Effect of a variant widely distributed throughout the world dry Finnish sauna based on alternating high and low temperatures. After all, the difference between the temperature in the steam room and the water in the font can be more than 130°C! And for the sauna itself, the optimal temperature is from 100°C to 120°C. But due to the low air humidity, in the range of 5 - 15%, such extreme thermal effects on the body are tolerated relatively easily. The special specificity of the modern Finnish bath determines rules for visiting the sauna in order to obtain maximum health benefits.
What happens in a Finnish sauna
A Finnish sauna is a steam room with dry heat. The temperature in the steam room rises to 150 degrees. And humidity is reduced to 20 percent. Therefore, intense heat is easily tolerated.
In a Finnish sauna, people sweat actively, but the body heats up superficially. A broom is not used, water is not poured onto the stones, as is done in a Russian bathhouse. It is allowed to water the stove stones with herbal infusions to create an aromatic atmosphere. The visitor additionally undergoes an aromatherapy session.
It is recommended to handle herbal tinctures carefully. It is necessary to consult a doctor before using any herbal decoction in the Finnish sauna. Infusions of herbs with dry heat can both cure a person and harm his health.
Attention! It is not recommended to pour a whole ladle of herbal infusion onto the stove stones. It is enough to throw out a quarter.
Finnish sauna – what is it?
What is a Finnish sauna for an inexperienced bath attendant? The Finnish sauna is a dry type of steam room in which hot air is effectively alternating with cold water, which leads to increased sweating. In this case, the air temperature reaches 100 degrees, and the water temperature reaches 40 degrees.
The Finnish steam room is represented by a special wooden room equipped with shelves and loungers placed along the walls to the ceiling.
The air heating temperature in the sauna is adjusted using a built-in thermostat and can range from 70 to 100 degrees. Air humidity is maintained in the range of 20%, which ensures the creation of dry steam.
Such conditions promote increased sweating and prevent condensation.
Next, the human body is cooled with cool water in a pool or natural body of water to generally harden the body and increase resistance to colds.
The benefits of visiting a Finnish sauna
The Finnish sauna activates the body's immune system. Hot dry steam destroys pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The body produces more white blood cells and interferon.
What improves in the body after going to a Finnish sauna:
- cardiovascular activity;
- metabolism in the body increases;
- the skin is restored;
- toxins and waste are actively released.
The heart begins to pump blood faster, and ventilation of the lungs increases. Dry heat promotes weight loss. Dead cells die faster. Blood pressure returns to normal. Organs receive large amounts of oxygen and nutrients. Nervous tension disappears, sleep improves, and insomnia disappears. A person who visits the bathhouse feels rested, cheerful, full of strength and energy.
Doctors confirm that after visiting a sauna with dry heat, sinusitis, bronchitis, and radiculitis go away.
The benefits of the Finnish sauna. What is good about the Finnish sauna?
- strengthens the immune system,
- increases resistance to viral diseases,
- strengthens the cardiovascular system,
- improves blood circulation to the skin,
- accelerates metabolic processes,
- normalizes water-salt metabolism,
- burns fat deposits,
- removes toxins from the body,
- stimulates blood supply to the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract,
- improves vascular mobility,
- restores muscle function after physical activity,
- provides deep muscular and mental relaxation,
- helps relieve stress and anxiety,
- helps cope with insomnia,
- improves skin condition,
- treats skin diseases.
Instructions for visiting the Finnish sauna
How to steam in a Finnish sauna, so that the effects of dry heat have a beneficial effect on the body, you need to know how to properly go to a Finnish sauna:
- go to the toilet before visiting;
- take a warm shower (do not wash your hair to avoid overheating);
- remove all jewelry and remain in swimming trunks or a swimsuit;
- put a warm woolen hat on your head to protect against overheating;
- put on rubber slippers.
Attention! It is recommended to visit the Finnish sauna no more than three times a day. And the residence time should not exceed 50 minutes.
How to enter and how long to stay in the sauna
The first entry into the sauna lasts no more than 6 minutes. Afterwards, take a cool shower and sit in a chair to relax for 20 minutes.
The next session is increased to 15 minutes. Afterwards, take a shower with a water temperature below 20 degrees. Then rest for 20 minutes.
The third time they come in for 15 minutes and take an ice-cold shower.
The more precise time of visit is determined by the doctor and depends on the regularity of visiting the bathhouse and the health of the visitor.
Attention! It is not recommended to force children into the bathhouse, as the child’s body reacts very quickly to overheating. It is also not recommended to take a bath in a hurry. A hasty visit process can only worsen the body's condition.
Naked in the sauna: is it necessary to undress?
If you are invited to the sauna, do not refuse. This is a sign of respect, and such an invitation often helps Finns overcome barriers: establish friendships or business relationships. Former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari even held diplomatic talks in the sauna. By the way, etiquette rules do not prohibit entering into conversation with strangers. Finns usually try not to violate the personal space of others, but at the same time, in the sauna they can behave more openly than usual.
Photo: helsinkisaunaday.fi
Men and women usually steam separately in the sauna, but joint visits also occur. Finns go to the sauna naked, considering it natural. However, if you are not ready to undress among strangers, no one will judge you for it. You can always wrap yourself in a towel - it's better than steaming in a bathing suit. To visit the sauna you will need the following set of things: a mat for sitting on a shelf, a towel, slates (if you plan to swim in a pond), a birch broom (optional) and a bottle of water (in some saunas it is prohibited to bring your own drinks).
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.
Features of a steam room in Finnish
The peculiarities of the Finnish sauna lie in the heating temperature of the air in the steam room. The average temperature is 70 degrees. For this reason, such a bathhouse can be equipped in a private house and in a city apartment.
The principle of operation of the steam room is quite simple: the fire in the firebox heats nearby stones, which release heat into the room, thus heating the air to a predetermined temperature. Such steam rooms must be equipped with chimneys for safe smoke removal.
When the air is heated sufficiently, visitors sit on the shelves and add cool water to the firebox to generate additional steam. Hot air promotes rapid sweating, which is the basis of bath procedures.
After a good steaming session, visitors plunge into cool water, cooling the body to the desired temperature.
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.
Health Steam wisely: What you need to know about the bathhouse, sauna and hammam
The list of contraindications for baths and saunas is extensive, ranging from asthma and cardiovascular diseases to epilepsy and cancer. You should skip the steam room if you just don’t feel well: no one in their right mind would think of doing sports while feeling unwell, and the sauna is a physical activity comparable to a workout. In addition, you should not steam with a full stomach (after eating you need to wait an hour and a half) or even slightly tipsy: the heart has to strain more than usual even without alcohol. And due to the fact that after intense sweating, urination decreases, alcohol is less excreted and guarantees a severe hangover. Of course, you need to drink while entering the steam room, but let it be water or tea. By the way, you shouldn’t rely on the fat-burning effect of the bath: after it, the weight does decrease, but solely due to the water that came out with sweat.
There is no need for special preparations before a bath or sauna: after a warm shower (make sure you have thoroughly washed off all your makeup), you can go straight to the steam room. If the stove is not electric, you should not constantly add water to the stones: it is in portions of 200–300 milliliters that the light steam in which it is pleasant to be is achieved. Heavy steam at high temperatures is less tolerated - that is why in a hammam with 100% humidity the temperature is a maximum of 50 degrees.
Usually they visit a bathhouse or sauna several times in the evening: when it gets really hot, they go out to freshen up in the shower or in the air (desperate ones - in a snowdrift), and then return to the steam room. The duration and number of sessions are individual, but the general formula is this: steam for 10 minutes, rest for 10, repeat all over again. It is very important to rest after the steam room, this way you allow the body to calmly cope with the load, and the rest should be passive - it is better to sit or lie down. On your first visit, especially for beginners, you should not climb onto the top shelves, where it is hottest: you need to get used to the high temperature gradually (that is why it is recommended to take a hot shower before the bath). It is also worth choosing places away from the stove: despite the fact that everyone understands the danger of burns, their number does not decrease over the years.
For those steaming for the first time, it is better to skip the brooms, and for the rest, take them only on the second or third go. If the air in the steam room is dry, you should bring a bowl of water to dip the brooms - otherwise they will dry out quickly. They start fanning themselves from the legs and gradually rise up to the back, and they don’t whip as hard as they can from the very beginning: the intensity of the blows should be increased gradually. It is more convenient if there are two people in the steam room at this time: one is lying down, and the other is working with a broom - this is also safer; an experienced partner will help recognize the signs of illness. After the last run, you should rest for at least half an hour, then take a shower, and get dressed only when the sweating stops.
