How to properly take a steam bath in a Russian sauna with a broom: tips and rules from Playboy

For a Russian person, a steam room is a sacred place where you can improve your well-being, chat with old friends and drink a couple of glasses of intoxicating drinks in between visits. However, those who are not accustomed to high temperatures need to be careful at first and not follow the example of experienced like-minded people. That is why we have prepared a comprehensive guide on how to properly take a steam bath in a Russian sauna for your health.

As you know, the bathhouse has a complex preventive effect on the human body. She is visited to relieve symptoms of colds in the initial stages of the disease, emotional stress and restoration of physical condition.

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But despite all its advantages, some people are contraindicated from visiting the steam room, because it can cause a malfunction in their body.

Who should not visit the bathhouse?

If you have certain health problems and doubt the benefits of going to the bathhouse for yourself, read the following contraindications:

Deviations in the functioning of the cardiovascular system;
Problems with the kidneys and digestive system;
Skin diseases or allergies;
Body temperature above 37 degrees;
The presence of malignant tumors;
Frequent headaches.

Even if none of these points are close to you, but you still doubt the usefulness of going to the bathhouse, consult a doctor and decide together with him whether you should warm up or not.

What to do if you want to steam in a sauna with a broom

First, you need to reduce the temperature in the sauna to 80-90 degrees. Secondly, steam the bath broom. Find out how to do this here.
To prevent the broom from drying out quickly, we increase the humidity of the steam by spraying water on the walls, ceiling and shelves.
We throw small portions of water on the stones and steam with a broom. Make sure that it does not come into contact with the heating elements of the electric furnace.
As the broom dries, moisten it with water.
Otherwise, steaming in a sauna with a broom is no different from steaming in a Russian steam room.

What should you not do in the bath?

So, if you are alert and fresh and are already halfway to the steam room, we have a few more warnings for you that will help you avoid the unpleasant consequences of visiting the bathhouse.

First of all, there is no need to actively lather yourself in the shower before a bath, because soap can erase the protective layer of the skin, making it more sensitive. Taking a shower itself, of course, is not contraindicated, but you should not overdo it with gels, soaps and other cleaning products.

In addition, try not to get your hair wet when visiting the bathhouse. The thing is that with a wet head, heat transfer increases, which can ultimately lead to heat stroke. That is why it is customary to go to the bathhouse with a special cap that protects the head. By wearing it, you also prevent your hair from drying out.

There is no need to go to the steam room drunk or get drunk right in it. The thing is that alcohol additionally loads the heart, and due to active sweating, urination is reduced, which makes it difficult for the breakdown products of ethyl alcohol to leave the body. Thus, after drinking in the bathhouse, the hangover will be much stronger.

Well, you shouldn’t eat too much before going to the bathhouse, as this creates additional stress on the heart and other organs.

Recommended sauna procedure

Before entering for the first time, take a shower and dry yourself. Important: do not wet your head in the shower!
Put on a bath cap and go take a steam bath. For beginners, the first visit should not exceed 3-5 minutes, and for experienced visitors – 10-15 minutes.
You can sit on the shelf, but it is better to lie down and raise your legs a little higher than your head. For convenience, use special footrests. The lying position will allow the body to warm up evenly, which will have a positive effect on the flow of internal processes in the body.
You need to breathe calmly, evenly, trying to do it through your nose. Sudden and fast movements are unacceptable. Try not to think about unpleasant things or abstract topics, focus only on the soaring procedure.
If you sweat profusely, shake it off with your hands, a scrubber or a soap dish. You should know that sweat on the body, like water, inhibits perspiration.
After each exit from the steam room, do not rush to sit or lie down immediately. Wait, walk around, take a cool shower (it’s better not to get your head wet) or a swimming pool. Then you can sit for a few minutes or receive a massage.
When making a new visit, do not forget to wipe yourself dry. How much time you spend there depends on your individual characteristics, but it is not recommended to stay in the steam room for more than 15 minutes.
Only after you are completely finished with steaming can you wash and begin other bath procedures.

What is the best time to steam?

In fact, everything here is quite individual, so there is no definite answer regarding seasonality and the time of going to the bathhouse. However, there is a widespread belief that the best time of year for a steam room is winter.

After all, in the frosty months, that same contrast of cold and warm temperatures is created that bath lovers love so much.

However, it is comfortable and no less useful to steam in the summer. Moreover, in the warm months, a person’s pores are already open, plus the work of the sweat glands increases, which ultimately has a beneficial effect on the heat exchange process. Therefore, some believe that steaming in the summer is especially pleasant and comfortable.

There are people who do not recognize the advantages of this or that season at all. For them, the bathhouse is nice both in summer and winter.

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Another common question that has no clear answer is: “What is the best time to visit the bathhouse?” It all depends on whether you are a morning person or a night owl. Some people like to take a good steam in the morning, thereby recharging themselves with energy and good mood for the whole day.

There are also followers of late bath sessions who note the beneficial effects of the bath on sleep. This is true - if you relax thoroughly in the bathhouse in the evening, your sleep will be especially sound and healthy.

Of course, there are those who go to the bathhouse both in the morning and in the evening. Usually these are the owners of bathhouses at their own dachas. Sometimes they are ready to spend the whole day in the steam room, which is quite extreme.

What to do with a broom: bath massage technique

Use a broom as follows:

They are waved in the direction of the person’s body in order to generate more heat.
Stroke the body with a broom (from head to toe and back to the feet).
They beat with a broom (light “blows” from a short distance - 10-20 cm).
They whip with a broom (“blows” from a distance of 60-70 cm).
Make a compress (press the broom with your hand to your back, buttocks, thighs, shoulders).

Brooms from different tree species differ in their healing properties. Birch brooms are used for pulmonary diseases, oak brooms for skin inflammation, and linden brooms for colds and viral infections.

Birch broom for a bath

Birch brooms are the most traditional attributes of a Russian steam room. They are harvested from young shoots, the size of the leaves on which does not exceed a ruble coin (Soviet period).

Who benefits from birch brooms:

For smokers (birch tar vapors cleanse the lungs of a smoker).
Athletes (birch relieves muscle pain after intense training).
For those who have a lot of pimples, acne, or who often develop ulcers and boils.
Patients with bronchitis and chronic cough. Birch steam expands the small passages of the bronchi, improves sputum discharge and coughing.

Oak brooms are used many times. The leaves are held on the branches even after the fourth or fifth visit to the steam room. Having been scalded more than once, they retain their healing properties throughout the entire steam room. You can determine that a broom has served its purpose by looking at the leaves. They become sticky and unpleasant to the touch, and the pleasant oak aroma disappears.

Oak branches are used:

For vascular diseases.
For skin diseases, as well as for those with oily skin.
For those who have hypertension or a tendency to increase blood pressure (oak ether does not allow it to rise excessively).
For neurasthenics and people with increased excitability.

Eucalyptus bath broom

Eucalyptus brooms are more exotic than traditional. They saturate the sauna space with healing ether, which heals the nasopharynx. Eucalyptus shoots are taken to the bathhouse for ENT diseases (runny nose, sinusitis, throat cough). They don't have to be steamed. You can put fragrant branches with leaves on the top shelf or hang them on the wall of the steam room.

Whip with a eucalyptus broom is difficult. Its shoots are too flexible, they do not generate heat enough and do not massage the body well.

People with eucalyptus brooms in a public bath always look strange

Fir bath broom

Fir is the queen of Siberia. Fir brooms bring a mortally tired person back to life and drive away terrible illnesses. How does fir work?

Like all conifers, fir releases phytoncides and disinfects the surrounding space. In addition, its massage effect increases blood circulation not only in the muscles, but also in the internal organs.

The richness of fir allows the effective use of brooms for a variety of diseases. Complex coniferous therapy is indispensable for pulmonary and bronchitis inflammations, neurology, spinal pain, and osteochondrosis.

Bamboo bath broom

A bamboo broom is another type of unusual, non-traditional broom for a steam room. It is convenient because it does not litter with leaves, at the same time it has a cosmetic effect and provides good relaxation. In addition, bamboo massage significantly increases blood flow, resulting in reduced inflammation and weight loss.

A massage with a bamboo broom is performed very carefully and effortlessly (traditional for a birch or oak broom). His technique uses Japanese methods of working with bamboo - gentle pushing with chopsticks on the back, shoulders and feet, as well as on areas of cellulite.

Steaming with a bamboo broom is also different. Unlike traditional oak or birch steaming techniques, it is virtually impossible to generate heat with bamboo.

How to dry a broom after a bath

Reusable brooms (made from oak branches, pine shoots) are rinsed in water and left on a shelf to dry. The dried broom is hung under the roof in a dry place. It should not get wet or hang inside a damp room (damp cellar or barn).

If the broom is stored outdoors under a canopy, put a net or bag over it (protect it from the wind). If the broom is thoroughly worn out, throw it away and take a new one for the next visit.

How to succumb to stones

Every bathhouse and sauna has a heater - a place where heated stones lie. If you pour water on them, it immediately evaporates and fills the space with thick hot steam. Hot steam rises to the ceiling and slightly burns those on the upper shelves. Steamers who are accustomed to heat and temperature tolerate wet steam well, and even constantly add water to create it. This is how a Russian wet steam room works.

Moist steam ensures sweating even at a temperature of +60ºC. But the dry air of a Finnish sauna at this temperature does not warm up. The Finnish steam room is heated to +100ºC.

How to properly apply water to stones?

An alcoholic tincture of a medicinal herb (for scent and inhalation) - alcoholic mint, eucalyptus (40-50 mg per 1-1.5 liters of water) is added to a water container (for example, a basin). You can also use essential oil (pine, rose, lavender - according to preference).
It is convenient to apply water to the stones using a ladle with a long handle.
They start pouring water from those stones that lie closer to the wall. The hand with the scoop is moved towards you. Thus, the hot steam that immediately rises from the stones does not burn the palm and forearm.
After supplying water, the stones are allowed to warm up; next time water is poured no earlier than 10-15 minutes later.

How to properly take a steam bath with a broom

So, we have come to the most important point of our guide, which reveals the basic rules for visiting the steam room.

The first entry into the steam room should be preparatory, because the body needs to adapt to the high temperature and not overheat. Usually it lasts no more than ten minutes and is always on the bottom shelf.

In addition, the temperature in the steam room itself should not be high. If this is a classic Russian bath, it is desirable that the thermometer mark is within 50-60 degrees.

The second approach should be more thorough. You can raise the temperature in the steam room to 80 degrees, move to the top shelf and lie on it for ten minutes, allowing your body to warm up properly.

During the third visit, you can already actively use brooms, without which some consider a visit to the bathhouse incomplete.

First of all, you should know that there are two types of brooms: one is used for massage, and the other is needed for inhalation.

Choosing a bath broom

Many people associate a Russian bath with a broom. Brooms made from different types of wood with specific properties are suitable for different people. Birch broom should be used to improve lung function, enhance immunity, make the skin smooth, and eliminate wrinkles. Oak has a calming and relaxing effect. Linden fights colds, relieves headaches, improves sleep, fights acne, age spots. Rowan broom makes the skin matte. Coniferous brooms can fight intestinal disorders, diseases of the back, lungs, and liver. But such brooms must be used with great care; they can damage delicate skin.

Basic recommendations during a broom massage

Before you start a broom massage, you should follow a few recommendations so that the pleasant procedure does not turn into medieval torture.

To do this, it is worth remembering that the broom should always be wet during the massage. Thus, it must be periodically dipped in a bucket of water and moistened. If the broom is completely dry before the massage, it is usually steamed. To do this, place it in cold water for 10-20 minutes, and then in hot water for one or three minutes.

In addition, you should not wave a broom too intensely in the steam room if the temperature there exceeds 60 degrees, otherwise you can burn the person steaming.

Well, you shouldn’t jump up suddenly immediately after a massage with a broom. First you need to lie down for a while, rest and only then get up.

Contraindications for visiting the bathhouse

Oncological diseases.
Epilepsy.
Skin, fungal diseases.
Aggravated chronic diseases.
High temperature, pressure.
Pregnancy in the last trimester.

If after visiting the bathhouse you feel rested, then you did everything right, and it brought you benefits.

By the way, pleasant procedures can be carried out at home, read our article “SPA PROCEDURES AT HOME. SIMPLE AND PLEASANT"

What types of brooms are there?

Usually people go to the bathhouse with birch brooms, which are an all-time classic. They are believed to help relieve tension and pain in weakened joints and muscles, clear the skin and strengthen the respiratory tract.

A linden broom will help induce profuse sweating. Massage with pine brooms has a general strengthening property and is a good prevention of radiculitis and osteochondrosis.

A maple broom is taken to disperse toxins, a rowan broom gives vigor and has a tonic effect, eucalyptus brooms help relieve cold symptoms, and an oak broom cleanses the skin well.

Be that as it may, diseases cannot be treated with brooms, and all of the above properties relate to the advice of traditional medicine. Therefore, you can choose any broom for yourself and calmly go to the steam room. The main thing is that it consists of natural ingredients.

Deep cleaning

In addition to a broom, don’t forget to bring honey to the bathhouse. Thick and sticky, it penetrates deep into the open pores of the skin and cleanses the face and body. You can simply smear the skin with honey, or you can do a honey massage, either “gluing” your hand to the body or trying to peel it off. It's also a good idea to make a honey scrub.

Another effective way to draw out all the excess from the pores is to apply a mud mask. After the body is steamed, blue, green or black clay powder diluted in warm water is applied to it. Mud masks are especially good for combating cellulite. The microelements contained in clay - magnesium, calcium, manganese, zinc, copper, phosphorus - help improve metabolic processes in cells, smooth out problem areas and relieve swelling.

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