Today, among those who like to take a steam bath, the Finnish sauna ranks far from the last place. It is becoming as popular as the Russian bathhouse. In addition, the sauna has a positive effect on the human body. However, it is important to know how often you can visit it and how the process of relaxation in a Finnish sauna should take place.
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The sauna is the main symbol of Finland; its history stretches over many centuries. From the very beginning, such a structure was erected on the shore near a reservoir of natural origin. Contrast procedures worked as follows: the body was alternately exposed to steam, which warms, and cool water. The principle is identical to the Russian bath. The sauna is definitely useful, but here you need to know certain points.
Features of the Finnish sauna
When it comes to visiting a Finnish sauna, there are some important nuances. This applies to all types of steam rooms - Turkish hammam, Swedish bastu, Russian bath. You can figure out which is more beneficial to go to – to the hammam or to the sauna. Below are answers to the questions that people ask most often. This information will be especially relevant for beginners.
When a person goes to the sauna, he should know the following:
- if a person is just starting to visit steam rooms, then a medium lounger would be the ideal placement option for him. It is recommended to be in an upright position, with your legs at the same level as your body or slightly raised. In this way, a person can completely relax and reduce the load on the heart;
- if you can’t lie down, then you can sit, but keep your legs and head at an identical level. Why? Inside the steam room, the temperature is higher at the level where the head is located. Accordingly, where the legs are, the temperature is lower. If a person sits for a long time with his legs down or stands all the time, he is at risk of getting heatstroke;
- It is not recommended to be in a static position in the steam room. From time to time it is worth changing your position. For example, initially you can lie on your side, later roll over onto your back, and after some time lie on your stomach. This way a person will ensure uniform warming of the body;
- If you are about to leave the steam room, do not stand up abruptly. If you were lying down, first get up and sit on the bench for a few minutes. Thus, you normalize blood circulation;
- If you go to the steam room several times, then in between you can drink juice or tea, but sips should be small. This allows you to restore water balance and improve sweating;
- To use the sauna you need to bring a towel with you. It is necessary not only for drying yourself, but also for placing it on hot beds. And a mandatory attribute every time you visit the sauna is a woolen cap or felt cap. Then a person is not afraid of overheating.
Finnish sauna - what is it?
The traditional Finnish sauna is a wooden room, with shelves and loungers along the walls. Inside the room you can feel pleasant aromas from fragrant herbs and natural wood.
The air temperature in the steam room can reach 100-1200C, and the humidity level does not exceed 15%. The human body heats up quite quickly in a sauna. This promotes intensive work of the sweat and sebaceous glands. Due to the lack of humidity, sweat quickly evaporates, protecting the body from severe overheating.
A person feels true bliss when, after a hot steam room, he plunges into the cool water of a pool. Comfortable body temperature 32-400C.
After visiting the sauna, you feel a surge of strength, lightness in the body and a great mood.
Rules for visiting the Finnish sauna
A Finnish sauna is a bathhouse containing dry steam. Temperatures usually reach 90-130 degrees, and humidity is 3-15%. Thanks to this ratio, the secretion of sweat increases and the removal of phlegm from the bronchi is facilitated (the sauna has a positive effect on the respiratory system and its condition).
Now it’s worth looking at an important question - how to steam properly, how much time you can spend in the sauna.
The procedure should look like this:
- Before entering the sauna, you need to take a shower and then dry yourself well with a towel. You should not wet your head so that later in the steam room it does not overheat as a result of a long stay;
- for the first time they enter the steam room for just a few minutes. When this time is up, leave the room and do several breathing exercises. After a couple of minutes they go to the shower, it should be cool - 18-20C. After a shower, a person is recommended to rest for about 20 minutes;
- Before your next trip to the steam room, you need to do a few exercises and take a shower. The shower should be warm and last about 1 minute. Now you can stay in the steam room a little longer - up to 15 minutes. After leaving, you need to visit the shower again, but now it will be cool. The third time a person enters the steam room for 30 minutes;
- You can visit the steam room as much as you like. But the important thing is that the total time you are there should be a maximum of 3 hours, no more;
- As soon as the bath procedures are over, you need to take a shower; if desired, you can use moisturizing milk or nourishing skin cream. Thanks to this, the skin will not be dry after the steam room. There is no need to rush to get dressed; you should wait until your body reaches its usual temperature.
The right end to your bathing day
After you have spent enough time in the steam room, shower and pool, you need to fully relax, and not rush to leave the sauna, as many are used to doing. Otherwise, the desired relaxation in the physical and psychological sense will not be achieved.
Lay down comfortably, relax your muscles, rest, feel a surge of strength and allow your body to cool down, and after that go home invigorated, having regained your strength after a hard week of work and ready for new achievements!
Finnish sauna: experts recommend
Everyone knows that the Finnish sauna has a positive effect on the human body and its condition. Experienced specialists give some recommendations that will allow you to make the most of all the capabilities of the sauna and get pleasure and effect from it:
- When it comes to the frequency of visiting a Finnish sauna, you should rely solely on your state of health. If a person feels great, then there are no restrictions. Regardless of the frequency of visits, it is important to remember about the skin and its hydration. To do this, you should use emollients and nourishing cream;
- Thanks to the special temperature and humidity set in the sauna, the pores of the skin open and it is cleansed. To consolidate this effect, you can take a face mask. You don’t have to buy them; you can prepare it yourself from berries and vegetables. Such devices are especially effective and useful;
- Do not eat heavy food or drink alcoholic beverages. This applies to the time before visiting the sauna, as well as after it. If you feel thirsty after bath procedures, this indicates that you need to restore your water-salt balance. It is better to take green tea or clean water;
- You can use a broom in the sauna. If this product is made of birch or juniper, then a beneficial effect will be exerted on the skin;
- If you conduct an aromatherapy session in a sauna, you can increase the effect of the procedure and stabilize your condition emotionally. You can drop a little decoction of beneficial plants or essential oil into the water that is poured on the stones. When you choose an aromatic substance, you should focus on the desired effect. For example, pine aromas can relieve fatigue, eucalyptus will improve breathing, and mint will improve your mood.
How to steam
The time spent in a Finnish sauna without a steam room should not be less than 3 hours. In less time, a person will not really sweat. The rules of stay are:
- You should enter the steam room only after taking a warm shower and drying yourself well.
- Start steaming from the bottom shelf (several minutes), then you can gradually move up. The time spent in the steam room is selected individually, depending on how you feel.
- After the first procedure, it is advisable to rinse in the shower and relax. At this time, you can drink aromatic tea, which will help increase sweat production the next time you go to lose weight. After 20 minutes, feel free to go back to the steam room.
- After leaving it, it is advisable to take a dip in the cool pool. But before that, rest a little again and take a shower.
It is strictly forbidden to visit the sauna if a person has:
- allergy;
- there are infectious diseases;
- chronic diseases during exacerbation;
- Head fights often occur;
- diseases associated with the cardiovascular system;
- hypertonic disease;
- high fever or cold.
After studying all the recommendations and rules, you can safely go to the steam room. Now you can get maximum pleasure and benefit while visiting the Finnish sauna.
You can order the finishing of a Russian bath or Finnish sauna on our website or by calling: 8 (499) 110-97-56.
The most important rules
Let's start with the most important rules, deviation from which is fraught with either harm to your health or the lack of actual benefits from the Finnish sauna. If you decide to go to a Finnish steam room, be sure to consider the following points:
- Do not turn a visit to the bathhouse into an express procedure. Your blood vessels will not be able to adapt to high or low temperatures, the tonic effect on blood vessels and the calming effect on the nervous system will be minimized;
- be sure to follow sanitary rules when visiting the bathhouse, otherwise you may encounter fungal or bacterial infections;
- be careful when you increase the temperature or humidity in the steam room, this can negatively affect the condition of your blood vessels and can even be fraught with serious complications such as a stroke or heart attack;
- do not stay in the steam room, leave the shower and do not go into the pool if you feel a deterioration in your general condition or realize that something is wrong. Open the windows, go out into the fresh air, and be sure to ask someone to be nearby.
Restrictions when visiting the sauna
You cannot use the sauna while intoxicated or hungry. The body will experience shock and fainting is possible. You should not visit a steam room with dry heat after eating heavily.
It is not recommended to use a broom in a bathhouse. There is a possibility of getting burns from a traditional Russian steam room instrument.
You cannot drink coffee or black tea without herbal additives of chamomile and lemon balm. Herbal supplements neutralize the stimulating effects of black tea. But it is recommended to drink mineral water, kvass, green tea to replenish the body’s water and salt reserves.
It is not recommended to swim or visit the pool, dress immediately after the procedure and go out into the cold. You cannot talk or have sex in the steam room.
Sick people should not use the sauna:
- bronchitis, pneumonia;
- heart disease, heart attack;
- having malignant tumors;
- having colds with fever;
- epileptics;
- those with infectious skin diseases or allergies.
Pregnant women and children under 4 years old are not allowed to use the sauna.
Using a broom
If you want to take a steam bath with a broom in a Finnish sauna, then this is quite possible. First, you should steam the accessory and reduce the temperature of the steam room to 80°C. Then sprinkle some water on the stones. Carry out such manipulations carefully to avoid water getting into the electric furnace.
In the Finnish sauna you can steam with a broom if you really want to
Banshik.com recommends reading: how to steam a birch broom, how to steam an oak broom, how to steam a juniper broom.
Sauna for weight loss
If you visit the sauna to lose weight, then again, once a week is enough. But in this case, it is not the quantity that is important, but compliance with the rules:
- for the purpose of losing weight, you should not cool down suddenly in a font, under a shower or in any other way;
- Between sauna visits, drink unsweetened diaphoretic tea. For example, herbal tea with honey;
- There is no need to visit the sauna on an empty stomach; you must eat 30-60 minutes before the sauna;
- There is no need to eat between sauna visits.
Go to the sauna for health!
