The bath procedure is a whole science that has its own rules. The sauna relieves fatigue and stress, cleanses the skin, relaxes muscles and improves blood circulation. The bath has a beneficial effect on the respiratory system, the functioning of the cardiovascular system, and increases physical tone. Do you know how to take a steam bath so that the effect of the procedure on the body is most effective?
You should go to the bathhouse no earlier than an hour and a half after eating. Before starting bath procedures, you should not drink alcoholic beverages. If after heavy physical activity you need a little rest, then after mental work you can immediately go to the steam room. When entering the bathhouse, you must remove jewelry, glasses, and preferably contact lenses. There is no need to fuss in the bathhouse. Only a calm and leisurely atmosphere will help you relax and give your nervous system a rest. It is better to steam in the first half of the day. In the morning, at 9-10 o’clock, your body is full of strength, so it can easily bear the load that your heart receives. The steam room is a kind of training, in some cases replacing physical activity.
What to take with you to the bathhouse?
When going to the steam room, you need to take with you two terry towels, a robe, a broom, shampoo, and slippers. One towel is needed for drying, and the second for sitting in the steam room. This is especially important if you visit a public bath or sauna. Despite mandatory disinfection after each visit, it is not recommended to sit on the bench without putting a towel or sheet on it. In the bathhouse, it is advisable to wear a cap to protect your head from overheating. Today, manufacturers offer special caps for baths and saunas of any design and cut. Woolen bath mittens, which can be purchased as a set, will help cleanse the skin of the stratum corneum.
The broom for bath procedures deserves special attention. It is believed that a massage with a broom helps the skin gain a healthy color, relieve spasms and pain in the spine, and the resinous substances released by the broom disinfect the air in the steam room and help with bronchitis, colds and flu.
to contentsHow to take a steam bath correctly
Before starting the procedure, you need to wash, wipe your skin dry and enter the steam room. If you are cold, you must first immerse your feet in a container of warm water, gradually adding hotter water. Only after you have warmed up can you enter the steam room. You need to prepare your body for the heat, so don’t immediately climb to the top shelves.
It is better to start steaming at a temperature of 60 °C. It is quite easy to adapt to this temperature; after 3-4 minutes you can increase the temperature. Since the temperature in the bathhouse fluctuates depending on the level of the shelves, after increasing the degrees, you can go down to the lower bench. It is better to lie in the steam room so that the body receives an even amount of heat. After you have sweated well, you need to leave the steam room and rinse with water. To harden the body, you can turn on a cold shower for 5-10 seconds or plunge into the pool.
On your second visit to the steam room, take a broom with you. If it's fresh, just rinse it a little and it's ready. After rinsing, the dry broom should be placed in a bowl of warm water. After this, it will become soft, and a pleasant smell will appear in the steam room. If there is high humidity in the bathhouse, the broom can be placed on the highest shelf, where it will steam itself. When using a broom, you need to force air into the body with it, and not beat it, as many do. You need to work smoothly, like a fan. You need to start from the feet: go through the feet, legs, buttocks, back and arms, and then back. Only after the body has become accustomed to the broom can you lightly quilt. The foliage should be tightly adjacent to the skin; to do this, press it against the body.
To increase the heat in the bathhouse, you need to splash 200-300 grams of hot water on hot stones. In a heated and dry bath, the temperature should not increase, but only the amount of steam should be added. It must be remembered that with high humidity it is more difficult to breathe, because... the air becomes heavy. It is best to maintain an optimal ratio of humidity (20-40%) and temperature (60-80 °C).
to contentsFeatures of steaming in a Russian bath
It is better to take a steam bath in a Russian bath together. In the steam room you need to breathe through your nose, because when you breathe through your nose, dry air is moistened and hot air is cooled. You should take a steam bath in several sessions, gradually increasing the steam room time. Before entering for the first time, you need to take a shower, the temperature of which is 35-38 °C. At the end of the procedure, you need to use soap to wash away the fat from the skin. A traditional Russian bathhouse is, of course, a bathhouse with a broom.
to contentsWhich broom to choose for a bath?
Oak has long been famous for its anti-inflammatory properties. It perfectly cleanses pores, makes the skin elastic and matte. An oak broom is suitable for people with problem skin. In addition, oak relieves stress, calms the nervous system, and prevents an increase in blood pressure in the steam room, so it is advisable to use this broom for people prone to hypertension.
Nettle broom is best used after physical activity. It helps relieve muscle fatigue and joint pain. This effect of the broom is associated with the local irritating effect of nettle. A nettle broom is dipped in hot water for a few seconds, and only steamed after the body is warmed up. You need to hit it with light strokes, otherwise it will quickly become disheveled.
Eucalyptus broom is an excellent prevention of colds. Eucalyptus vapors treat sore throat, runny nose and cough. Eucalyptus leaves contain 1-3% essential oil, which provides its medicinal properties. In the bathhouse, it is recommended to press a steamed broom to your face and breathe through your nose for 5 minutes. The disadvantage of the eucalyptus broom is its shape. It has long leaves, and the branches are flexible and thin, making them difficult to work with. Considering the healing properties of the eucalyptus broom, it should certainly be present in the “arsenal” of a lover of bath procedures, but for frequent trips to the steam room, you can use a birch broom.
After a parka with a birch broom, the skin becomes nasty and clean. Birch accelerates wound healing, has a calming effect, and cleanses problematic skin. A birch broom helps improve lung ventilation and sputum discharge. This broom is indispensable for smokers and asthmatics; after the first procedure it will become easier to breathe. Birch leaves are rich in essential oils, vitamin C, and tannins. You can wash your hair with the infusion of a broom; it will give your hair strength and destroy dandruff.
to contentsMasks and essential oils for baths
Before entering the steam room, it is useful to apply special masks. They improve sweating, nourish and cleanse the skin.
Creamy honey mask prevents skin from drying out. To prepare it you will need 250 g of honey, 250 g of cream or sour cream, and a pinch of salt. The mask is applied in a circular motion to the stomach and thighs. Salt in this case acts as a scrub, cleansing the pores of dirt. After 15 minutes, the mask is washed off.
An oatmeal mask is applied to the face. To prepare it, you need to soak 1 part of the flakes and mix with 1 part of sour cream. Apply for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with water.
To whiten the skin, you can prepare a mask from cottage cheese (1 tablespoon) and dry seaweed (1 tablespoon). You need to apply it for 10-15 minutes, rinse with water.
Hair masks show good results. Many pharmacy shampoos contain brewer's yeast. You can prepare such a medicinal mixture yourself. To do this you will need 1 egg yolk, 1 tbsp. spoon of brewer's yeast, 1 teaspoon of burdock or sunflower oil. The mask is applied with massaging movements for 15 minutes, washed off with warm water.
It is useful to use essential oils in the bath. They will help improve your well-being, improve your mood, and rejuvenate your skin. For colds, the aromas of lavender, eucalyptus, pine, tea tree, peppermint, and lemon are useful. They should be used at the rate of 2-3 drops per 5 square meters. m. It is best to drop a few drops of essential oil into a ladle of water and splash it on the hot stones. This water can be poured onto the shelves, it will serve as an excellent disinfectant. You should stay in a room with a high concentration of essential oils for no more than 20 minutes.
Sandalwood and lavender oils will help calm the nervous system. Oils of rosemary, cedar, lemon, ginger, pine, juniper, lemon, nutmeg and orange have tonic properties. Essential oils of clove, cypress, lemon balm and thuja will help restore strength after physical activity.
To disinfect the air in a bath or sauna, it is recommended to use a mixture of chamomile, eucalyptus, green tea and oregano oils.
to contentsHow many times a week can you go to the sauna?
It all depends only on your well-being and the state of your body. For some, once every two weeks is enough, while others get used to visiting the steam room 2-3 times a week. Contraindications for frequent bath procedures are regular exacerbations of chronic diseases, severe autonomic disorders, hypertension, and frequent headaches.
In one hour spent in the steam room, a person loses weight from 0.5 to 1.5 kg. This is associated with profuse sweating, so you need to drink plenty of fluids both in the bath and after the bath. Together with sweat, you lose toxins, and by consuming fresh fruit and vegetable juices after a bath, you saturate the body with biologically active substances.
And its types, as well as determining that is right for you, I propose a small “washing” educational program about the most popular national steam rooms and how to behave correctly in them.
Because, unfortunately, we often only think that we know, instead of actually knowing.
The tolerance of a bathhouse by different people depends on their psychological mood, general health, and individual characteristics of getting used to the bathhouse.
Therefore, the duration of stay in the bathhouse and the order of procedures cannot be the same for everyone, but there are general provisions.
Russian bath
Let's start with the popular Russian bathhouse. In a wet (or Russian) bath, the temperature should not exceed 60 degrees with 70-90% humidity.To determine these indicators, each bathhouse must be equipped with a hygrometer.
Before entering the steam room, rinse off in the shower (women, wash off your makeup!). But under no circumstances wet your head, so as not to cause it to overheat in the steam room.
After a light wash, before going onto the bath shelf, you need to dry yourself with a towel, because moisture on the body prevents sweating. Yes, and don’t forget that the bathhouse is not a social event. It is better to leave all jewelry in the locker room.
First run
When entering the steam room, do not rush to climb onto the highest and hottest shelf, since your skin, respiratory and cardiovascular systems are not yet prepared for high temperatures. How to do it? There are many options and methods.
You obviously paid attention to how athletes prepare for the start: first, they thoroughly warm up their muscles with light jogging, then rub their joints.
This introductory part is called a warm-up, its goal is to prepare the various organs and systems of the body so that the upcoming work is done better and with less effort, and the risk of injury is minimized, or even to zero.
“Warming up” in the bathhouse has similar goals. Preliminary warming of the body at a relatively low air temperature, as a rule, causes the necessary dilation of blood vessels in the skin and “turns on” sweating. When this stage is completed, you can begin to steam directly.
Some steamers have the opinion that the first entry into the steam room should be regulated by a certain number of drops of sweat rolling down the nose.
But based on this, some people will have to sit waiting for such drops for 15-18 minutes, which can lead to overheating. Some begin to sweat (under equal conditions) in the third minute, others need 8-10 minutes for this.
In addition, based on long-term observations, it has been established that if people agreed in advance to go to the bathhouse, i.e. If you have psychologically prepared yourself, and a friendly company has gathered, then the sweating mechanisms begin to act faster.
Best for experienced vapers first lie on the middle shelf, to head and legs were at the same level. It is even better that the legs are slightly higher than the body and head (in modern steam rooms, special slats are installed on the shelves).
This arrangement facilitates the work of the heart. If the conditions of the bathhouse do not allow you to steam while lying down, then you should sit without hanging your legs from the bench, but keep them on the bench itself. The position of the body in the steam room is unphysiological if the legs are lowered down.
A Standing generally puts you at risk of heatstroke, because the air temperature at the level of the head is 10-20° higher than at the level of the body and, especially, the legs; In addition, your muscles and joints are in a tense position, which should not be allowed.
In order to warm up all parts of the body evenly, it is necessary after some time change position- first lie on your side, then on your back, on the other side and on your stomach, alternately exposing one or the other part of the body to the hot steam. And further: In the steam room you should always breathe through your nose.
When breathing through the nose, hot air, passing through the nasopharynx, is cooled, and too dry air is moistened.
After warming up for 5-7 minutes, do not get up suddenly - you you're taking risks momentarily lose balance and even consciousness.
A minute before leaving the steam room, sit down if you were lying down to prepare your circulatory system for a standing position. It is interesting, by the way, to note that when they steam while lying down and with brooms, such phenomena are not observed.
If you are not afraid of the cold, then after the steam room you can pour a basin of ice water on yourself or, after rinsing off in a warm shower, dive into a cold pool for a few seconds.
Hardening manipulations will improve metabolism, strengthen the body as a whole and stimulate the nervous system. Contrasting temperature changes stimulate metabolism, which means it promotes weight loss if there are problems with excess weight.
The main thing is not to get too cold. Blue lips and goose bumps tell you that you've gone a little overboard.
How to check your hardness?
There is a simple test by the German doctor Kästner. Apply a piece of ice 2-3 cm thick to the skin of your forearm for 10 seconds. Remove the ice and watch for changes in skin color.If redness appeared 1-2 seconds after removing the plate and disappeared almost immediately: congratulations, you are a seasoned person!
If the redness did not appear immediately, but after half a minute or later, and lasted significantly longer than 2 seconds, you are not yet hardened enough to dive into ice water or jump into snow.
But if you regularly train your blood vessels using a bath, then after a while your skin will react differently to this simple test.
A prerequisite is to go to the relaxation room after a 5-7 minute stay in the steam room and rest for 7-10 minutes. You can first take a dip in the pool.
If you want to continue to sweat a lot even after you go out - put your feet in a basin of warm water- sweat will flow in a stream.
A thick wave of aromatic steam seems to envelop the body with a hot compress, providing, in addition to warming, the effect of inhaling the respiratory tract with essential oils.
At the same time, the nasopharynx is cleared, the bronchi expand, which improves breathing and, consequently, increases oxygen consumption. At the moment of steam supply, it is better to lie down. In this case, the effect will be greater, and the load on the heart will be less.
People who want to lose weight especially need to take this into account, since Lying down loses much more fluid than sitting or standing.
Before each subsequent visit to the steam room (and depending on the state of the body and the goal, there can be from 3 to 6), you need to rest for 15-20 minutes. After each subsequent visit, the rest time should increase.
No wonder the sages said: “A person should rest before he gets tired, and not just after he gets tired.”
Steam with a broom!
If you decide to take a steam bath with a broom, then it is best to do this during the second or third session. Prepared people steam up to 3 times. Between visits to the steam room, contrasting procedures are taken.
The entire bath procedure should not take more than 3-3.5 hours, and in total you can stay in the steam room for no more than 40-50 minutes, regardless of the number of visits.
It must be firmly remembered that the duration of the bath procedure and especially the stay in the steam room is determined not by the clock, as is often done, but by one’s state of health: each person should feel when he should stop steaming.
Even in the bathhouse, you are very thirsty - under the influence of heat and humidity, some mineral substances, in particular calcium, potassium, and sodium salts, are “washed out” of the body through sweat.
Many, of course, solve this problem with the help of beer. But I personally don’t think this option is optimal. It is much better to quench your thirst with natural juices - this will compensate for the loss of these substances.
But if you approach the matter with all responsibility, then there is no better drink for a bath than fresh hot herbal tea. It’s a simple matter - brew it at home and bring it in a thermos, and the pleasures are endless. Yes and benefits
And since ancient times, folk medicine has used a “miraculous” drink - a mixture of carrot, radish and beet juices with the addition of a small amount of honey.
And, of course, the final touch of the procedure - exfoliation and nourishment of the skin, as well as hair masks. Usually the skin is “peeled” during the last visit to the steam room or after it. Then various masks are applied.
Finnish sauna
Besides the Russian bathhouse widespread among us (we also consider it “ours” in the old fashioned way). The heat of the sauna is more easily tolerated due to the low air humidity (10-20%).At the same time, a person sweats heavily and actively, but the sweat instantly evaporates from the surface of the body, cooling it. “It is impossible to mix these two crafts” - Russian and Finnish baths. In a Finnish sauna, they do not “give in” - that is, they do not splash water on the heater, this can lead to burns to the skin overheated by the steam.
They sit in the sauna, sweat, warm themselves. In this case, a felt cap or a thick woolen cap should be put on the head to protect the brain from overheating. And your hair must be dry: Before entering a steam room, you should never wet your head.
First run- warm-up, for 3-4 minutes, then for a couple of minutes in a pool with cool water (up to 18 ° C), a short rest - and a second entry for 8-10 minutes (as long as you can stand it). The body becomes red-hot, and already cold water (10-12 °C) is perceived as heavenly coolness.
Then rest And repeat visits- how much and for how long - according to your desire and well-being.
Despite the fact that from time immemorial the bathhouse has enjoyed a popular reputation as the best medicine, it, like any drug, requires compliance with certain mandatory rules.
- It is advisable to go to the bathhouse in a good mood, not hungry (but not on a full stomach) and God forbid drunk!
An important general requirement is the principle of gradualism. Steaming should be preceded by a kind of warm-up, preparing the body and especially the blood vessels for entering the steam room.
The time spent in the steam room should not be too long (3-5 visits, 8-10 minutes each). Overheating is unacceptable.
You should not get your hair wet - dry hair better protects your head from overheating.
You should only drink regular or herbal tea, juices, mineral water, and kombucha infusion in the bathhouse.
Touching did not deceive - the forest along the river was strong, pine, smelling of dry moss and slender, centuries-old trunks quacking in the wind. It was about a kilometer from the border of the field to the water, so there was no need to be particularly afraid of the fence: a village of seven households is not capable of destroying such thickets either for firewood or for outbuildings, even if it tries very hard. Lumpun turned out to be quite a decent river: about five meters wide, with clear water and a sandy bottom, over which small fish were hanging around. Andrei immediately wanted to go fishing - but he had no idea whether in the sixteenth century there were such simple things as a fishing line or a fish hook? Although, you can always order a hook from a blacksmith, and use thin twine instead of fishing line. You can definitely get a sinker - if there are squeakers, there must be lead.
Diligently turning away from the flywheels and buttering up - what is he going to do with them? “Matyakh walked a couple of kilometers along the shore, then turned back to the village and stopped at the edge of a yellow field of rye.
- My estate! – he said solemnly and listened to what was happening in his soul.
Nothing. I felt like a twenty-year-old conscript sergeant, and I stayed that way. I wanted to go home. Hug mom, get her drunk and cuddle Verka from the apartment opposite, drive Formula 1 on the computer, go to a nightclub. To hit some sucker in the head who imagines himself to be a cool Rambo. There was always a feeling in my soul that there was only six months left before the order. The service is about to end - and knock-knock, Christmas trees flash outside the windows of the fast train.
Andrey shook his head, moved along the field to the nearest boundary line and turned towards Rez. He walked for about five hours anyway. The end of summer is just around the corner. It will be dark soon.
True, the sergeant still calculated the time poorly, and when he reached the house, it really began to get dark.
- Father! – Lukerya saw him from the porch. - We are already worried. Varka heated the bathhouse as ordered and burned the candles. What should I call you by your patronymic, boyar?
At the first moment, Andrei was surprised that a woman almost one and a half times older than him was going to address her by her first name and patronymic; he was about to brush it off, but he caught himself in time. After all, he is not just a neighbor here, but a boyar. Master. And Lukerya, by the way, is his slave, no matter how strange it sounds. Boyar Umilny gave it.
It was based on the boyar’s name that he chose his patronymic:
- Andrei Ilyich! “If something happens, you can always say that you didn’t remember your father, but named yourself after your savior.”
“That’s how you’d go and take a steam bath, Andrei Ilyich.” There is no right for you, and the water is cooling.
- Yes, behind the house, father. Between the apple trees, so that, God forbid, a fire would not spread to the house...
It turned out that the bathhouse was not visible from the road because of the house, which obscured it along with the entire garden with its bulk. The door, illuminated from the inside, stood out as a bright rectangle, and the sergeant was once again surprised at how bright the candles seemed in the dark. In the dressing room, he took off his belt set, undressed, grabbed a candle and padded barefoot into the steam room. It wasn't exactly hot here, but the oblong stove with a boiler stuck in the middle provided enough heat to relax and sweat to your heart's content. But as soon as he stretched out on the shelf, the front door slammed loudly. Matyakh rose up on his elbows, cursing himself for not taking a weapon and looking around the room. Two wooden ladles, three tubs, a tub, a trough. You can somehow try to brush off the bucket if the enemy is alone and without a spear or sword...
But two naked figures quickly leaked inside, both of which were already quite familiar to Andrey.
- Uh... What are you doing? – he asked hoarsely, covering his shame with his hands. Meanwhile, the “shame,” which had not seen a woman’s body for who knows how many months, was desperately trying to get out, stretch out, straining with all its might, trying to peek out at least the edge of the flesh.
“It’s us,” Varya said cheerfully, as if this explained something, and splashed something on the stove near the chimney. A menacing hissing was heard, the room was filled with clouds of sour beer-smelling steam, and now the bathhouse became really hot.
“Now let’s steam it...” Lukerya rustled the broom, moved closer, decisively laid the sergeant, who did not know what to do, on the shelf, and walked the hot leaves over the skin itself. - Varya, look, the boundary is rooted to the spot. We're being careful here...
Andrei felt the branches of the broom tickling his scrotum, touching his manhood, which was already ready to explode from long abstinence and such inhuman abuse.
“Andrei Ilyich,” Varya came close, slid the pink nipples of her large, but well-shaped girlish breasts over the shoulder, and pulled him off the shelf. - You and I are a broom guys...
She turned her back to Matyahu, leaned over, almost pushing him away with her still cool pink ass, and the sergeant could not stand it any longer. Surrendering to his eternal instincts, with one strong blow he rushed towards the calling flesh, and if he had missed, he probably would have pierced the peasant woman through and through. Varya howled and scratched the damp wall with her nails - but it was too late to beg for mercy. Andrei could not stop now even under the fear of death, he beat forward over and over again, feeling how everything in his lower abdomen seemed to turn to stone, harden, become insensitive - until it suddenly exploded with hot bliss, taking away all his strength to the last drop.
Matakh retreated, sat down on the shelf, no longer having the opportunity to be embarrassed, or to enjoy, or to rejoice - and Lukerya immediately took possession of him:
- We’ll add a couple in a minute... That’s good... And with a broom, a broom...
The languor was replaced by warmth, the warmth by pleasure. Meanwhile, they lightly quilted it a couple of times with birch branches, doused it, turned it over, carved it again and doused it. This time he was able to roll over on his own.
“You can’t see the boundary at all...” the plump woman sang quietly and quickly whispered something in the girl’s ear. She giggled, moved closer, poured hot water on Andrey’s head, leaned on his chest, at the same time pressing his right hand to the boards:
- Hey, boyar, there’s no beard yet. But we will wash our hair, we will brush our hair, we will comb our hair...
Under her jokes, Matyakh felt someone again showing a lively and quite tangible interest in his manhood. And the latter quickly reciprocates. But he couldn’t rudely push away the girl doing her hair. Moreover, I haven’t experienced any unpleasant feelings yet. Quite the contrary. Although, of course, he showed no interest in Lukerye. But he didn’t shy away either. Andrey quickly ceased to understand: was he being caressed or raped?
However, one of the main organs of the body, as often happens, had its own opinion on this matter, and soon a wave of pleasure again swept from bottom to top, sweeping away stupid thoughts. Varya splashed more beer on the stove, and she and the hostess began to take turns brushing each other with brooms and dousing themselves. And when, after some time, they remembered the landowner again, Matyakh almost completely came to his senses.
“Look how it’s growing...” Lukerya nodded to the girl, stroking the young man’s manhood with impudent spontaneity.
“Why should he wither…” without waiting for anything else to be done to him, Andrei jumped off the shelf, hugged Varvara, sat her down in his place, slowly stroked one breast, the other, and slid his palm down between her legs. The cook squeaked pitifully, but did not dare to resist. The sergeant spread her knees, just as slowly entered and began to make his way with short strong blows to an unknown but desired goal, while stroking her hair, touching her nipples, shoulders, and lips with his fingertips. Now it was the girl’s turn to moan from powerlessness and pleasure, and the feeling of endless power over her allowed her to explode again with immense sweetness and drown in blissful bliss.
Having come to his senses a little for the third time, Matyakh hastily rinsed off and left the steam room away. He realized that he would not be able to withstand such “washing” for long. Health is not enough. Having difficulty distinguishing the road in the darkness, he reached the porch, stood up, dived into the entryway, turned left by touch, found a trestle bed and stretched out on it to his full height.
The candle in the door appeared when he was almost dozing off.
– Should I bring some pike heads, Andrei Ilyich? – he recognized Varya’s voice.
“Bring it,” Matyakh stood up and shook his head, driving away sleep. “And they told me to lay out the trestle bed.”
“I’ll do it, Andrei Ilyich,” the girl nodded obediently, and a cheerful, perky thought suddenly appeared in the sergeant’s head:
“It’s good to be a landowner...”
The Russian bath is considered the most humid, as it warms up to high temperatures (60 C and above) with 100 percent humidity. Because of this, the pulse reaches up to 200 beats per minute, the pressure rises, and you should not stay in the steam room for more than 5-7 minutes.
When building a Russian bathhouse, the inside is lined with “bathhouse” wood species, such as birch, pine, linden, oak, which, when the bathhouse is lit, begin to release medicinal oils and resins.
In Rus', everyone, young and old, went to the baths, but in enlightened Europe they preferred to clog the body’s aromas with perfume rather than wash.
During the stay of Peter I in Paris in 1717, by order of Tsar Peter, a bathhouse for Russian soldiers was erected right on the banks of the Seine. They steamed in it and then rushed to swim in the river. When the French asked whether the soldiers would catch a cold, the Tsar replied that the French air softens them, and the Russian bath makes them stronger.
Black sauna, one of the varieties of Russian sauna. It differs in that the stove does not have a chimney and the smoke goes inside the bathhouse, depositing on the walls, warming and disinfecting them. It turns out that in the old days, children were born in these very bathhouses, because they considered the black bathhouse the most sterile place!
A bath broom is a native Russian invention. Only in a Russian bathhouse do steamers whip each other with a broom to drive out toxins.
The first public baths for citizens began to be built by order of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in the 18th century. They belonged to private individuals.
Experienced bathhouse attendants do not drink beer and other alcoholic beverages: alcohol and heavy wort increase dehydration and block the removal of toxins.
Foreigners have always been surprised how Russians, after a bath, especially in winter, run out and plunge into the ice hole. It turns out that such a swim burns up to 1000 calories.
Just a century ago, calling a woman a “bath attendant” was considered a terrible insult, because previously the words “bath attendant” and “prostitute” were synonymous.
In Russia, since 1743, a Senate decree prohibited men from washing together with women in “trade” baths. That is why Russia avoided the syphilis epidemic that swept across Europe.
Before the wedding, it was a tradition in villages for the bride and mother of the groom to take a steam bath together. She looked to see how healthy and virgin her future daughter-in-law was.
After a good steam room, a person who correctly performs all bath procedures loses up to 2 kg in weight per visit.
We can talk a lot and for a long time about the benefits of the Russian Bath, but everyone already knows this..
In addition to hygiene, the bath helps prevent many diseases and helps remove waste and toxins.
In Rus' they called it “drives out the disease”
The expression “Enjoy your steam” is a greeting and wish of good health to someone who has just steamed or washed.
There are two versions of the origin of this turnover:
1. In Russian baths, the hottest place was almost under the ceiling, where there was a shelf-platform on which they steamed. Steam rose from hot stones doused with water. Those going to the bathhouse were wished for a light steam, that is, the kind of steam that quickly rises upward from the hot stones.
2. In bathhouses, steam could mix with carbon monoxide, which often killed people. This steam, in contrast to light, good steam, was called heavy. Therefore, they wanted an easy steam.
Let's go to the bathhouse, a few important rules
It's no secret that the bathhouse has a healing effect.
But how to take a steam bath in a Russian sauna so as to achieve the desired result? After all, sometimes, a person coming to the bathhouse and not knowing the basics of steaming can harm his body with an insane one-time load and forever say “no” to such a miraculous remedy as a birch or oak broom.
To prevent this from happening, let's first consider a few simple rules:
☀ Before the bath, you should not overload your body with food. To suppress your appetite, eat something light.
☀ For hygienic purposes, before starting bath procedures, take a shower, but do not wet your head, otherwise you risk causing it to overheat.
☀ If possible, remove all accessories
When entering the steam room, do not forget to put a hat or cap on your head, which will also prevent the possibility of overheating.
☀ The best time for bath procedures is individual and depends on your biological clock. However, it is believed that in the morning the body is most prepared for this type of procedure. Do not forget that a bathhouse, with the right approach, can stand next to such physical activities as running and walking.
Brooms
If you decide to follow the entire procedure and achieve maximum effect, don’t forget about the broom. Choosing a broom is a whole science; of course, it is better if you prepare it yourself in June-July. But if you haven’t had such an opportunity, you can buy it, choosing by color and size - all the quality, as they say, is “in your face.”
At the moment, there are many varieties of bathhouse brooms: linden, birch, oak, eucalyptus, coniferous... And they all differ in their effect. For example:
Birch broom has a good effect on the skin, narrowing pores and having a healing effect. Eucalyptus broom vapors help cope with colds and upper respiratory tract diseases. ETC. AND SO ON.
☀ Having chosen a broom that suits your opinion, do not forget to “steam” it before starting the bath procedures.
To do this, pour a sufficient amount of hot water into a basin, where a broom is placed for soaking. As soon as your broom has softened, it is ready for use.
☀ You need to set aside enough time for the bath so that while in the steam room you don’t rush and enjoy several visits.
☀ Enter the steam room 2-3 times with short breaks, after which you definitely need a long rest.
☀ If you’re not feeling well, it’s better to reschedule the bathhouse for next time.
☀ The main thing in the bathhouse is a gradual load, so you should not immediately throw half a basin of water onto the hot stones.
☀ If someone enjoys the contrast of temperatures, they can take a dip in the pool or rub themselves in the snow.
☀ Natural drying is encouraged, that is, sitting in the dressing room without using a towel, you should dry on your own.
☀ After leaving the steam room, at least 20 minutes must pass before you go out into the fresh air. During this time, you can slowly wash yourself, take a shower, and collect your things.
☀ The optimal duration of entering the steam room at a temperature of 90 degrees and a humidity of 10 percent is 10 minutes, followed by a 10-minute rest.
☀ They take the broom with them on their second visit to the steam room.
☀ Water is poured onto the stones with a special scoop of 0.2 liters. It is important not to overdo it, as if the air humidity increases, it becomes difficult to breathe.
☀ Many people feel thirsty after a steam room. Therefore, you can drink kvass and mineral water. Green tea is very useful in such cases. But those who want to lose weight should not drink liquids for 2 hours after the bath.
How to steam properly
Stroking, whipping, whipping with a broom is akin to a real massage, which stimulates blood circulation, increases sweating and energizes. Movements should be soft, flexible, and the broom should lightly touch the body, only increasing the heat. It is important that it is always moist and fluffy.
The intensity of steaming is determined by the temperature in the steam room. If she is tall, they whip her with a broom gently; if she is not very tall, she whips her with a sweeping motion. They usually start with stroking movements from the feet to the hips and stomach, chest and neck. Then vigorously fasten the legs, stomach, chest and arms. They finish by rubbing: hold the handle of the broom with one hand, and press the leaves to the body with the other. Inhale its aroma often, it will become a true massage for the lungs.
Sweat removes as much unnecessary and harmful things as possible from the body. By the way, this is why experienced bathhouse attendants do not wipe it, but clean it with special scrapers so that the sweat is not absorbed back.
And that is why you need to drink a lot in the bath: all the liquid that comes in will come out, taking with it toxins, impurities and other dirt. In addition, heat relieves tension, relaxes muscles, and calms.
What and how to serve in the steam room
Herbal infusions not only give a pleasant smell, but also have a beneficial effect on the body. The heated essential molecules of plants increase their activity many times over, thanks to which we leave the steam room literally imbued with benefits.
For example, eucalyptus steam contains 40 beneficial components. Peppermint improves mood and calms nerves. Linden greatly enhances sweating and treats colds. There are lovers of beer, kvass and even tobacco vapor. Cigarette smoke is harmful to health, but brewed tobacco heals problem skin.
First, hot water is splashed on the stones to cool them slightly. Then - the diluted infusion, and then - water again. You can also sprinkle the infusion on the walls and floor. But you should not water those present - when mixed with sweat, it will give off an unpleasant odor.
On a note
Overheating often occurs due to low sweating.
The fact is that sweat cools our skin, entering the so-called thermoregulation chain.
If it does not appear, body temperature and blood pressure rise sharply. And the body signals this with dizziness.
To activate sweating, massage your body with a soft mitten or towel. Honey also helps.
The fruit acids it contains exfoliate the skin, free pores from impurities and facilitate sweating.
In principle, any exfoliating procedures help (the easiest way is to exfoliate in the shower right before going in), as well as diaphoretic teas.
It is better not to drink black tea and coffee in the bathhouse: they excite the nervous system, which is absolutely useless for a relaxed body.
Beer is also despised by experienced bathhouse attendants: the alcohol and heavy wort of this drink increase dehydration of the body and block the removal of toxins. It is better to drink mineral water or herbal tea in the bath.
Well, who doesn't love a bath? Only those who have never been there, because having been to the bathhouse at least once, a person can no longer resist it and goes there again. And for good reason. After all, the bathhouse is very useful both for health and well-being, and for beauty.
No wonder the bathhouse was very popular in Rus'. Now this bathhouse is called Russian because it has a number of differences from other similar bathhouses. First of all, it is distinguished by the wood of the walls, as well as the method of combustion in it. In addition to the Russian bath, there are also Finnish, Japanese, and Turkish baths. All of them, having the same meaning, differ from each other. And the meaning of the bathhouse is this: it is infinitely useful.
You need to go to the bathhouse as often as possible, of course, not every day, but once or twice a week will be just enough. The bathhouse will allow you to relax and unwind your body and soul from everyday hassles and difficulties. In addition, the moral pleasure that you will receive from an hour and a half stay in the bathhouse cannot be overshadowed by anything for a very long period of time.
In addition to the fact that the bathhouse has a positive effect on a person’s mental state, it has a very positive effect on his health. When the body is heated by steam, a large amount of sweat is released, while the pores are cleaned, toxins are released, the skin becomes firmer and more elastic, and acquires an even, beautiful color.
The sauna is useful for colds, because the steam warms the whole body, removes all bacteria along with sweat, so a person recovers faster. And one more thing, the sauna is a great way to lose weight. Together with sweat, toxins and fat are also eliminated, and metabolism accelerates. As a result, without making much effort, but by regularly visiting the bathhouse, you can lose quite a lot of weight.
An integral and traditional part of the bathhouse is a broom. At a minimum, it creates wonderful smells of grass and greenery that you can’t always smell even in summer. And as a maximum, a broom is an excellent massage that enhances the effect of the bath several times at once. You need to choose a broom based on personal preference. It can be oak, birch, linden, coniferous, eucalyptus, etc.
They differ in their effects on the human body. Thus, a birch broom helps rid the skin of various irritations and pimples on the back and chest, promotes rapid healing of wounds, soothes and relaxes. The smell of birch lifts your spirits and gives you strength, relieves stress. In addition, a birch broom should be used for colds - it helps remove mucus faster and allows you to breathe freely.
An oak broom has a very positive effect on the skin, it cleanses it well, helps remove toxins, and also has a scrub effect, removing dead cells from the skin.
It is known that linden decoction is used in the treatment of kidneys. Therefore, if you have such problems, it will also not hurt you to use a linden broom in the bathhouse. It has a diuretic effect, which has a positive effect on the body, and it will help those who are trying to lose weight. In addition, linden broom works well in the treatment of colds. To quickly get in shape, relieve tension and get rid of a bad mood, you should use a nettle broom in the bathhouse. It has a distinct smell that will tone the entire body. A nettle broom is used to relieve pain from radiculitis; a bath with such a broom is also used in the treatment of osteochondrosis and osteoporosis.
After steaming in the bathhouse, you can wash yourself, remove all the dirt and dust from yourself, and also wash off the sweat and substances removed along with it.
And one more thing you need to remember before entering the bathhouse is that you must take off your jewelry and jewelry, as they heat up under the influence of steam and can burn your skin.
The bathhouse has always been considered one of the best ways of treatment, recovery and relaxation, so let’s not neglect the heritage of centuries.
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