Myths about the benefits of a sauna: fact or fiction?

Myths about the benefits of banyas: Fact or Fiction?

The Russian banya is a place where you can relax, cleanse your body and soul, and improve your skin. Banya treatments help relieve fatigue and stress, and provide a great deal of pleasure. Many consider a visit to the banya one of the best leisure activities. However, this type of relaxation is most enjoyable for those who adhere to banya traditions and distinguish between myths and truth about the benefits of banyas.

In this article, we’ll examine the most popular claims about banyas, and determine which ones are fiction and which are not. This will help you enjoy your banya treatments not only pleasantly but also beneficially, without harming your health.

The higher the temperature in the steam room, the more beneficial the treatment.

One common myth about the benefits of the banya is the belief that the higher the temperature in the steam room, the greater the benefit. And if you have a cold or runny nose, visiting the banya is essential; it will help you recover faster.

In fact, too high a temperature can do more harm than good. Visiting a banya during a cold is not recommended. It can worsen headaches, inflammation, and nasal discharge. Treatment of nasopharyngeal infections should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor, and visiting the steam room should be done two weeks after recovery to avoid a relapse.

When the air temperature exceeds 100 degrees Celsius and humidity is minimal, the skin’s protective functions are activated. Heat does not penetrate the body, and bones, muscles, and joints do not warm up properly. There is also a risk of respiratory burns.

For a comfortable and safe experience, it is recommended to maintain a steam room temperature of 60-70 degrees Celsius with a humidity of 60-65%. This microclimate allows the body to warm up slowly and evenly, inhale the healing steam, and strengthen the body.

The longer you steam, the better – true or myth?

Steaming improves blood circulation, boosts immunity and tone, and promotes vascular dilation. However, the time spent in the steam room should be limited to avoid negative consequences.

The duration of relaxation in the sauna depends on age, physical fitness, and health. It is recommended to start with no more than 10 minutes in the sauna, gradually increasing the time. Experienced sauna users can visit the sauna 2-3 times, with each session lasting 15 to 25 minutes. Staying in the sauna for more than 25 minutes is not recommended, as it can cause heart problems and overheating.

Between sessions in the sauna, take breaks (15-20 minutes) to allow the body time to recover. During these breaks, you can drink tea, kvass, fruit drink, water, or relax on a lounger.

Before going to the bathhouse, you need to eat a hearty meal.

This common misconception can harm digestion. It’s true, after all, that a good banya is better than a hearty lunch. Avoid overeating before visiting the banya. The best option is to eat easily digestible and healthy foods 2-3 hours before the steam bath:

fish;

eggs;

fruit;

vegetables;

cereals;

fermented milk products.

Avoid carbonated drinks and legumes. Fatty, heavy foods can cause discomfort and overload the liver.

To avoid feeling hungry during the banya, eat some dried fruit, nuts, or herbal tea between steam baths.

Going to the banya once a week is sufficient.

It is believed that visiting the banya once a week has a therapeutic and cosmetic effect on the body. After bathing, the skin is indeed moisturized and smoothed, and energy levels are restored. However, the frequency of steam room visits is determined individually and depends on personal preferences and health.

The body must gradually acclimate to the heat. If you are just beginning to explore the traditional bathing tradition, one visit per week will be sufficient. Your time in the steam room should not exceed 5-7 minutes.

People with cardiovascular or pulmonary conditions should visit the steam room no more than once every 14 days.

Active bathers in good health can visit the bathhouse 3-4 times per week.

It’s better to quench your thirst with cold water.

A visit to the bathhouse is accompanied by profuse sweating, a feeling of thirst, and a desire to drink cold water. However, this is not recommended. In high ambient temperatures, drinking cold water negatively impacts the body:

chills may occur;

heart rhythm is disrupted;

the strain on the cardiovascular system increases.

It’s best to drink room-temperature beverages after a sauna session: fruit juice, water, herbal tea, or kvass. Drinking carbonated water is not recommended, as it contains carbon dioxide, and the sauna is already depleted of oxygen. When the body is oversaturated with carbon dioxide, blood circulation increases, the heart rate quickens, and tachycardia can occur.

Beer is beneficial in the sauna.

Many beer lovers readily believe this myth. In fact, a sauna and beer, as well as any other alcoholic beverages, are detrimental to the body. Drinking alcohol in the sauna puts strain on blood vessels, negatively impacts the cardiovascular system, and increases the risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. It’s also best to avoid energy drinks: your body will have enough of the hot steam boost.

If you can’t imagine a sauna session without alcoholic beverages, drink them after you finish your sauna session, and your heart will return to its normal rhythm.

Sauna treatments are dangerous for pregnant women.

Pregnancy puts a lot of stress on a woman’s body, so many people think that heat stress can harm the expectant mother and child. In fact, with the right approach and a healthy pregnancy, a sauna can be beneficial. The key is to feel well before visiting, stay in the steam room for no more than 10-15 minutes, and ensure the air temperature does not exceed 70 degrees Celsius (168 degrees Fahrenheit). It’s essential to wear a sauna cap and stay hydrated.

If the expectant mother has any symptoms, it’s best to avoid excessive heat exposure. If you have a predisposition to a chronic illness, sauna treatments can trigger its development. In this case, the decision to visit a sauna should be made in consultation with your doctor.

You can cool off in the pool after each session.

Contrast sauna procedures (cooling down in a hot tub or pool, rubbing yourself with snow, alternating with a visit to the steam room) are very popular among sauna enthusiasts. This simple method can relieve accumulated stress and strengthen the body, but for other purposes, cooling down may be unnecessary. For example, if you want to recuperate after an illness, it’s best to replace contrast sauna procedures with a warm shower between sauna sessions.

To reduce risks and negative effects on the body, perform cooling down carefully. Experts advise not to dive into a cold pool until after the third sauna session, when the body has warmed up well.

When cooling down after the steam room, keep your hair dry.

If you want to maintain healthy hair, you should take care of it in the steam room, not afterward. High temperatures and humidity can cause hair to become dull and brittle. Therefore, when entering the steam room, wear a sauna cap to protect your scalp from burns.

During cooling down, you can submerge your head. Overheating causes blood vessels in the body and head to dilate, while cold water constricts them. This prevents high blood pressure, drowsiness, and speech problems, and normalizes blood flow to the brain.

Sprinkle cold water and aromatic oils on the stones.

Many people sprinkle water with essential or natural oils on the stones, expecting a pleasant aroma in the steam room. However, it’s best to sprinkle the oils away from the heater. Natural oils, when splashed on hot stones, smoke and release carcinogenic substances. Dried herbs and citrus peels can be substituted for oils.

Only hot water should be poured onto the stones. Cold water makes the steam damp, which impairs visibility and makes breathing difficult.

Don’t add water to the stones immediately; wait until the body has adapted to the high temperature and warmed up. It is recommended to pour 200-300 grams of water onto the stones at a time.

Red spots on the skin after a steam room are a good sign

A dangerous myth about the benefits of banyas and steaming. After a steam room session, the skin should acquire a uniform pink hue. The appearance of red spots indicates severe overheating or impaired peripheral circulation. There’s nothing good about this. If your heart rate is 130 beats per minute or more after visiting a steam room, you should steam at a lower temperature.

You should beat your skin with a bath whisk.

Hitting the body with a whisk too forcefully is unsafe; it can damage softened skin and cause irritation. To ensure a pleasant and beneficial steaming experience, it’s important to use the whisk correctly.

First, while lying on a bench, the whisk is fanned, directing hot air toward the skin. Then, the whisk is shaken from the ceiling of the steam room and briefly pressed against the feet, shoulder blades, and lower back. Only then can you move on to lighter blows.

Gentle tapping is sufficient to improve circulation, remove dead skin cells, and help open pores. Patting should be alternated with stroking; you can also press the whisk firmly against the skin for 5-6 seconds.

For massage, steam therapists typically use birch, oak, linden, or aspen whisks.

One whisk is sufficient in a sauna.

Experienced steam therapists don’t use this method. They have several whisks made from different plants: oak, eucalyptus, birch, linden, fir, and others. A birch whisk is good for covering your head; an oak whisk massage improves skin condition and increases perspiration. A fir whisk is ideal for inhalations and anti-stress effects: the scent of fir is healing and relaxing.

Fresh whisks are ready to use immediately; simply wet them under running water. Dry whisks should first be soaked in cool water for 10-15 minutes, then in warm water for half an hour. Do not dip the whisk in boiling water! Otherwise, the beneficial substances will remain in the water, and the leaves will quickly fall off during the steam bath. The appropriate temperature for preparing the whisk is one that your hand can easily tolerate.

In the sauna, wash with soap.

Using soap in the sauna is not recommended, as it removes the protective oil layer and dries the skin. When combined with intense heat, this can worsen the skin’s condition and impair its protective properties. It’s best to wash with soap before visiting the sauna, and use exfoliating products and a birch-broom massage during sauna treatments.

At the Siberia sauna complex, scrubs based on natural ingredients are used for body cleansing: a fir scrub with cedar nut shells, a juniper and fir scrub, and a scrub with buckwheat, rice, and chamomile. Programs include phyto-salt rolling with mint, sweet clover, and meadowsweet, and a bast-birch wash with tar soap.

Conclusion

Banya traditions in Russia have evolved over centuries and have been tested by many generations. Taking a steam bath blindly, believing all the myths about the benefits of the banya and ignoring established rules is dangerous to your health. A rational approach to bathing will help reduce the risk of possible complications and maximize the benefits and pleasure of your bath.