Agree, it is difficult to imagine a person who has never been to a bathhouse. Or at least in the sauna! Considering the fact that today anyone can afford these useful and pleasant procedures. Here you will find traditional Russian baths, Finnish saunas, infrared cabins, and Japanese barrels... They all have different effects on our body, but the result of this effect is the same - you get an incredible charge of energy and throw off all the accumulated fatigue. It’s not for nothing that they used to say, “I washed myself in the bathhouse and felt like I was born again.” You probably can't argue with this. But with how, when, who and in what way these same bath procedures should be taken - please! It is important not just to buy a broom, but also to learn how to steam it correctly. Otherwise, your first day of bathing may be your last in the sense that you will never agree to such torture again. All because they did not recognize, did not read, did not listen to the good advice of those people for whom bathing became the work of their whole lives. It’s even better when you don’t have to search for these tips on the endless expanses of the Internet, but they will all be collected in one place, on one website. Beauty! Here they will tell you about scoops, and pick out a hat, and teach you how to steam with a broom, and even give advice on building a bathhouse... Well, as they say, closer to the body! Meet the bath master – the portal “All about the sauna”
We have all been to a bathhouse at least once in our lives. No? So, they were definitely in the sauna. These procedures are pleasant and useful and, fortunately, are now available to anyone. There are different types of baths and saunas: Finnish saunas and Russian baths, newfangled infrared cabins and even, not yet familiar to everyone, Japanese barrels. The impact is different for all of them, but the result is the same - everything is tired, accumulated over a day or even a week, disappears somewhere, and your body receives a huge charge of positive and positive energy.
Remember the saying? “I washed myself in the bathhouse - it was like being born again.” It's hard to argue with her. We're not going to. Another question is that the bath procedure is not just like that. You need to be able to take bath procedures, and also know where, when and to whom this can and should be done.
Buying a broom is very simple. But using it correctly is more difficult. For some people, the first day of bathing becomes torture and a nightmare. These people will never agree to visit the bathhouse again.
You ask: “Why? You just told me how useful and pleasant the bathhouse is.”
They said it correctly. It’s just that these same people didn’t know, didn’t read, or didn’t listen to the advice of experienced people. Advice from those for whom bathing is the meaning of life and the work of life.
But not everyone has such friends. Imagine that all these tips and all the vast experience accumulated by humanity in matters of bathing will be collected on one site?
Yes, this is just a find! You will be taught how to choose bath caps, how to use a broom, how to choose this very broom. Do you want to build your own sauna? We will give advice on this issue as well. It's time to meet. Portal – “All about the sauna.” Your exclusive bath master.
Story The bath business goes back thousands of years. We are quite young compared to this period. We started working in May. Already now we are a real treasury of knowledge. In addition, we are developing very quickly.
How else could it be if we are all people who are not indifferent or even in love with baths and saunas. This is the first thing that distinguishes us from other sites. What else? And the fact is that we don’t sell or buy anything. Experts and professionals work so that the reader can plunge into the world of health. How do they work? Collect news and share theirs own experience, identify and tell you about the best bath accessories, write unique articles. All this is constantly being added to the site.
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.
During construction, the inside of a Russian bathhouse 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 the groom’s mother 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 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, unlike light, good couple, 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 bath so as to achieve 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.
☀ 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 activity like 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 whole science Of course, it’s 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. Etc.
☀ 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 a bathhouse is a gradual load, so you shouldn’t 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 to 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. Very useful in such cases is green tea. 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 broom handle with one hand, and press the foliage 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 harmful to health, but brewed tobacco treats 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.
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 bath: they excite nervous system, which is absolutely useless for a relaxed body.
Despised experienced bathhouse attendants and beer: the alcohol and heavy wort of this drink increase dehydration and block the removal of toxins. It's better to drink in the bathhouse mineral water or herbal tea.
It is difficult to imagine a person who has never been to a bathhouse or sauna. It is even more difficult to imagine (and such a thing does not exist) a person who has never washed. The bathhouse is a special building. The bathhouse is a religious building. Bathhouse medical building. There are many definitions of a bathhouse. And almost all of them will be correct. It is very pleasant to write about the bathhouse - the greatest storehouse of health and positive emotions. It is no less pleasant to read about her. Articles about baths cover the widest range of topics to which baths relate in one way or another. And not everything is limited to the topic of building a bathhouse, or buying a stove for a bathhouse. There are topics of bath culture and traditions, recipes of our ancestors and bath magic of other peoples and eras, which can be read about in the sections national baths and history of baths. And rest assured - after reading several of our articles, you will definitely want to visit a bathhouse, or build a bathhouse with your own hands in your dacha, if you have one.
Women's kilt for a bath
The bathhouse kit has become an integral attribute of almost any modern bathhouse and sauna. These simple and at the same time practical bath clothes today, like other clothes, are created in various design and color solutions. How does a women's kilt for a bath differ from a man's?
It is no secret that bath brooms are knitted from plants of various species. In addition to birch and oak brooms, in the bathhouse you can find brooms made from eucalyptus, linden and even from coniferous trees. Each bath broom has its own properties and set beneficial effects, beneficial for the body.
How to visit the bathhouse with children. When is it better for children to take a steam bath - with or after adults? Centuries-old traditions of visiting the bathhouse with children. How to steam children in a bathhouse. Recommendations for those who visit the bathhouse with children.
The Russian bathhouse is a whole cultural and health-improving layer that has been formed over centuries. For the Russian bath, mainly natural items of plant origin are used - from lining the bathhouse with wooden clapboards, and ending with the preparation of bath brooms.
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For several years I have been helping people build real Russian baths. Over the years, I have clearly understood that in the minds of our bathhouse lovers there is an absolutely perverted concept of “Russian bathhouse”. The many private and commercial bathhouses that are present everywhere in our country and operate under the fashionable sign “Russian wood-fired bathhouse” are very far from a real Russian bathhouse. And, in fact, they are not. The monstrous misconceptions about the Russian bath that firmly sit in the heads of our compatriots prompted me to write this article. The article is written in the form of an interview and is intended to answer the most typical questions about the Russian bathhouse and dispel the myth that those bathhouses that are being built everywhere in our country are the real “Russian bathhouses”. And I had the wrong bathhouse before. You can read how I made the right one out of it in my article “Converting a turnkey bathhouse into a smart bathhouse”
Nowadays the Russian wood-fired bath has become very popular. Tell us about her.
Russian bathhouse is one of the many types of bathhouses. Its closest sister is the Finnish sauna. But both the Finnish sauna and the Russian bath in their classic guise are now very rare. And those baths that we call Russian baths have nothing to do with this type of baths. Unfortunately, in our country there is a persistent perverted stereotype of the Russian bath. Most of our bathhouse lovers believe that a Russian bathhouse is when the temperature is +100C and above, you can pour water on the stones and whip yourself with brooms. This is fundamentally wrong! The Russian bathhouse is completely different, and few people know about it; even fewer have had the good fortune to take a steam bath in a real Russian bathhouse.
How so? I, too, have always thought that a Russian bath is when it is very hot, there is a lot of steam and you need to be whipped with brooms. All my friends have such baths. Some even steam at +120C.
This is true. The vast majority of private, commercial and public baths have exactly these temperature conditions. And all visitors to these baths are sure that this is a real Russian bath. But that's not true. Nowadays you can find numerous signs “Russian wood-fired bathhouse”. But behind these signs, in fact, is not a Russian bathhouse at all. Unfortunately, it is now very difficult to find a real Russian bathhouse. Everywhere they build and use standard baths and persistently, but erroneously, call them Russian.
It turns out that by hanging a sign “Russian wood-burning bathhouse,” we are being deliberately deceived?
This is not entirely true. The widespread illiteracy of our people in bathing matters has given rise to this situation. I can say with confidence that most owners of commercial bathhouses, bathhouse stores, sellers of bathhouse products, owners of bathhouse websites on the Internet have no idea about the types of bathhouses, types of stoves for different types baths and so on. We trust them, we trust advertising, signboards, or simply the assurances of would-be professionals. But their task is to sell their product or service. The easiest way for them is to hang up a fashionable “Russian Bath” sign, but at the same time not understand or know what it is. All these “specialists” either do not go to the bathhouse at all, or, like the majority of our citizens, mistakenly think that the bathhouse they visit is a real Russian bathhouse. Most of them don’t even think that the service or product they offer has nothing to do with the Russian bathhouse.
So what is a Russian bathhouse?
It is very difficult to define a Russian bath. What is this for a Russian person? A room where they wash and steam? Or is it a complex of wellness procedures associated with steaming, dousing, massage, herbs and teas? Or maybe this is something deeply spiritual and even sacred for a Russian person - a sacred place where not only the body, but also the soul is cleansed, illnesses go away, and strength appears? Lifestyle and good long-term habit? Maybe this is a place for meeting with friends, intimate conversations, discussions and conversations about life? Probably all these definitions are correct. And many more similar definitions can be given. But the point is not in the definition, but in that capacious concept of “Russian bath”, which at the genetic level is so important for the Russian person. Next, we will try to figure out what a proper Russian bath is and how it differs from other types of baths, which are also mistakenly called “Russian baths”.
Let's start with the most important thing: the conditions in the steam room of the Russian bath. Conditions are the relationships between temperature and humidity.
I always thought that the only thing that matters in a bathhouse is the temperature. The higher it is, the better the bathhouse.
This is not true. Food without salt is absolutely not tasty. But it is also not true that the more salt in food, the tastier it is. The same goes for the temperature in the steam room. It is no secret that the human body is designed in such a way that it is comfortable at certain temperatures. For example, it freezes at temperatures below its own +36.6C, and overheats at higher temperatures. But the degree of comfort is influenced not only by temperature, but also by humidity. For example, severe frosts easier to tolerate at low air humidity. It feels like frost -30C in the northern regions is easier to bear than the same frost -30C in middle lane. It's just that in the middle zone it is more humid than in the north. It's the same with heat. Lower humidity makes it easier to tolerate higher temperatures. And vice versa. A person is designed in such a way that his body itself tries to regulate body temperature when it finds itself in conditions that are not comfortable for it. At elevated temperatures, we produce sweat, which, when evaporated, cools our body. The lower the humidity, the faster sweat evaporates and the more effectively the body cools. High humidity slows down the process of sweat evaporation and, accordingly, cooling of the body. And our body begins to feel uncomfortable.
We also know that if our body catches a virus or just has a cold, it raises our body temperature. The critical temperature of our body is slightly above +40C. Why is he doing this? The fact is that at elevated temperatures it is easier for the body to fight harmful bacteria, and all processes in the body are accelerated. From this we can conclude that a small, controlled and time-limited artificial increase in body temperature will trigger the body’s hidden healing reserves, speed up blood flow, and will not be harmful, but for good.
Since ancient times, our ancestors understood that it is useful to sometimes heat the body, but it is not worth overheating the body too much. This is more harmful than useful. That is why the temperature in the Turkish hammam, Roman baths, Japanese ofuro, classic Finnish saunas and classic Russian baths was approximately +40- +45C. Please note, not +100- +120С, but +40- +45С! And this temperature in baths has been used by people for thousands of years, in different cultures, countries and in different climate zones. People have long understood that it is this temperature that has the most beneficial effect on the body and makes it healthier.
In the Russian bath, the temperature in the steam room is in the range of +45- +60C, in rare cases +70C. This is the first truth about Russian baths. Since most bathhouse lovers believe that the temperature in a Russian bathhouse should be no less than +100C.
What about humidity? In a Turkish hammam it tends to reach 100%, at a temperature of +40C. In a Russian bath, the most comfortable humidity is in the range of 50-70%. At the lowest temperature limit of +45C, the most comfortable humidity will be approximately 65-70%. There is an opinion that the classic conditions in the Russian bath are a temperature of +60C and a humidity of 60%. I don’t entirely agree with this, since the 60/60 condition is quite harsh, and I would not recommend it to novice sauna lovers, women and children. For most non-professional bath lovers, a comfortable mode will be approximately +45- +55C, with a humidity of 60-70%. But all this is very relative, and everyone should choose the conditioning regime that is closest to them. But it should be noted that if the temperature in the steam room is about 50C, and the humidity is too high (80-90%), then, despite the fairly low temperature, this mode will be harsh and not comfortable. Low humidity at the same temperature of +50C will also give an uncomfortable regime. It will seem that the steam room is not hot enough. That is why the conditions - correct ratio Temperature and humidity in a steam room of a Russian bath are extremely important.
Yes, this is truly a discovery for me! But somehow I can’t believe that at a temperature of only +45- +50C you can steam normally. Can real men steam at such a childish temperature?
How can they? Moreover, the degree of steaming of the body in a real Russian bath is much higher than in the so-called “Russian baths”. In a real Russian bath, our body warms up very deeply, in contrast to superficial heating, and sometimes burns of the skin in baths at temperatures of +100C and above. It’s not for nothing that in Rus' they said “steam to the bones,” that is, as deeply as possible.
The fact is that in the steam room of the Russian bath we affect the body not with elevated temperature, but with steam. Naturally, this steam has a temperature much higher than + 45-50C. As an example, I will say that all the lovers of elevated temperatures who visited my bathhouse, and who were initially skeptical about the conditions of the Russian bathhouse, after steaming, thought about their old preferences and asked me for advice on converting their steam rooms with temperatures from +100C and above into a real one Russian bathhouse. It happened like this. At the very peak moment of steaming, I ask them: what, in your opinion, is the temperature in the steam room now? They always answer that there is definitely +100C. And then I usually show them the thermometer. And it’s only +50C! This amuses me, but experienced bathhouse lovers with extensive experience of steaming at temperatures above +100C are thrown into a stupor from a lack of understanding of what is happening. So, given the conditions of the Russian bathhouse, even a bathhouse lover with extensive experience in visiting hot steam rooms can be perfectly steamed. Many will not take my word for it, but to believe it, you have to try it. Or simply trust our ancestors, who from time immemorial steamed at precisely these temperatures.
What then are the typical bathhouses built everywhere? From private to commercial? What should we call them then and what modes are there?
Those baths that are now being built everywhere cannot be called classic Russian baths. This new look Ban, who came to us after the revolution of 17. It’s no longer a sauna, but it’s not yet Russian either. The exact name for such baths has not yet been invented. As I said above, they continue to stubbornly be called Russian baths. I call these baths New Russian baths. Or dry air baths.
What are their main differences from the classic Russian bath?
First of all, the temperature in such baths usually lies in the range of +90- +130C. As I said above, in order for our body to withstand such temperatures, it is necessary to lower the humidity to 10-30%. Otherwise, the body will receive thermal burns or simply be cooked. To heat the steam room to such temperatures, metal sauna stoves with an open heater are used. The stones in them lie on a heated surface and are not covered with anything on top. Such a metal stove heats the steam room quite quickly due to air convection. That is, the air in such steam rooms constantly circulates, heating up from the stove and rising to the ceiling already very hot. And so in a constant cycle. The air movement in such steam rooms is quite strong and does not stop throughout the entire length of the bath. The walls of the metal furnace also overheat, and due to active temperature infrared radiation, the surfaces of the steam room are constantly heated. Steaming (from the word “steam”) in such baths is problematic. Rather, they simply drive hot air with a broom. Apply a fairly small amount of water (100-500 g) to the stones. Turning into steam, due to the extremely low humidity in the steam room, it is almost instantly absorbed into the overdried wood. The amount of this steam is extremely small. But the steamers still manage to capture some of this steam with a broom and draw it onto themselves. And this is at such high initial temperatures, exposing your body to serious overloads, up to thermal burns of the skin or mucous membranes.
It's clear. That is, the main differences are higher temperatures and lower humidity. But are such baths also good for health or not?
Here I am forced to disappoint the avid steamers in the Dry Air Baths. Not only do they not add health, but sometimes they even take it away.
Why?
In the Dry Air steam rooms there is a very high, extreme temperature for our body. It begins to actively sweat in defense. But since the humidity is still quite high, especially since we have a tradition of pouring water on stones, the evaporation of sweat and cooling of the body does not keep pace with the rate of its heating. The body begins to overheat very quickly. Note, not to heat up, but to overheat quickly. Therefore, you can stay in the Dry Air steam rooms for 5-10 minutes. No more. And, obviously, during this time the body simply does not have time to warm up deeply. Place a piece of meat in the oven for 5 minutes at +120C. Cut it and see how hot this piece gets. It will only be warm at a depth of a few millimeters from the surface. So there is no benefit to the body from such “warming up”. The main meaning of the bath is crossed out - deep warming of the body. But our compatriots go further in torturing their bodies in the Dry Air steam rooms. They actively pour water on the stones. This significantly increases the humidity in the steam room for a short period of time. And we have already said that high temperatures with high humidity are extremely uncomfortable for our body. It begins to turn on protective functions. Sweat does not have time to evaporate and cool the body, our brain literally screams at us - run away from here! For many steamers, the whole thrill of steaming lies in to a greater extent, not in being in the steam room, but in the moment of leaving, or rather running out of it. They see a certain courage in this. And your body, exhausted by overload, sees salvation from inevitable overheating.
Moreover, a sharp jump in humidity at high temperatures has a very negative effect on the mucous membrane of our body. In extreme conditions and under very harmful influences, the eyes, throat, lungs, and nasopharynx are exposed. Often there are injuries. Regular visitors to such baths often boast that they steamed so hard that they burned their nose or throat. At the moment of serving on the heater, all visitors to the steam room, escaping from the scalding wave of steam, draw their heads into their necks, bend down, quack, and wince. Some wrap themselves in a towel. At the same time, thinking that they are so cool that they can experience such overloads at the limit of their body’s capabilities. And they are not afraid of possible burns, dizziness, or headaches after the bath.
The metal surfaces of the sauna stove, heated to very high temperatures, also play a negative role. They emit very harsh infrared radiation that is not comfortable for our body. Our body, falling into this radiation, begins to practically fry. This is exactly how the grill in which chicken is fried works.
But the whole benefit of baths lies in the deep warming of the body. Here we don't get that at all. But we end up with harm to our organs and personal pride for steaming in such a hot steam room. Many people do not like to go to the bathhouse precisely because of these uncomfortable conditions. They say it’s very hot, stuffy, and there’s a headache. Everything is correct. The body resists harmful effects. I highly recommend visiting a real Russian bathhouse for such people. And the whole bathing world in their heads will turn upside down. You will understand that a bathhouse is very pleasant, comfortable and good. No stuffiness, unbearable heat, headaches, or burning wooden surfaces in the steam room. Only benefits for the body. Due to the fact that the process of soaring in dry air steam rooms, due to its extreme nature and harmful load on the body, cannot be a pleasant, relaxing and peaceful pastime. Due to the fact that in the steam room of such baths it is impossible to get that same bath pleasure, it is replaced with billiards, karaoke, drinking and other pleasures of life. In good steam rooms of a Russian bath, a person enjoys the bathing process itself, and this is usually quite enough for him.
So why are there such extreme and unhealthy baths everywhere? How did we get them?
There are many different versions of why the Russian people turned away from their traditional centuries-old bathhouse towards the Dry Air Steam Baths. I will voice my version. The transition from the traditional bathhouse began to take place in the dark revolutionary time. Devastation and hunger turned special attention for hygiene. The bathhouse began to be used as a washing and washing station. Just a couple of decades ago, in any public bathhouse you could see visitors washing their clothes en masse. Traditional brick ovens or baths in black required a lot of time for heating, a large amount of firewood and constant repairs. Metal stoves quickly warmed the steam room and warmed large number water. This is exactly what was needed at that time. Then the war began, and the bathhouse continued to serve its hygienic function. After the war, massive construction began. Workers needed to be washed quickly and cheaply. And again metal stoves saved the situation. The water heated up quickly, although the temperatures in the steam room increased sharply. But this did not frighten anyone. Citizens waved brooms out of habit, and a trip to the bathhouse was considered happiness. Further, in an era of total shortage, there were a lot of skilled welders who made sauna stoves from a piece of steel pipe. Due to their design, they also quickly overheated the steam room, but generations who grew up in the heyday of the New Russian baths already considered this the norm. In the baths they also mostly washed and washed their clothes, but a new bath culture began to emerge. Gatherings with beer in public baths, films with scenes in baths, literature. The first books, “How to Build a Bathhouse Yourself,” naturally described stoves made from scrap materials—metal. Electricity has become cheap and accessible. Public baths with electric metal stoves appeared. In villages in northern Russia, fortunately, the bathing traditions of the Russian bath have been preserved. But in the south of Russia, metal stoves still prevail, designed more for heating water than for producing steam. They are still in everyday use called not stoves, but boilers.
In the 90s, saunas began to appear en masse. It was fashionable and profitable. Nobody knew what a sauna was. They installed the same metal stoves, which greatly overheated the steam room, hung up a “sauna” sign, and money flowed to the owners like a river. At the same time, the opinion arose in the minds of Russians that the sauna is debauchery and vice. And also the fact that the bathhouse (sauna) must have a swimming pool, billiards, karaoke, beer and women. Another bath (sauna) culture was born. But the steam room conditions remained the same: +100C and above. Our citizens no longer perceived other regimes as a bathhouse. Now there is a massive change of “Sauna” signs to the now fashionable “Russian wood-fired bathhouse” sign. But the most amazing thing is that nothing changes inside such baths! The ovens remained the same. The conditions remained the same. But, judging by the sign, the type of bathhouse has changed. It's funny, isn't it?
Private owners began to build identical bathhouses “like everyone else’s”, copying typical mistakes, but without seeing them. Stoves for dry air baths filled the stores. True, they sell them as stoves for Russian baths, but let’s leave that to the conscience and illiteracy of the sellers. All craftsmen, homemade welders, also “produce” stoves from scrap materials only for Dry Air steam rooms. People began to steam in large numbers in the bathhouses “like a neighbor’s” and firmly believe that this is a real Russian bathhouse. At the same time, putting your health at risk and not getting from the bath what it was invented for - deep warming of the body. Many people build their own bathhouse to get those regimes that they remember from childhood: the soft regimes of the Russian bathhouse, as their grandfather had in the village a long time ago. But for some reason it is impossible to feel such regimes in a newly built bathhouse. Although a lot of money was invested in the bathhouse, the most expensive materials and a signature stove. This happens because all those numerous teams that are supposedly building “Russian baths” throughout the country have no idea about the real Russian bath. And they end up with miserable Dry Air steam rooms. Cheap and fast. And a lot of sites on the Internet that are ready to teach you how to build a real Russian bathhouse are complete nonsense. The sites that provide truthful, useful and correct information about the Russian bath can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Specialists in Russian baths are generally a rarity. But they exist, and real Russian baths are still being built. But, unfortunately, there are very few of them. That is why dry air steam rooms are being massively built and operated in Russia.
2. There are many versions of legends about the origin of the bathhouse. For example, this: raindrops through a dilapidated roof fell on the hot stones of the hearth, and the billowing steam enveloped people in a pleasant warmth. Or, returning from a tiring hunt, our distant ancestor sat down to rest near a hot spring gushing out of the ground and felt how quickly his strength was restored.
3. The Russian bath is considered the most humid. It is heated to 60 degrees or more with almost 100 percent humidity. The pulse reaches 170 beats per minute, the pressure rises. You should stay in the steam room for no more than 5-7 minutes.
4. The Russian bath is a wonderful breathing simulator. Hot, humidified air has a good effect on the larynx and nasal mucosa. Breathing quickens and becomes deeper. And for a healthy heart, a bathhouse is a workout.
5. A modern Japanese bath (sento) is a small pool filled with hot water. I took a swim, and then a massage with hard mittens using sea salt coarse grind. Then again a bath and a half-hour rest on the ottoman.
6. An unusual hot sawdust bath is ofuro. You are immersed for ten minutes in a heated mixture of cedar sawdust, rice bran, to which more than 60 aromatic and medicinal herbs are added.
What is good for a Japanese may not be possible for a European. It will be hard for an unprepared person in Japanese “baths”. But it is an excellent remedy for rheumatism, colds and stress.
7. Everything oriental baths, whether Turkish or Central Asian, come from Roman baths (with a hot floor and wet steam). Steam escapes through special openings at a level of one and a half meters from the floor. Start steaming at 30 degrees and gradually raise the temperature to 100.
8. There is no need for extra stress in the bathhouse, so it is better to drink herbal teas or juices. A massage in a bathhouse increases motor response, improves coordination and blood circulation.
9. The Irish bath is very common in Europe. The temperature is moderate. Hot air passes through pipes that are located under the floor and in the walls. The entire body is covered with special heated stones. This is very effective remedy to combat many diseases and even depression.
10. In the 18th century, the Germans went to the bathhouse as a family: with their wives, children and dogs.
11. Each new ROMAN emperor who came to power considered it his duty to build a new public bath. In addition, this was one of the ways to gain popularity among the population.
12. Bath procedures help to take your mind off the worries and worries of the day. Man charging positive emotions, perceives troubles more easily. Doctors advise people who often catch colds or suffer from chronic respiratory diseases to go to the bathhouse.
13. According to American scientists, even the ancient Indians were treated with steam: they brought heated stones into the wigwam and splashed water on them - the patient was covered in clouds of steam.
14. As experts say, a person who correctly performs all bath procedures loses up to 2 kg in weight per visit. In addition, the heat makes the skin smooth, firm and elastic, giving it a healthy tone.
15. Finland is the undisputed leader in the number of saunas. In this country, where only 5 million people live, about 2 million saunas have been built.
16. According to statistics, 20% of Russians go to a bathhouse or sauna every month!
17. Recently, a record was set for the time spent in the bathhouse. One Russian woman (who faced both a burning hut and a galloping horse) sat in the steam room for 26 hours straight!
18. Some linguists believe that the word “bath” comes from the Latin word “balneum” - “drives away pain and sadness”
19. Getting into a bathhouse, a person finds himself under the influence of a whole group of stimuli: heat, steam, water, temperature changes - and it is quite natural that the human body begins to react to all these factors.
20. Thanks to bath procedures, blood pressure is stabilized: in hypertensive patients it decreases, and in hypotensive patients it increases. Those suffering from hypertension in the early stages tolerate the bath very well.
21. The bathhouse helps to more easily endure the vagaries of nature, go through a period of acclimatization, increase the body’s immunity, its endurance and resistance to adverse environmental factors.
22. Bath procedures also have a positive effect on the human nervous system. Blood flow in the brain decreases, which in turn reduces emotional activity and relieves nervous tension. Human muscle tissue relaxes, the body plunges into a state of rest, bliss, thereby gaining the opportunity to restore its strength.
23. Famous director Eldar Ryazanov was the author of the phrase: “...every year on December 31, my friends and I go to the bathhouse...” - from the Irony of Fate, if anyone doesn’t understand. So, Ryazanov has not gone to the bathhouse since childhood, when at the age of seven he almost lost consciousness in the steam room from the stuffiness. Haven't set foot there since then.
24. Any celebration in Rus' was necessarily accompanied by a trip to the bathhouse. They looked askance and disapproval at those who did not like to go to the bathhouse.
25. Experts do not advise visiting the bathhouse more than 1-2 times a week, because the effect is significantly reduced.