di Effe Perfect Wellness
A Finnish sauna is a traditional heat ritual in a wooden cabin. The air inside is kept at a temperature of between 85 and 100 °C and humidity is very low to ensure perspiration evaporates and your skin does not become too hot.
Its therapeutic benefits were well-known to the Ancient Greeks, but it was primarily the Baltic people, particularly the Finns, who developed the sauna as the ultimate source of wellbeing that has spread all over the world.
Bathers sit on benches lining the walls and relax, as the heat gradually warms their body, causing it to sweat and release toxins.
WHAT IS A FINNISH SAUNA AND HOW DID IT GET ITS NAME?
The sauna is traditionally a practice that promotes wellbeing and personal hygiene which originated in the Baltics. The word “sauna” comes from ancient Finnish and, while its origin is not altogether clear, it is thought to be linked to the meaning of “winter dwelling”. Saunas were therefore originally somewhere to live in the winter and only later were they used as heat therapy.
In its primitive form, the Finnish sauna was a wooden room heated with hot stones in a fire pit. To produce more intense heat, water was thrown on the stones to generate steam: the high temperatures induce relaxation and sweating. The sauna tradition has a long history in Finnish culture and is an important part of their social life and personal wellbeing.
Today “Finnish sauna” is a generically used term to indicate any kind of sauna, even those that use modern electrical heaters to heat the stones, which have become popular throughout the world: in gyms, spas or even at home, if you have installed a domestic sauna.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FINNISH AND AN INFRARED SAUNA
Finnish saunas are different to the infrared saunas you find in many modern-day spas. In traditional Finnish saunas, heat is produced by hot stones which are heated by a heater and humidity is relatively low.
The main difference between a Finnish sauna and an infrared sauna is the heating method and the effects it has on your body.
Heating method:
Health benefits:
Both saunas offer health benefits - their approaches are just slightly different. Whether you choose a Finnish sauna or an infrared sauna depends on your personal preferences and the wellbeing benefits you wish to achieve.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FINNISH SAUNA AND A BIO-SAUNA
The main difference between a Finnish sauna and a bio-sauna is the temperature and humidity - but the experience is different too.
Temperature and humidity:
Experience:
Both the saunas offer physical and mental benefits, including relaxing the body, stimulating blood circulation and purifying the skin through sweating. When choosing between the two, you need to take into consideration your personal preferences, the temperature you can tolerate and your individual needs. Always consult a medical practitioner before using a sauna, especially if you have a pre-existing medical condition.
CHOW A FINNISH SAUNA WORKS
The sauna is a bath of very warm, dry air in an enclosed space made of natural wood, where a special appliance heats and dehumidifies the air. In a traditional Finnish sauna, the temperature is between 85 °C and 100 °C, with humidity reaching no higher than 30%.
THE BENEFITS OF A SAUNA
We all lead hectic lives and our pursuit of wellbeing has become an important part of our daily existence. The Finnish sauna offers numerous benefits, turning this age-old tradition into a much-loved and increasingly popular trend.
The beauty of the sauna is that it is able to generate intense heat that allows the body to rid itself of large amounts of toxins in an extremely short space of time. In fact, exposure to high temperatures (60-100 °C), the dry atmosphere and the natural wood used in the sauna have beneficial effects on both the mind and body.
Saunas can bring relief for migraines, which are often due to a lack of regulation in the pressure of blood vessels.
Taking a sauna can also help you lose weight, not so much due to sweating, because the liquids you lose are replenished within a short space of time, but thanks to your increased heart rate. The heat dilates the blood vessels, which has a positive effect on your heart, and causes a rapid increase in its beats, improving your entire cardiovascular system.
The most obvious and immediate benefit of a sauna is the feeling of relaxation which is due to endorphins which are released by the brain and convey a feeling of wellbeing, reducing insomnia and restlessness and heightening our reflexes and concentration.
Saunas help detox the body because when we sweat, we get rid of toxins and heavy metals, helping our kidneys work better. The heat produced in the sauna also dilates our pores, eliminating toxins and dead cells and leaving skin looking more supple and youthful.
HOW MUCH DOES A FINNISH HOME SAUNA COST?
The cost of installing a Finnish sauna in your home varies according to the size, materials and level of customisation. A small sauna with a standard design can cost as little as a couple of thousand Euros.
Today, however, the aesthetic benefits offered by a sauna have taken on even greater significance, because taking care of our body also has positive repercussions on our spiritual wellbeing. Saunas have gone from being relegated to a forgotten corner of our homes to being a fully fledged part of our living space and, as a result, their appearance and design have come on in leaps and bounds.
High quality woods with their luxurious, aromatic fragrances and vast expanses of glass mean higher price tags but they also turn our saunas into almost spiritual sanctuaries that allow us to find our true self and help restore our mental wellbeing.
HOW TO TAKE A SAUNA
The beauty of the sauna, where the air is dry and extremely warm, is that by intensively heating the body, it is able to rid it of large amounts of toxins in a very short space of time.
A Finnish sauna offers a host of benefits to people of all ages, with very few exceptions. To get the most out of a sauna, however, you should be familiar with a couple of rules.
Anyone using a sauna for the first time must remember that our body needs time to get used to certain stimuli, so a sauna should be approached with care and caution. We recommend you follow these stages without overdoing it, so your body can enjoy maximum benefit from the sauna.
USEFUL TIPS BEFORE ENTERING THE SAUNA
The different stages when taking a sauna are easy to remember. It is, however, important to remember a couple of key things to make your sauna experience as reinvigorating and positive as possible, not just for your body but for your mind too.
First of all, you must never take a sauna on an empty stomach or, conversely, if you are very full; it is a good idea to have a light meal beforehand consisting of, for instance, cereals, yoghurt or fruit.
It is equally important for your body to have a good supply of liquids to help sweating. Drink hot herbal tea or sugar-free, soft and, most important of all, non-alcoholic drinks.
Before entering the sauna, wash your body all over with soap and hot water then dry yourself off. Your feet must be warm. You are now ready to enter the cabin, which you can do either naked or wearing a towel made from natural fibres so as not to hamper sweating.
HOW TO TAKE A FINNISH SAUNA, STARTING WITH THE HEATING
Finnish sauna: stage one
This is how to take a sauna correctly. The first stage, known as warming up, usually lasts from 5 to 8 minutes.
After entering the sauna, you can either lie down or sit comfortably with your legs bent and your feet at bench height.
Your mood is just as important as your position, so we suggest you try to unwind and enjoy the feeling of relaxation induced by the heat.
It’s a good idea to keep the air in the sauna dry at the beginning and then, later on, you can pour water over the hot stones to increase the humidity and, consequently, sweating.
For the last two minutes, sit normally with your feet below you so your blood circulation can get used to the erect position once again.
After this stage, leave the sauna slowly to avoid your blood pressure dropping or you feeling dizzy.
Stage two: cooling down
The sauna does not end with the first heat bath but continues afterwards with cooling down. Once again, there are some rules to follow.
According to the classic Finnish tradition, stage two consists of a short bath in ice-cold water, which can be replaced by a cold or warm shower. Always wait at least two minutes after exiting the sauna before having a shower.
If an immersion bath is available, we recommend you lower your body into it a bit at a time, leaving your head until last.
When showering, aim the water jet first at your feet then gradually up to your trunk, making sure your head is not the first part of your body to be hit by the water, to avoid dangerous disturbances to your circulation. The best way to get maximum benefit is to start with your right foot, go up the leg to the knee then down again along the inside of the leg then up the outside to your torso. Repeat this on your left leg and then your arms, with gentle movements from the hand up to the shoulder. Only at the end, after your limbs have cooled down, is it advisable to proceed with your back and face.
This whole cooling phase helps increase tone and raise blood pressure, continuing the beneficial effects of the sauna even after you have exited the cabin.
Stage three
Stage three involves re-entering the sauna for a further ten minutes then another cold shower when you come out. In reality, when asked the best way of taking a sauna, experts often reply that you don’t necessarily have to repeat the cycles, but the general recommendation is at least three sessions to get maximum benefit.
However many cycles you choose, it is a good idea never to exceed 15 minutes per cycle, taking a break to cool down between each cabin session that lasts the same amount of time as that spent inside the sauna.
What to do at the end of each session
At the end of each session, we recommend you lie down for about ten minutes to relax and let your blood pressure return to its normal rate.
The cooling down stage must last at least as long as the warming up stage.
Replacing lost liquids must start immediately after you finish your sauna: drinking plenty of liquids helps replenish the body with the right amount of water lost during the session. Herbal teas, fruit and vegetable juices are all excellent beverages to replace fluids and mineral salts.
Can I have a sauna several times a week?
Many people wonder if there is a limit or a recommended frequency to the number of times you can have a sauna, to make sure the body gets its stimulating benefits. The answer is to find the right balance.
There are people who take a sauna every day to relax, generally opting for fewer hot-to-cold cycles. Then there are also those who think that 3-4 complete treatments a month is the right number for them to get the most out of this moment of wellbeing.
The most common recommendation, however, is at least 2 or 3 times a week.
Those who want to have more sessions should gradually get their body accustomed to the high temperatures by starting with shorter cycles and repeating them over a long stretch of time (3 times a month). This time can gradually be reduced until they reach their optimum frequency, i.e. 2 or 3 times a week.
But there isn’t a hard and fast rule. The important thing is to listen to your body and work out the best way to take a sauna that protects your health and still gives you the ‘me’ time you deserve.
THE CONTRAINDICATIONS OF USING A FINNISH SAUNA
A sauna offers many health benefits but there are also contraindications and precautions to bear in mind before having one.
It is important to consult a medical practitioner before using a sauna, especially if you have a pre-existing medical condition. People with a heart condition, for instance, should not use a sauna, as exposure to heat can place the heart under further stress. Individuals who have a low tolerance to heat or who are taking drugs which affect the thermoregulation of their body should also avoid the sauna.
You shouldn’t take a sauna if you have an infection or are running a temperature, as exposure to heat can increase metabolism and the symptoms may worsen.
As a general rule, it is important to listen to your body and follow the precautions and times given by the manufacturer, also depending on the type of sauna, whether it be a Finnish or infrared sauna or a bio-sauna. Before using a sauna, it is always a good idea to consult a healthcare professional if you have any doubts about your medical condition.
MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING OF YOUR FINNISH SAUNA
It is important to maintain and clean your Finnish sauna properly if you want a clean, safe and pleasant experience.
Here are some useful guidelines:
Always follow the advice given by the manufacturer of your sauna as regards cleaning and maintenance.
