Take a warm bath or visit the sauna when you're sore from exercise

Amazing news—you’ve just joined a new gym and they have a sauna! Or maybe you’ve been walking past one for a while, never sure exactly how you’re supposed to use it. Do you wear clothes? Is it for before or after your workout? Can you bring your phone in?

The answers to these questions may vary from gym to gym, but I’m going to do my best to provide useful answers. To be clear, I’m talking about the saunas that are found in gyms and in swimming pool complexes in the U. S. , and how people typically use them. This is not a guide to, say, Finnish sauna traditions—just a survival guide for checking out the sauna at your local Y or Crunch.