How to use the sauna correctly. The right sauna - how often to visit and other recommendations What is in the sauna

Do you like to visit the sauna: sit in the steam room and then plunge into the cool pool? Have you ever wondered if it is not harmful to health, how to go to the sauna correctly and how often, what procedures are most useful in it?

What is a sauna

Sauna and bath are the Finnish and Russian names for the same room and procedure, respectively. This is a steam room with dry (sauna) and wet (bath) steam, obtained from the fact that water or herbal infusions are poured onto hot stones.

Basically, the sauna modern form personifies the fusion of several elements of nature - fire, air and water, they, in a reasonable combination, cleanse the body from filth, and the soul - from evil thoughts. Ancestors knew this, today it is no less relevant.

In our time, the sauna has gained popularity among men and women who care about their health, who want to lose weight and cleanse the body . Saunas today have any self-respecting sports club, beauty salon and health center.

How sauna affects the body

The sauna is useful for almost everyone - from babies to the elderly, the main thing is to use it correctly. When visiting the sauna, the cardiovascular system is trained, blood flow is activated, the pulse increases, and the pressure remains the same. Due to the activation of metabolism, excess fats are burned and “bad” cholesterol is excreted.

The bath is useful for people with both high and low blood pressure: under the influence of steam from water and herbal infusions pressure returns to normal. As a result, the blood more actively absorbs oxygen and delivers it to the tissues.

It is important that the steam of the sauna has a stimulating effect on the muscles and skin, enhancing their metabolic processes and removing toxins. It is especially good after physical activity, trainings and competitions.

The sauna perfectly calms and heals the nerves, due to the pleasant heat, tension is removed from the body, it relaxes, and together with the body it relaxes and nervous system . A change in temperature improves mood, raises emotional tone, relieves stress and eliminates signs of depression. Bath can rejuvenate, especially if you make it a tradition, it strengthens bones and joints, they retain their mobility longer.

However, in order for the sauna to have its maximum useful properties, without harming the body, you need to visit it according to special rules, you should properly prepare for the trip and take everything you need with you.

What to take to the sauna

Why go to the sauna?

In order for your visit to the sauna to be useful and enjoyable, you must follow some rules. You need to prepare some necessary things with you - these should be a clean cotton sheet, a bath towel, washable sandals or slippers, a special hat. All these items can be purchased in special departments for saunas and baths.

If you want to combine visiting the sauna with beauty treatments, prepare in advance masks and scrubs, body cream that you will use.

In the sauna, the body loses a lot of fluid, so bring tea, clean water or herbal infusions to drink with you. You can use decoctions of berries, compotes, diluted warm juices. It is worth refraining from using in the sauna alcoholic beverages and soda, sweet juices.

Before visiting the sauna, it is not recommended to eat tightly - lightly have a snack with vegetable soup or cottage cheese with fruit. You should not arrange feasts in the sauna with dense and fatty foods and alcohol, as many vacationers do, then the sauna will bring harm instead of benefit: the combination of dense food, alcohol and heat is a blow to the body. Before going to the sauna itself, you can’t train a lot at an accelerated pace.

Do not wear lenses or jewelry in the sauna as they can get very hot, melt and cause burns. Visit the sauna in the nude, swimwear and swimming trunks are unhygienic.

Before entering the steam room

Before entering the steam room, you need to wash your body in the shower, but you should not wet your hair. No need to wash the skin with soap, so as not to wash off the protective film, it will protect the skin from overdrying at high temperatures. After a shower, thoroughly dry the body from the water, then in the steam room it will heat up evenly.

You can not smear the body with cream, this will disrupt skin breathing and clog pores. When entering the steam room, put on a hat.

How long to bathe and rest?

When visiting the sauna, there is no need to rush - the ideal time for the procedure is a three-hour session, it is especially useful in the afternoon, after 15-17 hours, or in the evening. Remember that the body after the sauna requires rest.

The most optimal is three visits to the steam room with periods of rest, this is the most useful rhythm of the procedure, the change of high and low temperatures is most effective.

Initially, sit on the lower shelves - there the temperature is usually up to seventy degrees, and on the upper shelves the temperature can reach hundreds of degrees. It is important to be in the same thermal zone with your whole body - lie on a shelf, spreading a towel or sheet under you. In the sauna you need to breathe through your nose and not talk.

You need to stay in the steam room for as long as you feel comfortable there, but if you first came to the sauna, limit yourself to five to ten minutes and go out. Cool down with a cool shower or dip in the pool, enjoy a cup of tea or a healthy drink.

Then rest - the body should completely cool down, usually the rest after the steam room should be equal to or longer in time than visiting the steam room. The pool is very nice and effective method stretch the muscles and cool the body after the steam room: due to the change in temperature and activity, metabolic products are removed from the muscles and their tone improves.

Sauna Contraindications

It is definitely not worth visiting the sauna for expectant mothers at any stage of pregnancy - a high temperature can provoke a miscarriage or placental abruption. With caution, it is necessary to visit the sauna in case of skin diseases - in the acute stage, you can temporarily refuse to visit, and if the skin is dry, reduce the time spent in the steam room.

Sauna is not contraindicated for hearts, but the temperature in the steam room should be lower than usual.

Today, in comparison with the Russian bath, the Finnish sauna is no less popular. And by strength positive impact it is also very effective on the body. We will tell you about how to properly bathe in the sauna and what you should definitely take into account when visiting it.

The sauna, being the national symbol of Finland, has a long history. Initially, it was usually built on the shore of a natural reservoir. And the principle of operation of contrast procedures - the alternate influence of warming steam and cool water, is similar to those in a Russian bath. The benefits of a sauna are obvious, but there are some nuances.

There is an opinion that in order to achieve positive effect from visiting the right sauna, just go to the steam room and sit there for as long as possible. This is not entirely true. Therefore, you need to know how to properly steam in the sauna for health and keeping the body in excellent condition. We will also figure out how often you can bathe in the bathso as not to harm your health.

Features of the Finnish sauna

There are some nuances in visiting the Finnish sauna, as well as in other types of steam rooms, whether it is a Russian bath, a Swedish bastu or a Turkish hammam. Let's figure out which is better, sauna or hammam. Below are detailed recommendations with photos, and answers to the most frequently asked questions. They will be especially relevant for those who first decided to visit a traditional Finnish bath.

So, going to the sauna, you should know that:

it is best for a novice visitor to sit on a middle sunbed. Optimally - in a prone position, so that the legs are on the same level with the body, or are slightly raised. This will help reduce the load on the heart and will contribute to a more complete relaxation;
when it is not possible to take a prone position, you should sit down so that the head and legs are approximately at the same level. The fact is that in the sauna steam room the temperature at the level of the head is usually 15-20 degrees higher than at the level of the legs. Therefore, if you stand in the steam room for a long time, or sit with your legs down, the risk of getting a heat stroke increases significantly;
being in a static position, going into the steam room, is undesirable. Periodically, you should change the position of the body - from one side, smoothly turn onto your back, after a while - to the other side, then to your stomach. This will contribute to a more uniform heating of the entire body;
you should not get up abruptly, intending to leave the steam room. Rising from a prone position, it is better to first sit on the bench for a couple of minutes, which will help normalize blood circulation;
in between visits to the steam room, you need to drink tea or juice, always in small sips. This improves sweating and restores water balance (read also: "");
to visit the sauna, a towel will be simply necessary, not only for hygiene reasons, but also for a comfortable stay on very hot sunbeds. And also, be sure to wear a felt cap or wool cap to avoid overheating.

Rules for visiting the Finnish sauna

You can not visit the sauna when:

colds and high body temperature;
hypertension;
diseases of the cardiovascular system;
frequent headaches;
exacerbation of chronic diseases;
the presence of infectious diseases;
allergies.

If you have any doubts about whether it is possible to take a steam bath in the sauna, it is better to consult with your doctor before visiting it.

Despite the fact that today many people live in megacities in apartments with a shower, bath and hot water, the bath still attracts lovers of a healthy lifestyle. Indeed, even in the old days, the beneficial effects of hot steam on the body were noticed.

The bathhouse was flooded on weekends, when the whole family washed after the working week, gave birth in the bathhouse and washed the baby who was born, in the bathhouse they were treated for various ailments. And today the bath occupies an important place in life. After all, visiting it, we not only enjoy the smell of a rotting broom, but also get a boost of strength, energy and health for the whole week.

But in order to benefit, you need to know the basic rules for visiting the bath. Otherwise, you may harm yourself.

Let's find out what experts in the bath business advise.

Preparation for visiting the bath

You will be surprised, but a trip to the bathhouse begins with the right preparation.

You can't steam on a full stomach. The last meal should be at least one and a half hours before entering the steam room.
Intense heat and high humidity cause profuse sweating. Stock up on fluids to stay hydrated. good choice green or herbal tea, compote, birch sap or plain water can become. The main rule is no alcohol! Drinking not only vodka, but even beer, can lead to loss of consciousness and even death from a heart attack or stroke in conditions of hyperthermia.

How many times a week do you go to the bath?

Many people ask the question - how often can you visit the bath during the week? The answer here is simple - a bath is not just a way to wash. In order to wash off the dust of the day, you can rinse in the shower. But to get a powerful boost of energy, you need to go to the bathhouse. Hence the answer - too often this should not be done so as not to overload the body with stress.

Indeed, during a visit to the bath, the heartbeat quickens, the pulse and blood pressure rise. A powerful load on all body systems mobilizes hidden forces and, of course, this should not be abused so as not to get the opposite effect. It is enough to go to the bathhouse once a week on weekends to relieve fatigue that has accumulated during work, warm up well and raise your tone.

And if during your visit you use a contrast shower or at least dousing with cool water, you can not only remove toxins and toxins, but also harden your body.

Rinse before entering the steam room

You should not immediately rush into a red-hot steam room. Be sure to pre-rinse in hot washing water. Rinsing will help prepare the body for the hot steam and alleviate the stress and pressure drop experienced.

No need to pour boiling water over yourself. A temperature of 38-40 degrees will be quite enough. Having poured yourself several times with such water, you can go to the steam room.

Cover your head from the heat

Experienced bath attendants know about the danger of visiting a steam room with an uncovered head, as you can get a thermal shock, leading to the most sad consequences. Our head is so arranged that the brain is almost nothing, except for the bones of the skull, is not protected from intense heat, which can be fatal. Therefore, in no case neglect additional protection - buy a felt hat and put it on your head before entering the heated steam room.

Felt is an excellent thermal insulation material with a low heat transfer coefficient due to its fibrous structure and creates a comfortable microclimate, protecting from heat.

Hence another rule - do not enter the steam room without a hat!

What else to take with you to the bath?

To visit the bath, in addition to a hat, you will have to stock up on some other things that will make your health trip more comfortable.

First of all, take care of a rug made of waterproof material that can be laid on the floor. It will help to avoid injuries, which, unfortunately, are not uncommon when people slip on wet floors.

In addition to the rug, prepare slippers or slippers that can be quickly thrown off when entering a heated room.

If you would like to receive additional healing effect, then you can take with you zaparkas for a bath. By dissolving a small amount of healing infusion in hot water and splashing it on the walls and sometimes succumbing to stones, you can immerse yourself in a fragrant healing cloud that has a beneficial effect on the skin, respiratory and many other body systems.

And, of course, what is a sauna without a broom? Be sure to stock up on a broom from the tree that you prefer. Most often they use birch, oak or juniper broom. Each of them has its own characteristics.

If you care about the beauty of your skin and hair, you can use various scrubs, masks and rinses in the bath. Hot steam perfectly opens the pores, enhancing their healing effect.

How many times do you go to the steam room?

A visit to the steam room also has its own rules, which should be strictly adhered to so as not to harm the body.

You should not try to sit in the steam room as long as possible, at the risk of getting heat stroke. They enter the steam room several times, taking short breaks for rest.

The number of visits to the steam room depends on your preparedness and can range from 3-5 to 10 times.
The first run should be the shortest and the temperature should be as low as possible. 60 degrees will be enough. To do this, you can sit on the bottom shelf and stay for 3-7 minutes so that the body begins to get used to the hot air without a sharp drop.

In the second run, you can already wave the broom to saturate the skin useful substances that it contains, as well as create a therapeutic effect of hot air waves and a massage effect from a steamed broom.

In no case should you whip a broom over heated skin. Such blows can only lead to injuries - scratches and cuts, but will not bring any benefit.

You need to work with a broom very carefully - catching hot air on the body, carefully applying the broom with a little pressure to the skin and only lightly patting it, without making any effort.

The second call can be made for 10-15 minutes. Then you should definitely leave the steam room for a while and rest.

What to do after a bath?

After several visits to the steam room, having thoroughly sweated, warmed up and cleansed the body, it is recommended to spend some time in the relaxation room.

In a relaxed atmosphere, you can drink herbal tea, apply the products that you usually apply to your skin after a bath, watch TV or just sit and relax from the effects of hot steam.

After the bath, you should not run into the nearest hole, drink alcohol or conduct other extreme tests of your heart for strength. If you have a bath with a pool, then you can swim a little to cool down and get an additional hardening effect.

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It is not for nothing that our ancestors attached such importance to visiting the bathhouse, which over the past centuries has become a real ritual. The resulting effect is difficult to achieve in any other way. Neither the fitness center nor the spa will give you that amazing effect of cleansing and saturating with positive energy that a bath can give you. Therefore, if you have such an opportunity, make a good tradition to regularly visit the Russian steam bath. You will be surprised how your health and mood will improve!

Since ancient times, the bath has been considered a place of purification not only for the body, but also for the soul. For our ancestors, the bathhouse personified all the existing elements: water, air, earth and fire. Bath is very popular among people of all ages. It can be found both in various health centers and swimming pools, as well as in elite spas.

Why is a sauna good? Unlike the traditional Russian bath, which requires good health and a certain habit, the sauna is much easier for the body, and its therapeutic effect is also great. In addition, the sauna perfectly cleanses the skin, removes toxins, relieves fatigue, and enhances metabolism.

Effects of the sauna on the body

Sauna and bath have the most beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. Blood circulation increases, by increasing the pulse rate, up to 150 beats per minute, excess cholesterol burns. At the same time, the increase blood pressure does not occur, which means that the procedure is not only completely safe, but also useful for people suffering from hypertension.

Hypotonic patients should also not neglect the bath, it is worth avoiding, perhaps, too high temperatures. There is an expansion of small vessels (capillaries), which contributes to the saturation of tissues with blood and oxygen and improves physical condition.

The healing effect of baths and saunas extends not only to the human body (removal of toxins, improvement of blood circulation and strengthening of the immune system), but also to his state of mind.

The effect of baths and saunas on the muscular system is great, in particular, on redox processes. Especially, this is relevant for athletes - the bath is the best way recovery after hard training and competition.

The benefits of baths and saunas extends to the nervous system. The body completely relaxes, physical fatigue and tension disappear. All restless thoughts recede, the mind becomes clear. The bath saves from depression, causing an emotional upsurge.

"Which day you bathe, that day you do not grow old." Indeed, regular visits to the baths have a rejuvenating effect, slow down the aging process of the whole organism.

A hot bath is good for bones and joints - it keeps them strong and mobile for many years.

Preparing for a trip to the sauna

Before the sauna, long before you open the door of the steam room, you need to properly pack up, and everything is important here - a sheet and a towel, indispensable personal bath sandals and a hair cap. In addition, you should prepare the “elements” of beauty in advance, depending on what you will be doing: masks, scrubs, nourishing creams. Do not forget that a lot of water leaves the body in the sauna and its need must be replenished - pure water, green tea, decoctions of herbs, berries or fruits.

Eat something light (for example, vegetable soup or cottage cheese with fruit), as the body will have enough “work” in the sauna without it, and digesting heavy food is an additional burden.

Be sure to remove the lenses as they may melt.

If you are a girl - give up the new bikini. It is better to be naked in the sauna. So it is more convenient and hygienic - sweat will not remain on the body and irritate the skin.

Remove jewelry: they can become very hot.

Immediately, before entering the steam room, you need to take a shower, however, do not use detergents and do not wet your head, just rinse with warm water. After that, experts advise taking a towel and drying yourself thoroughly so that the heat approaches the body evenly. Don't cream yourself! Next, put on a hat, go into the steam room and sit down (lie down) first on the lower shelves - even if it’s not particularly hot there, the body needs to be given time to tune in, the effect of gradual heating is always higher.

Sauna time

Do not hurry. Under the pressure of time, you will not be able to relax much, so plan 3 hours for the sauna. Ideally, from 15:00 or in the evening, as the body needs rest after the sauna. Immediately, before visiting the sauna - no sports!

It is optimal to make 3 visits to the sauna. Thus, the change of high and low temperatures affects the body most effectively. Stay in the sauna for as long as you can.

Rest between visits to the steam room

You need to rest a lot - 15-20 minutes for the body to cool down, then the sauna is more effective. Drink the water or tea you bring with you.

In general, the first visit to the steam room, even if you feel good, should not exceed 5-10 minutes, after which, take a cool shower and go to the pool. By the way, a pool is an important element in a good sauna, it helps to wash off sweat, stretch muscles, throw out unnecessary acid from them, increase metabolism, so if you don’t have a favorite sauna yet, try to choose saunas in the direction of those where there is a pool.

How to steam

Sit on the middle shelves: there the temperature reaches 60-70 degrees. At the top - up to 100 degrees (then, because of this, capillaries in the thin skin of the face may burst).

Necessarily, the whole body must be in the same temperature zone, i.e. either on the bottom shelf, or on the middle or top. The optimal position is lying on your stomach or back. In this case, all muscles are most relaxed. Do not sit directly on a tree, only on a towel. Don't lean on an uncovered tree either.

Between visits, do not drink anything: this enhances the effect of removing toxins from the body. When you sweat, the blood becomes thicker and in order for it to recover, the body draws fluid (and waste products along with it) from the tissues.

The sauna is a place where silence must be observed. Don't talk in the sauna!

Benefits of sauna for women

Benefits of sauna for female beauty and health lies in the fact that under the influence of warm steam sweating increases, and with it, various toxins and toxins are removed from the body. After a visit, you can even lose some weight. On the one hand, this happens due to the fact that excess fluid is removed, and on the other hand, because under the influence of high temperatures, metabolic processes are activated.

Sauna or bath are great place for the use of various masks and other cosmetics. This is because when you take a sauna, the pores expand and clear, and the nutrients from creams and masks can better penetrate deep into the skin, providing a better cosmetic effect. You can also use various scrubs, but they need to be applied to steamed skin so as not to injure it.

Masks can only be done during breaks, starting from the second, and, in no case, go to the steam room with the applied mask.

It is useful to use various aromatic oils in the sauna. Correctly selected essential oils, not only have a positive effect on the body, but also improve mood, relax. For example, if you have diseases of the upper respiratory tract, you can use eucalyptus or fir oils in the sauna. And pine oil helps with skin problems. Lemon, juniper, jasmine improve mood.

Now the stores sell special cosmetics designed specifically for use in a sauna or bath.

Using a broom in a steam room

Using a broom in a steam room gives a positive result. Firstly, it is a kind of massage for the whole body, and secondly, the use of a broom helps fight cellulite. The result will be even better if, before entering the steam room, a special anti-cellulite cream or gel is applied to the body.

Nettle broom is indispensable for patients with arthritis, sciatica, rheumatism.

A birch broom is useful for smokers suffering from bronchitis and asthma - thanks to it, small bronchi expand, sputum leaves. Oak broom - designed for people with skin diseases. It tightens the skin, has an anti-inflammatory effect.

Good health to you!

A visit to the sauna and bath is very useful, after it a person feels renewed physically and mentally. How to go to the sauna correctly, what should be done before and after the sauna?

Going to the sauna will be the best idea if you need to get rid of physical stress and moral burdens. Many people like to sit in the burning dry air, warm up, but few people know how to go to the sauna correctly. During a stay in the steam room, the body produces more endorphins, so after leaving the person feels happy, elated and carefree. The main benefit is to detoxify the body, in one visit to the steam room you can lose more than a liter of excess fluid, toxins and toxins will come out with it, and the skin will get rid of dead skin cells.

Many fitness clubs have a sauna, a visit to the steam room after a workout will reduce muscle pain the next day by lowering the level of lactic acid and improving blood microcirculation in the vessels. Regular visits to the steam room after physical activity will help to normalize blood pressure and increase stamina. It is important not to confuse a bath and a sauna, a sauna is dry heat, and in a bath the humidity can reach 70%, while the sauna is much hotter, the temperature in it rises to 100-110 degrees, in the bath the temperature reaches 50-70 degrees. Saunas are presented in sports facilities, baths are much less common.

With the help of a sauna, you can lose weight, although the steam room itself is not a means for.

During a session in the sauna, the body does not lose fat, but fluid.

Because of this feature, it is important to observe safety precautions, a long stay in the steam room leads to burns, dehydration, loss of important microelements along with the liquid.

The frequency of visiting the sauna for each person individually, it depends on the characteristics of the organism. Almost everyone can afford a ten-minute session with a frequency of once a week; no one can go to the sauna every day, since staying in conditions of high temperature puts a big strain on the heart. Immediately after leaving the steam room, you need to spend 10-15 minutes at rest, it is best to lie down in a relaxed position so that the pressure returns to normal, and then be sure to eat.

If your fitness club has a sauna, then you do not need to strive to get into it every time you visit the establishment. In no case should you go to the steam room before training, this will put an exorbitant load on the cardiovascular system. Choose a separate day when you will not train too hard, for example, take a measured swim in the pool, and then go to the sauna, on this day you need to drink more fluids.

How to go to the sauna after a workout:

Do not overheat after too intense training, high temperatures will increase the load on the body;
After a workout with moderate activity, you can’t immediately go to the sauna either. First you need to rest a bit to normalize the pressure, then take a warm shower to prepare the body for exposure to high temperatures, only after that you can go to the steam room;
Before the sauna, you need to take a shower without shower gels and soaps, these products destroy the natural protection of the skin, making it defenseless against hot steam;
On the day of visiting the sauna, you need to drink more liquid - water or green tea;
Do not drink alcohol before and after visiting the sauna;
No need to make long visits to the sauna, a few short ones are better;
If you feel dizzy or other unpleasant sensations should immediately leave the steam room.