular changes, so this is a genuine “ask your doctor” question rather than a formality.

What’s the difference between dry sauna, steam room, and infrared?

Dry sauna runs hot (70–100°C) with low humidity. Steam rooms run cooler (40–50°C) with 100% humidity and feel hotter for it. Infrared heats you directly at lower air temperatures. Etiquette is broadly the same in all three; the sit-towel rule certainly is.

TL;DR:

• Sit on a towel, always — the one universal rule
• Start with 8–12 minutes on the lower bench; heat rises steeply
• Exit at pleasantly cooked, never at dizzy
• Water before and after; skip the sauna if dehydrated or after drinking
• No phones; low voices or silence; wipe your bench when you leave
• One round is a complete first visit; rounds come later
• Cool shower, then sit and rehydrate slowly

The glass door was never guarding experts. Just people who learned these four rules one awkward visit before you did.

Heat puts real load on the cardiovascular system. If you’re pregnant, have a heart condition, low blood pressure, or take medication that affects blood pressure or sweating, check with your doctor before starting.