The #1 Longevity Habit Isn't the Cold Plunge: Why We Have a Sauna and How to Use It at The Garden

Scroll any wellness feed and you'll see someone lowering themselves into a tub of ice water, jaw clenched, timer running. The cold plunge has become the face of "longevity."

We get it. It looks hardcore, and it does wake you up. But if you're asking which habit has the strongest long-term research behind it, the answer is a lot less dramatic: sitting in a hot room, regularly, for years.

That's why we put a traditional sauna in The Garden instead of chasing the trend. Here's the thinking, and how to actually use it.

What the research says about sauna and longevity

The best-known evidence comes from Finland, where the sauna is part of everyday life. The Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study (KIHD) has followed a group of middle-aged Finnish men for decades. Researchers led by Dr. Jari Laukkanen looked at how often those men used the sauna and what happened to their health over the following years.

The pattern they found: men who used the sauna more often, around 4–7 times a week compared with once a week, were less likely to die from heart disease or from any cause during the follow-up. Later analyses from the same group linked frequent sauna use with a lower risk of high blood pressure and dementia too.

A few honest caveats:

• It's observational. These studies show sauna use is associated with better outcomes. They don't prove the sauna caused them. People who sauna often may also differ in other ways.
• It was mostly Finnish men using traditional Finnish saunas. That's encouraging for a traditional sauna like ours, but it isn't the whole population.
• More often seemed better. The benefits tracked with frequency, which is why we think of the sauna as a regular habit rather than an occasional treat.

Even with those caveats, decades of follow-up on thousands of people is a lot more than most wellness trends can point to.

So what about the cold plunge?

Cold water immersion has real uses. It can take the edge off soreness and it's a fantastic jolt of alertness. Plenty of people love it.

But two things are worth knowing:

The long-term evidence is thin. There's no cold-plunge equivalent of the Finnish sauna studies, following large groups of people for decades and tracking heart health and lifespan. Most cold-water research is short-term: soreness, mood, recovery markers.

Timing matters if you're trying to get stronger. Research on strength training has found that jumping into cold water right after lifting can blunt some of the muscle and strength gains you're training for. The cold dampens the inflammation and blood-flow response your body uses to adapt. If you lift or do conditioning, keep cold plunges away from those sessions.

None of this makes the cold plunge bad. It just means it isn't the foundation. If you're going to build one recovery habit that you do most days for the rest of your life, the sauna has the better case.

Why we built a traditional sauna at The Garden

We went with a traditional stone-and-water sauna, not an infrared cabin. It heats the whole room, gets to around 170–190°F, and you can pour water on the stones for steam. That's the same style of sauna used in the Finnish research. (We wrote more about that choice in why we chose a traditional sauna.)

It's included with every membership, with no add-on fee and no upsell. Recovery shouldn't be a luxury extra, and a habit only works if it's easy to keep.

How to use the sauna at The Garden

The sauna is available to members after class. Check in, train, and head back.

When: After training, not before. Going in before class means you start your session hot and already losing fluid. Give yourself a few minutes to cool down, towel off and change out of your sweaty gear after class, then go in.

How long:

• New to sauna? Start with about 5 minutes and build up.
• After a hard class: 8–12 minutes is plenty. You've already trained hard, so the goal is recovery, not another test.
• Once you're used to it: many people work up to 15–20 minutes.

Get out whenever you feel like you've had enough. There's no prize for staying longest.

How often: A lot of our regulars use it 2–3 times a week after training, and that's a great place to start. If you want to build toward the "most days" habit the research points to, add sessions gradually, keep them short, and pay attention to how you feel.

Hydration: Drink water before you go in and after you come out. You've just sweated through a class, so you're starting a little behind. If you feel dizzy, light-headed or nauseous, get out, cool down and drink water.

Etiquette: Come in clean and dry, sit on a towel, wipe down the bench when you're done, and keep it quiet and friendly. Ask before you pour water on the stones.

Fitting it around BJJ and Muay Thai

• After Jiu-Jitsu (Gi or No-Gi): Rolling leaves your hips, neck and grip tight. A short session afterwards is a nice way to loosen up, and some members do gentle stretches in the heat. Ease into positions, don't force them.
• After Muay Thai: Rounds on the pads are hard on the lungs and legs. Rehydrate first, then go in for a shorter session.
• Evening training: Many people find an evening sauna helps them wind down and sleep. Just leave some time between the sauna and bed so your body can cool off.
• Early-morning class before work: A few minutes is enough. Cool down fully and drink water before you head out.
• Competition weight cuts: The sauna is a recovery tool, not a weight-loss tool. The weight you sweat out is water and it comes straight back. Don't use it to cut weight without a coach's supervision.

Who should check with a doctor first

Sauna is safe for most healthy adults, but heat puts real demand on your heart and circulation. Talk to your doctor before using the sauna if you:

• Are pregnant
• Have a heart condition, uncontrolled high or low blood pressure, or a history of fainting
• Take medications that affect blood pressure, heart rate or fluid balance (such as diuretics)
• Have a fever, infection or a fresh injury

And skip it on days you're dehydrated, unwell, or have been drinking alcohol.

This post is for general information only and isn't medical advice. If you have a health condition, talk to your doctor before starting a sauna routine.

Try it after your first class

If you're in Philadelphia and curious, the easiest way to try it is a Day Pass. It's $35 and covers any class on the schedule plus the sauna. Train, sweat, sit in the heat, and see how you feel the next morning.

We're at 4537 Wayne Ave in Germantown, a short walk from Wayne Junction station, with free parking. Members on our All-Access plan (from $90 every two weeks) get unlimited Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, open mats and the sauna.

Book your $35 Day Pass →

Or check the class schedule and membership options.

See you in the heat.