17 recommendations on how to properly take a steam bath [+VIDEO]

The Russian bath is a symbol of health and longevity. The bathhouse tradition has a long history, and therefore not only the technology of constructing steam rooms, but also the rules for using them to obtain maximum benefits have become firmly established among the people.

Over time, visiting the bathhouse has been transformed - existing methods have been refined and changed somewhat, so we are talking about the colossal experience of our ancestors.

The photo shows the main attributes of a Russian steam room. Today you will learn how to take a steam bath correctly

However, despite the ancient tradition, even now the question of how to properly steam in a bathhouse raises many contradictions and disputes. Therefore, in this article we will look at the key features of visiting the baths.

Secrets of the Russian bath

Initially, several types of baths arose. Each had their own way of heating and vaping. The first such buildings arose in villages; they were distinguished by the simplicity of their structure.

Later, two types of traditional Russian baths evolved from them, which were heated “black” or “white.”

The “black” type of heating implied the presence of an open hearth, and therefore combustion products and smoke settled on the walls. Of course, there was an vent here that closed during the heating period. There were no recommendations on how to properly steam in baths of this type.

Black heating type.

The white heating type is modern. This type of bathhouse has a stone, metal or brick stove with a tank designed to heat water. The fireplace here is closed, that is, all the smoke comes out through the exhaust pipe. It is about such structures that we will talk today.

Preparation for procedures

The fact that the bathhouse has a powerful healing effect is no secret to anyone. But in order to achieve the desired result, you need to know about the features and rules of visiting the bathhouse.

Indeed, in practice, it may turn out that a person, not knowing the basics of soaring, can harm his body by experiencing a strong one-time load. After this, he can permanently refuse this procedure.

And to prevent this from happening, there are simple and accessible instructions:

Before going to the bathhouse, do not overload your body with food. To suppress your appetite, it is best to eat something light.
For hygiene purposes, take a shower before procedures. You can't get your head wet. Otherwise, you may cause overheating.
When entering the steam room, do not forget to put a cap or hat on your head, which will prevent the possibility of overheating.

Bath caps.

The best time to take bath procedures is determined individually, since it depends on your biological clock, but it is believed that the body is best prepared for them in the morning. With the right approach, a sauna can be on par with physical activities such as walking and running.

Choosing a broom

In order to achieve maximum effect, you need to purchase a broom. Its price is relatively low. The choice of bath equipment should be approached with the utmost care, but you can make it yourself by preparing the material in June-July.

If you cannot prepare it yourself, then when purchasing a broom, follow these rules:

The broom should fit comfortably in your hand. The bun should be neither thin nor thick.
Leaves must be healthy and free from mold.

Advice! One of the most effective ways to check the quality of a broom is as follows: shake the broom vigorously; if the leaves do not fall off, then the drying took place according to all the rules, and such equipment can be purchased.

Before starting the bath procedures, the broom must be “steamed”. To do this, pour hot water into a basin and place a broom there for soaking. As soon as the broom softens, it can be used.

Birch bath broom.

Bath attendant on call

Mikhail Komissarov is a physiotherapist. So he has a medical approach to bathing. 10 years ago, when I was still studying at medical school, I opened a bathhouse with a friend. At first it was just a student part-time job. There were only a few clients. But after finishing his studies, Mikhail realized: the situation had changed, the demand for on-call bathhouse attendants began to grow rapidly. In addition, the novice doctor calculated: as a bathhouse attendant he can earn at least twice as much as in a clinic.

“In the last year alone, the number of orders we have increased by 30%,” says Mikhail. — There are 100-200 trips a month. Moreover, we are now developing our own training course. Many clients want to acquire bathhouse attendant skills themselves and ask to be taught. We will open courses soon. This growth in the popularity of the Russian bathhouse is largely due to the fact that now stereotypes about the bathhouse are generally crumbling. Clients already understand that a bathhouse is an attribute of a healthy lifestyle. This is not a brothel and alcohol. And since the 90s there have been precisely such associations. Plus, there is now a fashion for a healthy lifestyle, into which the bathhouse fits perfectly.

According to Denis Zenchenko, on average, bathhouse attendants earn 50-60 thousand a month. But this is a very approximate figure. A good bathhouse attendant may well earn 100 thousand and even much more. The upper limit depends only on the qualifications of the bath attendant and the generosity of the customer. Don't forget about tips.

You can order either one bath attendant or a bath attendant with a massage therapist. A visiting bathhouse attendant costs 5 thousand rubles per hour.

True, there is a category of bathhouse attendants who earn much more - about 200 thousand per month. At least, that’s what the bathhouse attendant Igor assures. According to him, you don’t have to work particularly hard for this money. It is enough to simply agree to intimate services. But, according to experienced professionals, Igor is a disgrace to the profession. Such men, in fact, only hide behind the profession of a bathhouse attendant, and have not received any education.

— Massage therapist/bathhouse attendant for a lady. Brutal, muscular male - this is how a typical ad begins.

It is enough to call the specified phone number to understand that such a bathhouse attendant does not have any special education. Moreover, some have never lit a stove at all and certainly know nothing about contraindications to massage. Because of such “competitors,” many professional bathhouse attendants have to add that they provide strictly non-sexual services.

About how to steam

Now let’s move on directly to how to properly spend time in the steam room.

The vaping technology consists of the following stages:

Warming up. It is also called "entry". The main task of this stage is to prepare the body for a change in temperature and get used to thermal stress. This stage is individual for each person, but its average duration is from 3 to 10 minutes.

Advice! If, as you warm up, you experience rapid heartbeat, sweating, and redness of the skin, these are normal signs of the body's reaction to increased temperature.

At this stage, you just need to sit for a few minutes on a bench in the steam room in order to adapt your body to the temperature regime.

First approach with a broom. How to properly steam in a sauna with a broom is a rather individual question. It all depends on the person and his sensitivity and adaptation to temperature. Naturally, it’s best to steam together:

First entry into the steam room.

Advice! The higher the shelf is, the hotter it is. Therefore, beginners are advised to start from the lower shelves.

The steamer puts gloves on his hands to avoid burns from the steam, starting from the feet, and slowly makes light movements with a broom.
It is advisable to have two brooms, one in each hand of the steamer.
The main advantage of steaming together is that the steamer can distribute the shock movements evenly over the entire surface of the body.

Cold and hot shower.

Advice! If you come to the bathhouse for the first time, it is very important to start with warm water, gradually moving to colder water. Consistency is one of the most important principles of hardening.

The shower has a tonic effect on the human body. After it comes a feeling of lightness and comfort. The main thing is to know when to stop. After the first visit, it is advisable to wrap yourself in a towel, go to the dressing room or relaxation room of the bathhouse and drink a glass of mineral water or herbal tea here.

Bath shower device.

Advice! Drinking in the sauna is mandatory. The fact is that when you sweat, a large amount of fluid is removed from the body. Therefore, drinking not only helps restore water balance, but also removes toxins from the body.

Second pass with a broom. The second run has minor differences from the first. The soaring time in this case increases slightly, but the state of the body should be taken into account. The average time spent in the steam room is 10-20 minutes. This is followed again by a contrast shower. If you are a strong person with a healthy heart, you can splash yourself with cold water. This allows you to activate several body systems at once. Of course, this is stress for the body, but stress is positive because it leads to stimulation of the mobility of the nervous system. After you have splashed yourself with cold water, go into the steam room for a couple of minutes to warm up a little, and after that you should go back to the relaxation room.

The relaxation room is intended for tea drinking in between visits to the steam room.

Since properly steaming in a sauna means making three entries into the steam room, we will also describe the third, final entry. Here we are also talking about increasing the duration of stay in the bathhouse. In general, the number of visits can stretch up to five.

Features of the Turkish bath Hamam

This type of bath differs from the Russian one both in specificity and in the methods of influencing the body. The air temperature here is about 40-55 degrees Celsius, which is much lower than the analogue described above. At the same time, the humidity in the room is about 100%.

Due to these features, hammam is recommended for people with cardiovascular diseases. The basis of Turkish technology is heating. The peculiarity of such bath buildings is that both the floor and the lounger, as well as the walls, are heated here, since they are made of marble.

First, a person falls into the chosen niche. When the body has warmed up and sweating has already begun, it is necessary to begin peeling, the main function of which is to cleanse the skin of dead cells. After this there is dousing and rest. The procedure requires periodic repetition at short time intervals.

Interior of a Turkish bath.

Bath contraindications

Knowing how to steam properly: a bathhouse still requires some restrictions, you should be aware of the contraindications that characterize this room.

It is not advisable for people suffering from such ailments as:

Blood diseases.
Asthma.
Tuberculosis.
Atherosclerosis.
Diabetes.
Hyperthyroidism.
Chronic kidney diseases.
Infectious diseases.
Any chronic disease in the acute stage.

Soaring with a steamer

A competent steam bather will be able to select both the broom and the desired temperature individually for each person, and the process itself will be carried out at such a level that the visitor will leave the bathhouse full of new strength, positive emotions and a feeling of incredible lightness.

If you look at how a professional bathhouse attendant handles a broom while steaming, it will become clear that at this level it is simply unrealistic for an ordinary person to manipulate this object without many years of practice.

It is important to use a broom to pick up the topmost steam and direct it literally into the body of the steamer, and not at him, as we are used to doing. The bathhouse attendant will pay great attention to warming up the skin - after the first pass with a broom, he will examine whether there are any unheated areas that require a special approach at the massage stage.

The entire steaming process - preparation, mandatory breaks, proper tea drinking and even plunging into water after the procedure - will be accompanied and corrected by an experienced bathhouse attendant. Skillful hands, excellent knowledge of physiology, and attentive attitude to soaring are important here. In a modern city, it is not easy to find such a professional, so now excellent specialists are highly valued, and baths and saunas that value their reputation take care of them.