Are cold plunges and saunas safe for kids? What parents need to know about the benefits and risks

Key Facts

As more adults have been incorporating saunas, cold plunges and other hot and cold therapies into their wellness routines, increasingly, they’re encouraging their kids to do the same.
But experts warn that kids’ systems for regulating internal temperature are still developing: “So whatever risks you have in adults will be amplified by an order of magnitude,” says Francois Haman, a professor of biology who researches thermal physiology at the University of Ottawa.
Here, Haman, Henry and other experts share their views on the potential benefits of hot and cold therapy for kids, and and how parents can help them stay safe.
His approach tracks with Smith’s advice for teens to start using the sauna with short time windows and cooler temperatures, increasing the intensity gradually as they become accustomed to the heat over several sessions, and always keeping sessions shorter and less hot than the maximum length and temperature recommended for adults.