By Peter High
Nowadays, the sauna is an integral part of every wellness offer. Not without reason, because the sauna is a fabulous place for health, time out, and relaxation. The first implementation ideas already existed in the Stone Age. The sauna as we know it today has its origins in the far north of Europe (Finland). However, since there are various sweating sessions, strictly speaking, we should be talking about saunas. The types of sauna have different effects on the human organism, and all possible implementations permeate the sauna.
General positive effects of sauna types on the body
Taking a sauna makes people feel more balanced, and they can sleep better. Visiting the sauna helps prevent colds. Because the whole body can relax ideally and tensions are released. The sauna also ensures adequate stimulation of the blood circulation, and the body can optimally eliminate heavy metals and other toxins in the body through sweat. Thanks to the sauna, the skin is eloquently cleansed. The respiratory tract is also cared for and freed by regularly visiting the sauna cabins.
The immune system is sustainably strengthened by the alternating baths or the heat-cold stimulus.
Body temperature is regulated via the skin, and sweat evaporates on the skin’s surface. In this way, excess heat is removed. The heat builds up in the body because drops of water vapor form on the skin during the infusions, which prevents the formation of sweat. Due to the accumulated heat in the body, the cardiovascular system is specifically challenged.
The origin of the classic sauna can be found in Finland. However, there have also been steam baths and other types of saunas for some time. Roughly speaking, they all have a relatively similar pronounced mode of action. However, each sauna has its characteristics. The following sections describe some of the well-known types of saunas and their primary action methods.
The bio sauna is especially suitable for beginners.
The bio sauna is a light version of the classic sauna from Finland. This type of sauna is particularly suitable for beginners and all those who do not tolerate extreme heat very well. People with high blood pressure also benefit from it. In the bio sauna, the temperature is generated by infrared light and is ideally between 45 and 60 degrees Celsius.
Seen in this way, the temperature in the bio sauna is lower and the Humidity higher than in the classic sauna. The bio sauna offers the best conditions for a thoroughly relaxed sauna session. Since the temperature is relatively low, a more extended stay is also possible. Visiting a bio sauna is much more pleasant for people with circulatory problems than visiting a Finnish sauna.
There are no infusions in the bio sauna because the temperature in the sauna cabin is low. Instead, an attempt is made to create a pleasant atmosphere. Three tools are often used for this purpose:
- relaxation music
- special lighting
- essential oils (aroma sauna)
The pleasant ambiance has a beneficial effect on the sauna user, so therapeutic effects can also be achieved with the help of the bio-sauna. This type of sauna can help with depression in particular. It also promotes skin cleansing and detoxification. In the organic sauna, the immune system and the circulation are equally well stimulated. The person taking a sauna should not stay longer than 45 minutes in the bio sauna.
In the bio sauna, the Humidity is around 30 to 55 percent. The combination of changing light (light therapy) and heat positively affect people’s well-being. According to color theory, the color red has a stimulating effect. Indeed, red light activates the heart. The colors green and blue have a calming effect, and the color yellow is said to relieve tension and put you in a good mood. In addition, yellow light is said to have an activating effect on glandular activity.
This means that the bio sauna can promote people’s mental and physical health. With essential oils and meditative relaxation music, sauna visitors experience a special feeling. Many newcomers leave the bio-sauna area extremely happy, completely relaxed, and satisfied.
Banya – the Russian blockhouse bath
There are three areas in a large, public banya. These offer the sauna visitor the perfect well-being. The three areas of this Russian sauna type consist of three rooms, which are divided into:
- Sweat room or steam room
- washroom
- recreation or relaxation room
In earlier times, the traditional bathhouse was often the only washing facility for people in the countryside. Therefore, the functionality of this type of sauna is also declared as a bath in the original sense. The relaxation room of this sauna is often used as an undressing room.
In the Russian banya, temperatures are at least 70 degrees Celsius. The infusions are often carried out in an extraordinary way, which determines the Humidity in the sweat room.
Briefly on the sequence
The sauna users usually stay in the sweat room for 15 minutes. Then comes the cool-down phase and finally a recovery time. The resting step in the relaxation room should never be neglected.
What happens in the different rooms of the banya?
The Russian sauna usually is built entirely of wood. A wood stove traditionally heats the sweating or steam area. The room temperature in the first room is between 80 and 100 degrees Celsius. The decisive difference to the classic Finnish sauna, where the temperatures are about the same, is clearly in the infusion. Because the inputs are carried out in the banya with quite a lot of water, in this way, the space fills very quickly with a vapor that is perceived as highly dense.
An exceptionally high level of Humidity is thus achieved within the sweating room. This allows the heat in the room to have an even more significant effect on the people taking the sauna.
In the traditional sauna from Siberia, another crucial tool is used. This is what makes the Banja experience perfect. A visit to a banya is not strictly recommended for beginners or unsure beginners. For experienced sauna-goers, on the other hand, this type of sauna offers a particularly sweaty adventure. The blood circulation in the body is stimulated by hitting each other, and it has a similar effect to a massage.
A so-called weniki (birch branch) can have a refreshing effect. With the help of a lifeguard who dips the Wiki into the hot water, a pleasant birch smell rises. A kind of aromatherapy takes place at the same time. The birch branches are already soaked in the water.
The users rinse themselves thoroughly after sweating in the washroom. The sweat on the body is removed with ice-cold water. The Banja visitors can relax in the relaxation room, recover from sweating and the ice-cold cooling, and enjoy the time. In this type of sauna, users can also talk to each other. The infusions are not only carried out with water, kvass, or beer are also often used.
Hamam – a sauna without infusions
The Hamam sauna consists of several rooms and has its origins in the homeland of the defunct Ottoman Empire (Turkey). The Humidity is high. But the temperatures, which differ within the different rooms, are comparatively low. As a rule, the temperature in the first room is around 50 degrees Celsius. The second room is considered a rest or relaxation room; this hammam area usually has a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius.
The sauna-goers can let themselves be pampered in the next room or indulge in a full-body wash, including peeling. With this type of sauna, there are massage options only in the third room. Here, in most cases, the temperature is a pleasant 30 degrees Celsius. People taking a sauna can only experience cold and warm infusions in the fourth room. When entering a hammam, sauna-goers receive a pestemal, a unique towel for the hips or torso. The so-called navel stone is located right in the middle of the sauna. Hamam visitors can lie down on these warm, circular lying areas.
The hammam is a steam bath. The rooms are clad with fine marble in the Arabic-Turkish manner. A visit to a hammam is primarily essential for promoting blood circulation for human health. In an oriental hammam, beauty care and skincare also play a significant role. Women also like to use the hammam to epilate their bodies or color their hair, and men for a traditional shave.
The tepidarium is a very gentle type of sauna.
With its ancient Roman roots, the tepidarium is a heated room decorated with stone tiles or marble ceramic tiles. The loungers are usually made of the same noble materials. The room is often enriched with essential oils.
For whom is the tepidarium particularly suitable and why?
The thoroughly pleasant room climate is very well suited for people who cannot tolerate the unusually high heat in the sauna area. A tepidarium is also ideal for athletes to calm their nerves and relax their muscles. If you want to relax in the Roman tepidarium, you should spend 20 minutes in the sauna. Older people also benefit from low Humidity.
The health benefits of the tepidarium
The immune system is strengthened, and the circulatory system is not put under too much strain by the tolerable heat. A well-run tepidarium enables carefree and easy sauna use. In the milder ambiance, the mood of those taking a sauna lifts and makes them lively at the same time. In addition, the tepidarium prevents colds and promotes blood circulation. Regular visits to a tepidarium can prevent rheumatism, vascular diseases, and coughs.
