Going to the sauna is a great way to relieve stress, relax and improve your health. There are several methods of vaping: wet, in which the air temperature is relatively low, almost equal to humidity, and dry, when the temperature reaches 90-100℃ with a humidity not exceeding 25%.
Just as there is no single cure for all diseases, there is no single answer to the question of which bath is better.
Some people prefer less hot, but more humid air, which promotes the removal of sputum and effectively treats bronchopulmonary diseases. Others, on the contrary, are ready to withstand high temperatures and tolerate dry air better. Each method has the right to life, and, regardless of personal preferences, it also has advantages and disadvantages.
Step-by-step bath procedures
A total of 3 or 4 passes are allowed. Beginners are advised to limit themselves to 2-3 visits to the steam room. They begin to steam in a lying position on the lower bench. After a few minutes, if you feel well, you can move to a higher bench. After warming up the body, when sweat has already begun, you can begin massage with a broom.
Adaptation of the body to high temperatures
You shouldn't rush into the steam room right away. A sharp change in temperature can cause your body to become covered in spots and your head to spin. Therefore, to begin with, the body is heated under a warm shower. At the same time, the hair does not get wet. You cannot sit in the steam room with wet hair. This is bad for the head. If you are going to enter a Finnish sauna, you need to wipe your body dry, and only then enter the heated room.
Before entering the steam room of a Russian bath for the first time, you need to take a warm shower Source hansgrohe.ru
First run
As soon as you enter the steam room, you need to sit or lie on the lowest bench for 3-5 minutes. After this, you can go to the bench above and lie there for another 3 minutes. For the initial entry, it is recommended to maintain the temperature in the steam room no higher than 60℃. You can lie down by alternating body position - on your stomach, on your back. It is not recommended to steam while standing, because the muscle tissue is tense and the blood circulation is uneven. Leave the steam room as soon as sweating begins.
They are placed on the lower bench when you first visit the steam room to get used to it Source meditsina-online.ru
Short break
After leaving the steam room, you can wrap yourself in a sheet and sit quietly for a while. You will have to cool down in the dressing room for 5-7 minutes. Only after this can you enter the steam room again. If you want to take a dip in cool water, you can do it, but not for long. It is enough to stay in the pool or font for 7-10 seconds. Before the second run, you should not eat or get drunk. Eating food, heavy snacks or alcoholic drinks is extremely undesirable during bath procedures.
After visiting the steam room, they are tempered with a short immersion in the font Source 3.bp.blogspot.com
Preparing a bath broom
A freshly cut broom should be rinsed immediately and then used. A dry broom is dipped into a tub of hot water and allowed to steam for 5 minutes. If the branches are thin, then you won’t have to keep them in boiling water for long. The main thing is that the broom becomes soft. In a wet steam room (Russian bath), it is enough to place a broom on the very top shelf, where it will quickly steam. You can enhance the aroma of a wet broom by placing it on the heater for a couple of minutes.
You only need to soak a dry broom in a tub; you only need to rinse a fresh one Source crimeapress.mirtesen.ru
Second approach and park with a broom
For a guy, the second step is to spread a towel or dry medicinal herbs on the benches. A tub of warm water, a ladle and a massage broom or mitten are also prepared. The temperature may already be higher - up to 80-90℃, duration of stay - 10-12 minutes. The steamed body is wiped with a massage glove, if there is no desire to steam with brooms.
Cleansing and at the same time massage mitten for wiping the body in the steam room Source i2.rozetka.ua
A broom is rotated over the body in the steam room, pumping hot air towards the body. Then they press the broom, starting from the legs and moving higher to the head, and then down to the feet. Only after this can the body be lightly whipped, but so that the foliage sticks to the body. If the broom dries out, periodically dip it in a tub of water. From time to time it is necessary to change the position of the body. This will reduce the load on the heart.
First, hot air is pumped into the body with brooms to warm it up. Source polarspa.ru
After a massage with a broom, they do not get up from the bench. You need to lie down for a while, then sit down and only then get up. This way blood circulation will be normalized gently without stressing the body. Only now can you go under the cool showers or into the font. Spending 3-5 seconds in the shower is enough. Then sit for 10-15 minutes, cool down.
After the procedures of the guy with the brooms, it is better not to get up from the bench abruptly Source sunny-valley.su
Last call
As soon as you enter, you can immediately increase the steam and heat. To do this, take 150-300 grams of water with a scoop and splash it onto hot stones. The increase in temperature and humidity should not be excessive, otherwise it will be difficult to breathe. The optimal indicators of a thermohygrometer are the ratio of 25 ÷ 40% and 65 ÷ 80℃.
In a Russian steam bath, you can pour water on the stones only when dry air appears Source spalanya.com
Complete the procedure with a warm shower. You need to wash with soap or gel to remove beads of sweat from your body. After washing, the body is rubbed with a towel. Put on a terry robe and put on warm slippers. Then you need to sit quietly for 15-25 minutes. During this time, you can slowly sip hot tea made with herbs.
Having steamed, sitting in a robe, after hot tea, they again take a warm shower. They again rub the body with a towel, wrap themselves in a warm sheet and again sit in a calm position for 25-35 minutes.
After taking a shower with soap, you need to wrap yourself in a robe and drink hot herbal tea Source i3.wp.com
Herbal cocktails
These compositions differ from infusions and steamings in their increased concentration and complex composition. Approximately 100 grams of herbal cocktail are taken in a bowl of hot water. If infusions of this type come into contact with hot stones in excess, the air in the steam room may acquire a burning smell.
Cocktails are poured onto the stones alternately with clean water or a broom is dipped in them and sprinkled throughout the steam room.
Antiseptic cocktail
The composition includes equal quantities of eucalyptus, mint, sage and thyme. Herbal cocktail vapors are often used to disinfect steam rooms. In combination with heat, they kill all pathogenic microbes in the respiratory organs and on human skin. The antiseptic effect after the bath lasts for a long time.
Calming cocktail “Dreams”
It is prepared in equal parts from oregano, birch buds, thyme and fresh spruce. This cocktail is not recommended for heavy smokers and hypertensive patients. It can dramatically worsen their physical condition.
Toning cocktail “Three heroes”
Prepared from:
- 1 tbsp. spoons of poplar buds;
- 2 tbsp. spoons of tansy flowers;
- 1 tbsp. spoons of bison leaves.
The vapor from the cocktail quickly improves a person’s well-being.
Rules and useful expert recommendations
A few basics on how to properly take a steam bath and what you need for this:
- The best time to visit a Russian steam bath is in the morning.
- The total time spent in the steam room is 40-45 minutes. Time spent in the bathhouse (including breaks) is 2-3 hours.
- Before going to the bathhouse (2-3 hours before) do not eat or get drunk.
- If after the first visit to the bathhouse your health has improved, then in your next stay you can increase your time in the steam room by 1-2 minutes.
- Before the bath and between visits to the steam room, you should not drink alcohol.
- Do not pour beer or essential oils onto hot stones.
- You should not go to the bathhouse if you have a high body temperature.
- Before the steam room, you don’t wet your head, and you shower without soap.
- Enter the steam room only with your head covered. And so that the ears are closed. Put on a special felt cap or wrap a bath towel.
An untired body can more easily bear the load on the heart under the influence of hot air and steam.
Before entering the steam room, you must have a felt cap on your head Source otv-media.ru
Flooding rules
Even before you start heating the bathhouse, it must be prepared. To obtain light steam, it is necessary to ventilate the room well so that it is free from dampness and mustiness. You can even heat it in advance so that the room can dry thoroughly.
It is also important to pay attention to the firewood , it must be dry. Birch and aspen are best suited. This wood will retain heat much longer than other wood. In addition, you need to take into account that the stones must be heated to a temperature of at least 350 °C; this is the type of bath that is considered correct.
The water supplied to the heater can be regular or flavored. It should be splashed moderately, otherwise a large release of hot air will occur. And this, in turn, will lead to a decrease in temperature. For safety reasons, do not stand very close to the heater, otherwise you may get burned.
To prepare steam, you must adhere to the following rules:
- To obtain a temperature of slightly more than 80 °C, the liquid should be splashed onto the walls, especially if these are herbal infusions. In this case, the healing substances will not burn on hot pebbles and will have a positive effect.
- If it is necessary to obtain a temperature below 80 °C, then water is applied directly to the stones, but they should first be cooled a little. This can be done using cold liquid, but you need to pour it in small quantities, otherwise there will be very little steam.
- Water must be served in small portions; the ideal dosage is 100 ml at a time. And already in the process it should be reduced to 50 ml.
In order for the steam to remain in the room for as long as possible, you should close the heater immediately after supplying liquid , which will ensure uniform heating. This applies to closed stoves. In open models, steam first goes to the ceiling and only then is distributed over the entire area.
Bath utensils and accessories
Experienced regulars know how to take a steam bath and are always armed with everything they need. In addition, the steam room must have the following functional elements and containers:
- stove-heater;
- seats and benches;
- wooden tub and ladle;
- hanging bowl with water, aromatic herbs or essential oils;
- lamps with hermetically sealed shades.
Benches at lower and higher levels are necessary in order to be placed on them as the body heats up. The higher you climb, the hotter the air will be. It is convenient to stretch out on the bench to steam with brooms and relax the muscular system. The tub looks like a deep basin with handles. The ideal choice of wood for the tub and ladle is oak. It tolerates high moisture well and lasts for a long time. Water is poured from a ladle onto the stones, collecting it in a tub.
For healing, a linden broom is used, eucalyptus branches are placed under the head Source sankt-peterburg.spravka.ru
For a bath you need a wooden tub, a ladle, towels, a broom, detergents Source banyaionica.ru
Before going to the bathhouse, you should acquire some accessories:
- a bottle of still drinking water;
- a broom made from tree branches;
- soft felt hat;
- two terry towels;
- washcloth made from natural materials;
- woolen mitten;
- massage mitten;
- massage brush;
- essential oil, herbs;
- sheet;
- rubber slippers;
- robe;
- soap, shampoo and other cleaning supplies;
- hair brush.
A broom will help you improve your health, and a hat will protect your ears and head from burns. They dry themselves with one towel, and lay the second one on the bench in the steam room. Use a washcloth made of natural fibers or a mitten to carefully remove dead cells, sweat, and dirt from the skin. Depending on what ailment should be cured with the help of a steam room, they take with them oils or aromatic medicinal herbs.
A brush with natural bristles on a wooden frame is convenient for cleaning the skin on the back Source baltijaam.ee
The oil is diluted with water and placed next to the stove or sprayed on brooms Source static.tildacdn.com
A sheet is wrapped around the body so that the sweat that appears is absorbed into it more quickly. Rubber slippers are worn when visiting public baths. This is necessary for hygienic purposes and for safety to avoid slipping and falling. You will need a robe after completing the bath procedure. Detergents and body care products will help you carry out SPA treatments after the bath.
The sheet is laid on a bench in the steam room or wrapped in it so that it absorbs sweat Source progress.online
A bathrobe is worn at the final stage of bath procedures Source sauna-ananas.ru
The benefits of aromatic steam in a bath
A person visits a bathhouse not only to wash away dirt from the body. He goes there for his health. Our ancestors brewed medicinal herbs and plants growing in their area in baths. Their infusions were splashed onto the hot stones and the fragrant aroma filled the steam room. This steam was used mainly to treat colds.
Modern bath attendants have a wider range of aromatherapy products. They can be selected to achieve a therapeutic effect, disease prevention or cosmetic purposes.
Using aromatherapy in a bath:
Fight dandruff and cellulite.
Strengthens hair roots.
Relieves skin irritation and muscle tension.
They put the nervous system in order.
Increases body tone, etc.
In order for aromatherapy to be beneficial, it is necessary to create the right steam in the bathhouse. This means that it is necessary to achieve a certain humidity and concentration of useful substances in it that can affect the human body. There are at least 4 reasons for aromatizing the air in a bathhouse.
She helps:
Relieve stress.
Unload the central nervous system.
Prepare the body for sleep.
Increase vitality.
Odors have individual effects on the human body. This feature must be taken into account when choosing a suitable aroma for steam. Finding it may take some time.
The effect of bath procedures on the body
Regular trips to the bathhouse can cure:
- decreased tone of the epidermis;
- joint and muscle pain;
- kidney disease;
- vegetative-vascular dystonia;
- migraine;
- blood pressure problems;
- diseases of the respiratory system.
The benefit of a bath is that after warming up, the body actively secretes sweat. Along with it, waste, toxins, fat and various harmful substances are removed from the body. Blood flow increases and heart rate increases. With this activity, more nutrients are transported to the cells by the bloodstream. If you know how to properly take a steam bath in a Russian bath, then after the procedures the condition of the skin improves, breathing normalizes, and the body is cleansed.
The work of a bathhouse attendant using oak brooms is to force a hot stream of air towards the body Source blog.postel-deluxe.ru
Recipes for herbal steaming for baths
Specialized online stores and pharmacies offer customers a wide range of dry herbs and their mixtures that can be used to aromatize the air in a steam room. You can make them yourself. The preparation of medicinal herbs is carried out in dry weather as they ripen.
Dry the plants in the shade. Dried herbs are crushed, mixed and placed in canvas bags, in which they are then steamed in a bathhouse. The duration of steaming herbs is 15-20 minutes. A small amount of the prepared infusion is poured over hot stones.
The tea is calming, immunostimulating, and improves memory.
The mixture includes:
- 1 tbsp. spoon of wormwood;
- 2 tbsp. spoons of currant leaves;
- 2 tbsp. spoons of mint.
This amount of ingredients is calculated for 5 liters of boiling water. The air saturated with the vapors of this collection smooths out wrinkles, relaxes muscles and relieves fatigue.
Steaming improves skin condition, strengthens hair and joints
The dry mixture is prepared from sweet clover, meadowsweet and cinquefoil rhizomes. Take 2 tablespoons of them for steaming. Steam the mixture with 5 liters of boiling water.
The vapors of the mixture effectively cope with inflammatory processes of the upper respiratory tract, cartilage tissue and pain in the spine.
Tonic parka
The mixture is prepared from dried flowers of tansy, bison and poplar buds.
Take them in 2 tbsp. spoons and pour 5 liters of boiling water.
To enhance the tonic effect, you can add 2 tbsp to the composition. spoons of dried lavender and jasmine flowers.
Steaming to strengthen the immune system
Prepared from several dry or fresh horseradish leaves.
They are poured with hot water in a bucket and left to steep for 30 minutes.
Steaming bath brooms
Brooms are prepared for the bath from various types of plants. Each of them has its own beneficial properties and has a specific effect on the human body.
Oak brooms contain a large amount of tannins. Once in the air, they actively affect human skin, relieving it of pustular wounds and relieving the feet from excessive sweating.
Coniferous brooms are steamed specifically to aromatize the air in the steam room. This helps get rid of various inflammatory processes, relieve difficulty breathing and get rid of wounds and ulcers on the body.
A couple of infusions of birch and rowan brooms rejuvenate the skin. Birch steam is especially useful for smokers. It cleanses the human lungs well.
