Massage before or after sauna? Why the order matters

Twenty minutes. That is how long the infrared sauna runs at the start of our St Heliers Package B, and the fact that it comes first, not last, is the whole point of this article.

For most people, the answer to massage before or after sauna is: sauna first. Warm muscle softens and stops guarding, so your therapist can work further with less pressure, and you arrive on the table already slowed down. But the order is only half of it. The gap between the two (cooling down, showering, drinking water) decides whether you lie down relaxed or still dripping and a little light-headed.

Why sauna then massage usually wins

Cold, guarded muscle pushes back. Warm it through first and it tends to give, so the same pressure reaches further without hurting. It is the same logic as a hot stone massage, with the warming done before the therapist starts rather than during.

Twenty quiet minutes in the warmth also does some of the settling for you. Your breathing slows, your mind stops running through the to-do list, and by the time you are face down, the usual ten minutes of getting into it have already happened.

There is a practical reason too. If you sauna after an oil massage, you sweat the oil off and rinse it away in the shower. Sauna first means the oils go onto clean, warm skin and stay there.

The gap in between matters as much as the order

Going straight from the heat to the table, still pouring sweat, is the most common mistake. This is the sequence that works:

1. A glass of water before you start. You lose more fluid in the heat than you think.
2. Keep the sauna moderate when a massage follows. You are warming up, not testing yourself. Twenty minutes is plenty, and you can step out sooner.
3. Cool down gradually. Sit for a few minutes outside the heat, then shower: warm first, then lukewarm. Harvard Health's overview of saunas and your health recommends cooling down gradually. An ice-cold blast just before a slow massage tends to wake you straight back up.
4. Sip, do not gulp. The same Harvard article suggests two to four glasses of cool water after a sauna. Spread them out, one now and the rest after the massage, unless you want to spend the hour face down thinking about the bathroom.
5. Give it a few minutes before you lie down, so you are warm rather than still sweating.
6. Tell your therapist you have come from the sauna. Warm muscle gives more readily, so they may start lighter than usual.

"The guests who sit with a glass of water for five minutes between the sauna and the table get the most from both. Rush that bit and you are still sweating when we start."

Siri therapist team

How Package B puts it together

Package B at St Heliers is the infrared sauna and massage sequence already built: 20 minutes of infrared sauna, then a full body scrub, then an aromatherapy massage, across two and a half hours for $280.

The order is deliberate. The sauna warms you through, the scrub goes onto skin that has been softened by the heat and the shower, and the massage oils go onto freshly exfoliated skin. The sequence is already decided, so all you have to do is turn up and drink your water.

Booking the sauna and a massage separately

If you would rather choose your own massage, the stand-alone infrared sauna is 45 minutes including a shower: $60 for one person, $90 for two. Book the sauna first and the massage straight after, and mention when you book that you would like them back to back. Three pairings that work well, at St Heliers prices:

• Sauna + 60-minute aromatherapy massage ($60 + $105). The gentlest pairing, and the closest thing to Package B without the scrub.
• Sauna + 60-minute deep tissue massage ($60 + $105). Warm muscle makes firmer work more comfortable, which is the best argument for sauna first.
• For two: the sauna at $90, then a 60-minute couple massage at $200. St Heliers has one couple room, so book this one early.

Planning the afternoon

Plan the time as one block. The sauna session is 45 minutes including the shower, but you do not have to spend all of it in the heat: twenty minutes warm, a few minutes cooling, then the shower, and you walk into a 60-minute massage on time and settled. Allow close to two hours for the pair, and do not book anything important straight after.

The season changes the recipe, too. In winter the sauna is half the appeal, and a full twenty minutes before the massage feels exactly right. On a humid January afternoon, keep the heat shorter and the shower cooler, or you may still be too warm to enjoy the massage.

One honest caution: a sauna followed by a hot stone massage is a lot of heat in one afternoon. Lovely in July, often too much in summer. If you feel the heat easily, pair the sauna with a massage that is not itself a heat treatment.

Massage before or after sauna: can you flip it?

You can. For most healthy people it is not harmful, just harder to do well, and it is not how we would book it. A sauna and a good massage both tend to leave you relaxed and a little light-headed, and stacking the heat on top makes that woozy feeling more likely. If you do want warmth at the end, perhaps on a cold winter evening after a light massage:

• Get up slowly and drink a glass of water first
• Shower the oil off before you go in
• Keep the sauna short and leave at the first hint of dizziness
• Skip it after deep tissue if you feel tender; a warm shower is enough

Or split the days. A sauna on Saturday and a massage midweek keeps both and loses only the pairing. Whichever you choose, our aftercare guide covers what helps in the hours afterwards.

Heat cautions before you book

Check with your GP, midwife or specialist before booking the sauna if you are pregnant, have a heart condition, have high, low or unstable blood pressure, are prone to fainting, or take medication that affects sweating, heart rate or blood pressure. Harvard Health notes that people with uncontrolled high blood pressure or heart disease should check with their doctor before using a sauna.

Skip the sauna if you are unwell, and avoid alcohol before and after. A fresh sprain or strain needs a GP or physiotherapist, not heat. Leave the sauna straight away if you feel dizzy, sick or unwell, and tell us about any health condition when you book.

What to bring and what it costs

• Bring: a water bottle, a hair tie, and something warm to wear afterwards
• Skip: a big meal in the hour before, and alcohol before or after
• Infrared Sauna (St Heliers only): 45 mins including shower, $60 for one, $90 for two
• Package B (St Heliers): sauna, body scrub and aromatherapy massage, 2.5 hours, $280
• Aromatherapy or deep tissue at St Heliers: 60 mins $105 · 90 mins $145

St Heliers is at 417A Tamaki Drive, open seven days from 10.00am to 8.00pm, with a 15% surcharge on public holidays. Making a day of it? Our guide to a seaside spa day in St Heliers maps out the walk, the sauna and the treatment. And if you have only ever used a traditional sauna, how infrared differs from a traditional sauna is worth a quick read first.

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