Shouldn't you go to the hammam? Benefits and contraindications of the eastern steam room

Every nation has a tradition that is happily supported in other countries. This happened with the hammam, which came to us from the East and almost immediately gained popularity. What is the difference between a Turkish hammam and a traditional Russian bath? And what should you know when going to a Turkish bath?

Warmth emanating from all sides, natural stone, often mosaics in a traditional oriental style - an environment ideal for relaxation. Due to the comfortable warmth and soft steam, breathing in the hammam is extremely easy; the pleasant microclimate of the Turkish bath is ideal for those who do not enjoy the heat.

A little history

The structure of a traditional hammam
Although exact information about the origin of the hammam has not been preserved, it is believed that such procedures first appeared in the Byzantine Empire. The peoples of the East who communicated with the Byzantines adopted this tradition. However, the use of hot steam in combination with dousing with cold water came a little later. It was believed that visiting the hammam affects the body and mind, female attractiveness and male strength.

The specific architectural style of the hammam was formed by the 12th-13th centuries. Like the Roman baths once upon a time, the hammam became the center of public life. Today there are hammams in almost every town in Turkey; in Europe, Turkish baths began to appear in the 19th century.

Story

Baths have existed in Turkey since time immemorial. The Turks adopted a special method of ablution from the Arabs, who built baths following the example of the Romans. The first Turkish baths appeared at the beginning of the 7th century. At this time, residents of eastern countries began to preach Islam.

According to the teachings of faith: frequent bathing and keeping the body clean is a godly activity. Therefore, in ancient times, hammams were built not far from mosques. The Turkish bath was intended not only for ablutions, people gathered in it to communicate and resolve various issues.

Every week a women's bathing day was held. Representatives of the fair sex came not only for bathing, cosmetic procedures and massages, but also to chat with friends, relax and take a break from household chores. Often here mothers with adult sons looked for future daughters-in-law.

Hamam occupies a special place in the life of Turks. Most of the main events in the life of a family were celebrated, and in some cities they are still celebrated, in the hammam:

• the day a newborn turns forty days old
• bachelorette and bachelor party
• boy circumcision
• end of military service.

What is special about hamam?

There are neither the usual brooms nor a stove, without which not a single Russian-style bathhouse is complete. The steam generated in a special boiler is evenly distributed throughout the room; the high dome-shaped ceiling does not accumulate condensate; it flows down the rounded walls directly into the drainage system. How do the conditions in a hammam differ from the saunas we know or, for example, a Finnish bath? So.

• Temperature . On average, the air warms up to 30-50°C, this temperature regime is more comfortable for a person, moreover, the procedure in such conditions becomes possible for people who either do not tolerate heat well or are undesirable for health reasons. For example, heating in a sauna can reach 100°C or higher; staying at this temperature is contraindicated for patients with various diseases.
• Humidity – reaching 90-100%, it is the highest among those practiced in various types of baths and saunas. At the same time, the body does not experience stress, and there is no risk of drying out the skin and hair. Unlike a Turkish bath, the humidity in a Finnish bath reaches 10-20%.

Warm and maximally humidified air is the secret of a Turkish bath; thanks to the ideal combination of temperature and humidity, a special microclimate is created that has a beneficial effect on health.

Is it a Turkish bath?...

Quite a serious question. The fact is that today in Russia the bath business is, of course, developed, but to what extent? As it turns out, those who have personally visited a real Turkish bath say that local hammams resemble it only in appearance - but not in sensation. Absolutely wrong humidity, temperature and special means. And not the same effect at all.

Is it worth saying then how dangerous the impact of such a “hamam” on health can be? After all, the Turks have been developing their bath tradition for centuries, selecting the optimal temperature and humidity conditions down to the degree, and carefully observing the necessary sequence of all procedures. And therefore all this had a positive effect on health. And a failure in any technology leads to other consequences.

Moreover, modern hammams in Russia offer three modes of procedures at once: something like a sauna with dry and hot air, a supposedly Russian bath with steam and an air temperature of up to 100°C, and a “Turkish” one, with heat up to 60°C and humidity up to 100%, which is also wrong. But all this is proudly called “hammam”.

And finally, today an innovation such as “hamam-plus” is becoming popular. This is the same Turkish bath with marble on the walls, but in which a special cable is used to warm the walls, beds and floor, providing up to 70°C instead of the required 45°C, and dry “Russian” steam.

It’s like combining two in one: both a hammam and a Russian bathhouse. But such an invention is far from a real Turkish steam room, and staying in it can really undermine your health. But an inexperienced person will be sure that he ended up in a hammam!

So let's take a closer look at what a real Turkish bath actually is and what to expect from it.

Lose weight with pleasure!

The pace of life, snacks on the go, often not the best quality food, lack of time for sports - and now extra pounds have appeared. Heading to the gym? But intense physical activity, as a rule, does not evoke enthusiasm after a hard day at work. Try the hammam!

It turns out that you can lose a couple of kilograms in one session. During the procedure, metabolism accelerates and fat deposits are broken down. Temperature contrast, intensive soaping and massage also have an anti-cellulite effect.

How to go to the hammam correctly to get rid of extra pounds? Of course, to get the maximum effect, visiting the Turkish bath should be regular and combined with other methods, for example, with the same balanced diet or walking. Otherwise, the lost kilograms will return again.

Sign up for the online course “Basics of nutrition for health and weight loss”

By the way, a good mood after the procedure is not an accident, since staying in the hammam increases the level of hormones responsible for the psycho-emotional state. In addition, the endorphins produced have an antidepressant effect. Agree, such weight loss for a person who is not a sports fan is much more attractive than intense training in the gym.

Contraindications for visiting

Not all people are allowed to take a steam bath in a Turkish bath; sometimes health conditions prohibit it. Contraindications for visiting are:

• severe bronchial asthma;
• heart disease, hypertension;
• epilepsy;
• thyroid dysfunction;
• cancer;
• phlebeurysm;
• open wounds, irritations, abrasions, scratches on the skin;
• inflammatory processes in the kidneys.

Hammam for varicose veins

This diagnosis, like other diseases of the cardiovascular system, is a contraindication for visiting a Turkish bath. High temperature negatively affects people with this diagnosis. Because of it, the vessels dilate and the volume of circulating blood increases. The load on the veins increases several times. This is an extremely dangerous condition with varicose veins. Even if precautions are taken, visiting the hammam is prohibited if you have this disease. Doctors confirm this.

For bronchial asthma

People with this diagnosis are strictly prohibited from visiting the hammam. This can provoke new attacks and worsen an already dangerous situation, especially if the disease is severe and has complications. In some cases, doctors give the go-ahead for asthmatics to visit the hammam at the initial stage. Some patients benefit from moist and warm air in the bathhouse, because under its influence the volume of the lungs increases and the number of attacks decreases. Visiting the steam room in this situation is allowed only under the conditions recommended by the attending physician.

Benefit for health

It turns out that hammam is an affordable way to improve your health. Under the influence of hot steam, the heart rate increases, blood vessels dilate, blood circulation increases, which more intensively delivers much-needed oxygen to tissues, including to the periphery.

When immersed in a pool or Jacuzzi with cooler water at the final stage, due to the temperature contrast, a kind of training of thermal adaptation mechanisms in the body occurs, and blood pressure normalizes. Regular visits to the hammam improve the ability to adapt to any weather conditions; in the future, the human body can easily cope with overheating or hypothermia.

In addition, when skin receptors are irritated, the nervous system is stimulated. A visit to the hammam is ideal for relaxation, apathy and irritability disappear, the quality of sleep improves, headaches and feelings of fatigue go away.

What to do if colds have become the norm in your life? A sharp change in temperature triggers the body's defenses, and a person is able to resist colds. Moreover, under the influence of temperature and humidity, the blood supply to the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract increases, a bronchodilator effect is noted, sputum discharge and gas exchange improve. The breathing rate may increase, which affects the volume of the lungs, and their ventilation improves.

Is it possible to go to the hammam if you have a cold, because one of the contraindications to the procedure is the acute form of any disease. Discomfort and sore throat become less pronounced, hot and humid air reduces swelling of the mucous membrane. However, if the temperature rises and the condition worsens, it is better to postpone visiting the bathhouse.

The benefits of hamam

Regular visits to the Turkish bath have a beneficial effect on the body. What is the effect of ablution?

1. Helps cleanse, moisturize and tighten the skin, normalize the functioning of the sebaceous glands, and eliminate acne. This is achieved due to high humidity levels. Oily and sensitive skin is well cleansed, while dry skin is softened, becomes elastic and toned.
2. Relieves fatigue, stress, helps fight depression and insomnia. Positively affects the nervous system.
3. Rejuvenates. When bathing, a person’s metabolism accelerates and the intensity of oxidative processes increases. This helps rejuvenate the body.
4. Removes toxins and waste from the body.
5. Facilitates well-being in diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Regular visits for osteochondrosis, rheumatism, arthritis or muscle strain help to significantly reduce the pain caused by these diseases.
6. Improves blood circulation. Congestion is eliminated. Vessels and capillaries dilate, the outflow of blood from internal organs increases.
7. Increases immunity.
8. Promotes a speedy recovery from rhinitis and bronchitis. If a person often suffers from colds, steaming is very useful for him. It is easy to breathe in the rooms due to the volumetric area of ​​evaporation. Prolonged warming of the body improves immunity and helps resist ARVI.

For a cold

If a person does not feel well, it will be useful for him to visit a Turkish bath. This will immediately ease the discomfort caused by malaise, sore throat, and runny nose. Steaming is prohibited if body temperature is high. You are not allowed to dive into the pool or take a cold shower. How Turkish hammam is useful for colds:

1. Warm, moist air reduces pain in joints and muscles.
2. Bathing has a positive effect on the functioning of the respiratory system.
3. The hammam bath ionizes the body and increases its protective abilities.
4. Due to the moist air, when you have a runny nose, mucus comes out easier and the spread of inflammatory processes stops.

For sinusitis

Specific temperature and humidity cause positive changes in the body. For sinusitis, you can visit the bathhouse during periods when there are no signs of intoxication and high temperature. It is better to go for a steam bath during the recovery stage. Washing speeds up the process and strengthens the immune system. Hot and humid air in the steam room will help reduce swelling of the mucous membrane of the maxillary sinuses; it will regenerate faster. The discharge will become less abundant. Rules for visiting for sinusitis:

1. During recovery, you can go to the bathhouse twice or thrice a week. The procedure takes no more than half an hour. You need to constantly monitor your well-being.
2. For chronic sinusitis in remission, you can visit the bathhouse every day. It is better not to stay there for too long; the optimal stay time is 15-45 minutes. There should be no complaints about your health.

Hammam for weight loss

People who want to lose excess weight will find it very useful to visit a Turkish bath. In one session you can get rid of 1-2 kg. The effect will be more noticeable if you combine bathing with tea, and do an intense massage. Many nutritionists recommend going to a Turkish bath as part of a set of weight loss measures. How does the procedure affect a person’s weight:

1. Heat exchange slows down, causing metabolic and oxidative processes to accelerate.
2. Pores open and sweating increases. Toxins, waste, harmful substances and excess fluid are actively removed from the body.
3. Metabolism accelerates, subcutaneous fat accumulations are broken down.
4. Intense soaping and massage help eliminate cellulite.

For bronchitis

If the disease has entered the recovery stage and the acute phase has been stopped, then moist air will be beneficial. For bronchitis, it is allowed and even useful to visit a Turkish bath. The exception is when the body temperature rises above 37 degrees and severe shortness of breath appears. If there are no contraindications, then you can visit the hammam, strictly following the following recommendations:

1. Before entering the steam room, drink plenty of warm herbal tea. This will help the body warm up from the inside.
2. Breathe deeply indoors to help remove mucus.
3. Do not leave a warm room into a cold one, do not dive into a pool. The body should cool down gradually. Otherwise, the disease may recur.

For acne and pimples

Regular visits to the Turkish bath promote skin regeneration and cleansing. During the procedures, dead cells are removed, and the functioning of the sebaceous glands is normalized. This helps improve your appearance. In addition, during bath procedures, toxins are removed from the body, which often cause acne and rashes. The condition of the skin and the peeling are improved.

Improved appearance is another plus of the procedure

Photo of the Red Lake Detox Clinic
Warmth, humidity, and temperature contrast improve the trophism of the skin, affect microcirculation, and stimulate its protective, metabolic, and regenerative functions. Under the influence of heat, the pores on the skin expand; during procedures (cleansing and peeling), the skin is cleansed, moisturized and tightened, the functioning of the sebaceous glands is normalized, and acne disappears. Improving metabolic processes promotes rejuvenation, the skin becomes soft and elastic.

By the way, unlike other types of baths, in the hammam the hair is not at risk of drying out, which is important if it is brittle and dry. Moreover, soft steam normalizes blood circulation in the scalp, stimulating hair growth and improving its appearance.

If you want to lose weight...

To lose weight, many experts advise visiting a bathhouse. Moreover, the majority is inclined to the idea that a Russian bath is best, since in it you will lose the most fluid, achieve increased metabolic processes, and get rid of extra centimeters in the waist.

It is also important to know how to properly visit the hammam for weight loss. Here, of course, it is not as hot as in a Russian bath. But it is the most favorable environment for removing toxins and opening pores. It is Turkish baths that help get rid of cellulite.

Knowing how to properly visit the hammam for weight loss will help you get rid of excess weight. After all, in a Turkish bath you will definitely receive peeling, massage, wrapping and other pleasant and useful procedures. They will give the skin a beautiful and smooth appearance.

What are the benefits of hammam for sports lovers?

People who are actively involved in sports have often experienced discomfort after training associated with excessive stress. To alleviate the condition, you can go to a Turkish bath. In combination with a massage, you can warm up and stretch your muscles, relieving pain. In addition, overstrained muscle tissue interferes with normal blood circulation, which leads to insufficient oxygen supply. Under the influence of heat, all processes are activated, tissues become more elastic, painful sensations recede.

In addition, you can go to the hammam with diseases of the musculoskeletal system; the microclimate has a beneficial effect on tissue trophism, activating restoration processes in bone and muscle tissue, and the condition of spasms and contractures improves.

Who is the hammam recommended for?

Anyone who has learned how to properly visit a hammam can go to a Turkish bath. This will be especially useful for those who often suffer from flu, colds, and have weak immunity.

If you suffer from gout or arthritis, then bath procedures will help solve joint problems once and for all, forget about stiffness and pain. The same applies to those who suffer from osteochondrosis.

If you constantly experience nervous tension and often experience stress, then the hammam will help smooth out the negative impact of external factors. It is also useful for everyone for general health and ridding the body of toxins and harmful substances. There are only a few exceptions.

Hygiene procedure? Relaxation? Pleasure!

And although hammams have not survived to this day in their original form, there are Turkish baths created taking into account ancient traditions. But in order to get maximum pleasure and benefit, you should follow a clear sequence of actions when visiting. Staying in the hammam is a whole ritual, consisting of five procedures in a certain sequence: warming up the body, massage, peeling, soaping and pouring, relaxation.

1. To prepare for the procedures, there is a special room - jamekian - where the visitor leaves his clothes and shoes, dressed in a sarong or a sheet.
2. Pestemal is a room where a person takes a warm shower for 15 minutes (approximately), which is necessary to cleanse the skin and prepare for further procedures.
3. Chebek – here the body is prepared; for this purpose there is a special bed made of natural marble, on which the visitor sits.
4. Hararet is a spacious marble room with a round shape, designed for deep cleansing of the skin. First, a steaming procedure is carried out, during which the pores of the skin open, followed by intensive soaping and rubbing using a goat hair washcloth - at this time, high-quality peeling of the skin occurs. When rinsing, warm and cool water are used alternately. The final stage is a soap massage.
5. To recuperate after exposure to high temperatures, the visitor moves to the next room, where the temperature is lower than in other rooms. There are showers here, where you can lie down and enjoy aromatic tea.
6. Finally, you should visit the steam room again, where an oriental master will give you a massage.
7. After the session, you can swim in pools with water of different temperatures; in the classic version of the bath there are three pools: with a temperature of 45°C, similar to body temperature, room temperature.

After passing through all the rooms, the body, according to legend, is cleansed. Unfortunately, traditional baths are being built less and less often, since it is not always possible to find a place of suitable size. Therefore, in modern hammams there are often only three rooms intended for preparing, steaming and cooling the body.

Hamam is suitable for all ages

Another important point: you can visit the hammam at any age, even if a regular sauna is strictly contraindicated for you. This Turkish bath has high humidity as well as optimal body temperature. These factors help achieve maximum peace and relaxation. In addition, the hammam helps to relax muscles, pain goes away, and tension is relieved.

If you follow how to properly visit the hammam in the gym, you are guaranteed to lose several kilograms, get rid of colds, stabilize the functioning of the cardiovascular system, and improve sleep.

Construction of a Turkish bath in a gym or fitness center requires special knowledge. In order for the hammam to bring the desired effect, it is necessary to use only high-quality materials, not violate construction technology, and be attentive to details. After all, the health and safety of people will depend on this. Therefore, such an event should only be trusted to professionals.

How to go to the hammam

There are several rules that must be followed when visiting a Turkish bath.

• Before the procedure, avoid alcohol, fatty and fried foods; This way you can avoid unnecessary stress on the body.
• A sarong or a sheet made of natural fabrics is intended for the procedures
• Before you lie down on the massage bench, you need to lay a towel.
• There are separate rooms or hours for ablutions for men and women.

What should you take with you when going to the hammam? All you need are bath shoes, two towels - for the body and to cover the bench, and a sarong. However, all this can be obtained in the bathhouse.

How often can you go to the hammam? And if every day, won’t the load on the body be unnecessary? A person should be guided by his feelings and state of health. To maintain tone, visits can be weekly. For colds, frequent stressful situations, insomnia, etc. the procedure can be performed more often. If you play sports, then it is right to go to the hammam after training in a fitness club or gym. In this case, you should wait until your pulse, breathing and blood pressure return to normal.

And if you go to the hammam often, how much time can you spend there without harming your health? If staying in a room with high temperature and humidity does not cause discomfort, then bath procedures should be given at least one and a half hours. However, visiting a hammam in the East has always been considered a source of pleasure, going beyond the scope of a hygienic procedure. For example, eastern women could spend the whole day there, and most of the time was devoted to communication and tea drinking.

What is a real hammam?

A real Turkish bath is the wettest and lowest temperature of all baths existing in the world. In eastern countries, a hammam is a building that necessarily has a changing room, a dressing room, a steam room, a washing room, a massage room, a relaxation room and a swimming pool with running water. There, visitors move from a room with a lower temperature to a room with a higher one, and after the steam room, they first swim in a pool with hot water, and then only in water with a lower temperature. That is, the body does not experience any stress.

In a Turkish bath, special attention is paid to the interior and equipment. The domed ceiling serves to ensure that drops do not fall on vacationers, but roll down the walls onto the floor and evaporate. Stone mosaic or marble evenly absorbs and releases heat. Steam and hot water from boilers located under the floor or in the walls passes through pipes under the floor and seats and heats them, and the steam enters the room through small holes. Thus, everything in the hammam is evenly heated: walls, floor, sun loungers.

Contraindications

As with any healing method, there are a number of contraindications for visiting a bathhouse that must be taken into account when choosing a healing method. Hama is contraindicated if there is:

• increased temperature, high or low blood pressure;
• exacerbation of a chronic disease;
• presence of cancer;
• mental disorders, epilepsy;
• infectious and fungal diseases;
• severe diseases of the cardiovascular, respiratory, urinary systems;
• bleeding and open wounds.

The session is also contraindicated on an empty stomach or immediately after eating. As for pregnancy, you can go to the hammam starting from the second trimester. However, at any time it is better to refuse to stay in the steam room. In addition, women often have a question: is it possible to go to the hammam during menstruation? In this case, you should postpone visiting the bathhouse, since staying in the steam room can provoke increased bleeding, and pressure changes are also possible.

Harm from hamam

Moderation is good in any activity, and a visit to the Turkish bath is no exception. In some cases, staying in it can harm the body, so you need to treat this with caution, take into account all contraindications, and follow the rules. Possible negative consequences of visiting the bathhouse:

1. Pregnant women are not recommended to take a steam bath. High temperatures can harm the fetus.
2. People with mental disorders, oncology, or skin diseases should not go to the hammam.
3. You should not steam during any acute inflammatory process.
4. If you have severe lung diseases, you should not visit the bathhouse. It will be difficult and even dangerous for a person to stay in such a humid environment.
5. People with cardiovascular diseases should not be in the steam room. This will overload the body, which will negatively affect the condition. Those with hypertension should also be careful when using the steam room. Moist hot air can cause an increase in pressure. At the same time, normalizing the condition will be problematic.
6. In case of high temperature and viral diseases, ablutions will only worsen the condition.
7. Staying in a warm, humid room promotes the growth of fungus. People with any manifestation of this disease should avoid hamam. In addition, visiting public bathing areas by people with a fungal infection is unethical in relation to others present there.

Where can I find a hammam?

Today you don’t have to go to Turkey to go to the hammam; fitness clubs, spas, health centers, and sanatoriums offer this service. Of course, the choice of materials and approach to the construction of premises is much simplified, although the interior decoration is still done in an oriental style. However, the fullness of sensations, as a rule, remains high.

Moreover, today a small-sized Turkish bath can be equipped in a house or even an apartment; it is enough to purchase a steam box equipped with a steam generator, which is controlled by an electronic control system. Despite the simplified design, steam, as a rule, is produced of high quality, while energy costs are well within the limits of household electrical wiring.

However, for connoisseurs of Turkish baths, the hammam is not just a place for hygiene procedures. This is a wonderful opportunity to relax, relax and meet friends. Therefore, when going to the hammam, choose a time that you can fully devote to pleasure without compromising unfinished business. It is impossible to get the maximum benefit for the body or pleasure if your stay in the hammam is accompanied by a rush. In the end, you can just wash yourself at home, but that’s not the main thing for us!

Oksana Matiash, general practitioner

Harm from visiting a Turkish bath

So, what in the hammam can have a negative effect on the body? It's all about the air temperature, 45°C, which is not low, and the highest air humidity - 100%. These two factors have their own pros and cons for your health.

Hot air is bad because it can lead to overheating of the human body. Moreover, heat coming from outside is less useful than internal heat:

The bad thing in itself is that the limbs get quite hot at a temperature of 45°C. But the most unsafe thing for any person is a fever in the head. That is why, at the slightest non-compliance with all the rules of steaming in baths, after the procedures many people begin to have a severe headache.

You can learn more about why you get a headache after a bath in the article

And that’s why in the Russian steam room it is customary to wear hats, and in the Eastern ones - a turban made of a towel, which many today neglect for the sake of a “beautiful appearance.”

The second point is excessively humid air. It is bad for the body because it further contributes to overheating. So, if a person has at least some problems with the cardiovascular system, a dangerous exacerbation will occur even at 85% air humidity.

But in fact, everything is dangerous only for an unhealthy body, with a weak heart and other problems. That is why there is such a thing as a contraindication.