Sauna

A traditional Finnish sauna is a wood-lined room heated to between 70 and 100°C with low humidity, where water ladled onto hot stones produces bursts of steam known as löyly. The usual rhythm is a session of 10 to 15 minutes, a cool-down in a shower or plunge pool, a rest, and two or three rounds in total. Regular sauna bathing is associated in Finnish studies with better cardiovascular health and many people find it helps them sleep and unwind.

In the UK, saunas come in two very different settings. Spas and gyms include one in the thermal suite, often alongside a steam room. The fast-growing social sauna movement — on beaches, riverbanks and harbours from Brighton to Edinburgh — runs larger saunas with timed sessions, cold plunges or sea dips and a communal atmosphere, sometimes with Aufguss ceremonies where a sauna master circulates aromatic heat with a towel.

A social sauna session of 60 to 90 minutes typically costs £12 to £25, with memberships and off-peak rates lower. Avoid sauna after alcohol, during a fever or in pregnancy unless your doctor agrees, and speak to your GP first if you have heart problems or uncontrolled blood pressure. Drink water before and after.