How to steam well. The rules of soaring in a Russian bath - how to combine benefit and pleasure

For those who came to the baths for the first time

1. Steam first, then wash.
2. It will be useful to take a warm shower (2-3 minutes) before the steam room.
3. Do not wet your head, but it is advisable to moisten the hat with cold water.
4. Enter the steam room only in a hat, preferably a felt and wide-brimmed one, or make a turban out of a towel.
5. Choose shorter, fluffier and lighter brooms - two are better.
6. Ordinary mittens help a lot to keep palms from being scuffed with brooms.
7. On the first entry into the steam room, first warm up without a broom for 5-7 minutes. Then drink hot tea to improve the warming "from the inside".
8. Serve only with boiling water; try to give in small portions and only in the hottest place of the stove (the water in such a place will seem to "pop" or "explode") from this the steam will be dry, and therefore "light" or "soft".
9. Rest after the steam room without getting cold, avoid drafts.
10. The duration of the bath procedure is determined by your condition, but you should not abuse the steam room.
11. Very good principle for a bath - gradualness and moderation.
12. If you are physically ready and decide to swim in the snow or plunge into the font with ice water. You came to the baths and already went to the steam room a couple of times. Now you can try - first warm up hard in the steam room, then with a bullet in the snow / water and again with a bullet in the steam room, steam well with brooms.

Unwritten laws (rules)
When meeting at the door of the bathhouse (soap, steam room), the advantage is given to the incoming person, regardless of age.
At the request of the elderly, sick, pregnant women, give way and provide the necessary assistance: bring in or take out of the washing room, steam room, bring water, etc.
It is strictly forbidden to bring any glass objects into the washing or steam room. It is forbidden to enter the steam room with soap or wash in it.
It is forbidden to smoke in the sauna building.
Never refuse an elderly person's request to steam them with a broom.
Do not use other people's items: soap, scissors, washcloth, broom, pumice stone, comb, etc.
Do not bring sharp objects into the soap compartment: razor blades, etc.
A person who feels unwell in the steam room or soap department, immediately take him to the dressing room and help him.
Do not enter into conflict conversations, try to prevent quarrels.
You should not be in the bath for more than 2.5 hours.

How to use the bath

Steam - don't get burned
give in - do not fall down,
don't fall off the shelf.

Those who are not initiated into the art of the bath procedure will be skeptical about the question: "Do you know how to use the bath?" Without hesitation, he will answer: "What's so difficult here? At the beginning I'll take a steam bath, and then I'll wash myself in the shower - and I'm ready." True lovers of the bath will not say so.
The art of the bath procedure consists of many components: the preparation of optimal heat, the creation of the necessary humidity and pleasant smells in the steam room, a properly selected and specially prepared broom and the ability to whip them, the timely use of contrasting effects and many other points that your mood and health will depend on.

Broom selection

For more heat and pleasure, steam lovers have long used various devices. So, for example, the Mexican Indians used fragrant high-growing herbs for this purpose, which were injected with hot steam, and then applied to the body, thereby creating a thermal compress. The ancient Slavic tribes used quilting over the body with birch, maple, and oak branches. How widespread and valuable this custom was is evidenced by the fact that one tribe paid tribute to another with birch brooms.
Although the ancient Slavic custom of bathing with birch or oak brooms has its roots in ancient times, it cannot be said that it belongs entirely to that past. On the contrary, now broom lashing is carried out in a scientific way and there is evidence of the benefits of its use. The broom doubles the effect of the bath. Therefore, a broom is an integral part of the bathing procedure. It is no coincidence that the old Russian sayings say: “In the bath, a broom is a master”, “In a bath, a broom is more expensive than money”, “A bathhouse without a broom is like a samovar without a pipe.”
What kind of broom do you prefer? You probably noticed that when buying it, some prefer birch, while others prefer oak. Often there is a dispute about the advantage of one or another type of broom.

Birch broom.
An old riddle says: “There is a tree, the color is green, in this tree there are four lands: the first is for the sick to health, the second is a well for people, the third is light from darkness, and the fourth is swaddling.” What is this tree? Of course, birch. Bathe in a bathhouse with a birch broom, prepare medicines from buds and leaves - “sick for health”; quench thirst with birch sap - “a well for people”; illuminate the dwelling with a torch, bake with hot birch firewood - “light from darkness”; tie broken pots with birch bark, repair baskets, baskets - “decrepit swaddling”. Yes, since time immemorial people have kept love for this wonderful tree, our good white-trunked beauty.
Chemical analysis of birch leaves showed that they contain a lot of essential oil, there are tannins, vitamin C, provitamin A. Buds, sap and birch bark have healing properties. That is why from time immemorial birch has been loved not only in Rus', but also in other countries.
Birch brooms were harvested in central Russia in July. Most sauna lovers believe that the best fan is made from soft, flexible birch branches, which, after steaming, emit a delicate aroma that lasts up to 5-7 hours on the skin.
But not all types of birch are suitable for a broom. Only curly birch and subspecies of silver birch are most suitable for a bath broom, as it is well preserved and has abundant foliage. If these species are not available, white birch can be used. Birch sap is a refreshing, tasty, healthy drink that quenches thirst well. Therefore, after a hot bath, it is useful to drink a glass of cool birch sap.

Oak broom.
Few trees are so loved and respected by different peoples like oak. Slavs, ancient Greeks, Romans at the dawn of their history worshiped this mighty tree, whose age often exceeded 1000-1500 years. They attributed miraculous properties to it, composed myths, legends, songs and epics about it. In Greece, the oak branch was the emblem of strength, power and nobility. Oak brooms were awarded to warriors who performed outstanding feats.
Like the Greeks and Romans, the Slavs also considered the oak to be one of the holy trees.
But not only with its longevity and majestic beauty, the oak won the love and appreciation of millions of people. The benefit brought by this giant to mankind is great.
Oak leaves, for example, contain a large number of tannins. Oak decoction is used for some skin diseases (weeping eczema), severe sweating of the feet. For many centuries, oak branches have been used in the bath as a broom for the purpose of deep heating and treatment.
A broom made of oak branches is durable: if they were prepared on time and skillfully stored, then it is enough for 2-3 baths. The leaves of even a well-steamed broom are always moderately dry, which facilitates the procedure and does not burn the body too much.
Oak brooms should be harvested in August.
Eucalyptus broom. This broom is most often used in the Caucasus. Its disadvantage is that its branches are too thin, flexible, and the leaves are long. It is very difficult to control such a broom while lashing in the steam room, you have to spend extra energy on waving. And in the bath you need to save your strength. In addition, it is almost impossible to rub over the body with a eucalyptus broom. Real bathers usually prefer a combined broom. For example, 3-4 branches of eucalyptus are added to birch or oak, or oak is combined with birch, or 2-3 branches of wormwood or currant are added to birch, etc.
Eucalyptus leaves contain from one to three percent of the essential oil, with which the main medicinal properties. The best broom for a bath will be the one that was harvested in August-September, and the most healing leaf for infusion is the one collected in late autumn, November-December. Eucalyptus infusion is used in the steam room as an antiseptic, as an inhalation for diseases of the larynx, trachea, bronchi.
Eucalyptus oil contains various chemical substances due to which it has antiseptic (disinfectant) and analgesic properties. This oil in combination with turpentine is recommended to be rubbed after the bath procedure for those suffering from neuralgia, myositis (muscle inflammation), as well as for bruises, sprains and pain in the joints.

Nettle broom.
IN last years in the cities you will not see people steaming with a nettle broom. A lot of people just don't know how to do it right.
Bath lovers spoke of the fragrant nettle broom with great love. Those who are not experienced in the bathing business will say: “How can you bathe with stinging nettles, sometimes you accidentally touch your hand, and then it burns - you won’t find a place for four hours. And if you whip on the body, then you will get sick ... ”Yes, indeed, you can get sick, because when a person is burned with nettles, blisters appear on the skin of a person. The general body temperature rises and other unpleasant sensations arise.
But if you prepare a nettle broom according to the rules, as experts do, then such a medicinal broom will take first place. He will be especially grateful to those who often have pain in the lower back, “ache” joints, tormented by rheumatism, etc.
Nettle broom is knitted small, before quilting it is placed in hot water for 1-2 minutes, and then in cold water for 3-4 minutes (the procedure is repeated 1-2 times), after which you can whip.
If it is necessary that the nettle “burns”, and such a broom is loved by older people whose skin is less sensitive, it is necessary to warm up such parts of the body as the lower back, shoulder blades, feet, then in this case the nettle broom is dipped in boiling water for 1-3 seconds , after which you can steam. But for this, you must first go to the steam room and stay there for 5-7 minutes, and it is better if you also fasten for 2-4 minutes with a birch or oak broom. By doing this, you will prepare the skin for the stronger effect that the nettle broom has. They need to quilt easily, as if specifically “stinging” the skin, then it gives a greater effect.

Coniferous broom.
Such a broom is brewed for 10-15 minutes in boiling water, and as soon as it becomes soft, you can start steaming. But at the same time, we must not forget that in the first run they do not bathe, you can injure the skin, and then there will be itching. Steaming with a coniferous broom should be when the skin warms up well and becomes elastic. It is not recommended to bathe with pine needles and for those who have very delicate skin.
In areas where birch and oak do not grow, many other broad-leaved species, such as maple, walnut, mountain ash, etc., can be used to make brooms.

Steaming a broom.
If the broom is fresh, they are steamed immediately. A steamed fresh broom becomes “limp”, heavy. In addition, it quickly “heats up”, and the skin does not withstand burning.
A dry broom should be dipped in cold water for 15-20 minutes, and then in hot water for 1-3 minutes. A too dry broom should be steamed in boiling water for 10-15 minutes, or it should be moistened with cold water 10-15 hours before the bath and wrapped in a damp rag, or it can be dipped in a bucket of cold water. Such a broom is no longer brewed with boiling water before steaming. A broom prepared according to this method will always be dry, fragrant, soft, leaves will never fall off it and last for 2-3 baths (with proper use in the steam room and storage).
After the broom is steamed, the water (infusion) becomes dark and looks more like green tea. The infusion is diluted with boiling water and poured onto hot stones or poured over the walls, it saturates the steam room with a pleasant aroma. It is useful to wash your hair with the same infusion at the end of the bath procedure, it strengthens the hair roots, and the existing dandruff decreases after 6-9 procedures.
Well, what if there is no time, and the broom is too dry, why not leave the bath because of this without lashing? There is a cooking method for this case. Take a basin of hot water, dip a broom in it and place it on the stones in the oven for 1-3 seconds. At the same time, rotate and shake the broom so that it does not burn, but steams evenly. Repeat 2-3 times. This procedure takes 1-2 minutes.

Procedures before the steam room

Before going to the steam room, you need to take care of a place where you can leave soap, brooms, etc. On the same bench you will have to rest after the steam room, as well as wash and massage. The bench must be chosen in such a place that it is warm, there is a lot of air and there are no drafts. The bench is poured with hot water until it is hot. Then boiling water is poured into one basin and brooms are lowered into it, and covered with another.
It is especially important to prepare your body for a meeting with hot steam for those who do not immediately adapt to high temperatures, as well as for beginners, the elderly, patients with blood pressure disorders (if the steam room is not contraindicated for them) and vegetative-vascular neuroses. For such people, it is helpful to take a hot shower or hot foot bath first. After that, you can go to the steam room. How quickly we develop adaptive mechanisms to the high temperature of the steam room depends not only on the correct use of it, but also on the state of the organism.
Academician V.P. Kaznacheev found that in response to various influences (including thermal procedures), people react differently. Some quickly achieve stability, high temperature tolerance, while others get used slowly. Therefore, one should not take an example from others and rush to increase the time spent in the steam room, increase the air temperature in it. This is especially important for beginners.
Before going to the steam room, you need to wash yourself under a warm shower (35-38 degrees) for 2-3 minutes, but do not wet your head: this will make it easier to endure the high temperature in the steam room. Before the steam room, it is not recommended to wash with soap: it removes fat from the body, which protects the skin from burning during a visit to the steam room, especially if you whip with a broom. Wash with soap after you finish steaming. After taking a shower, they put on a hat, preferably with large brim (it kind of creates a microclimate and protects the head from overheating), you can also tie your head with a towel in the form of a turban. The hat can be wetted with cold water, this procedure reduces the heart rate, and improves overall well-being.
When using hats (turbans, etc.), you also need to know a few simple, but very important rules. In no case should the cap squeeze the head, it was light and at the same time quite loose.
A tight cap can cause malaise, headaches, poor steam tolerance, etc.
The steam room should be both moderately dry, and well ventilated, and clean. If you, entering the steam room, felt bad smell sweat, sagging leaves from brooms, do not start steaming. Such a steam room must at least be ventilated.
The best time to visit the bath is in the morning. Connoisseurs of bathing heat say: you need to go to the “first”. In the bath, where there is a pool, it is useful to swim for 15-20 minutes, but before visiting the steam room. We did not make a reservation: we recommend just swimming, and not swimming. After swimming, you should “feel” your muscles, they will “fill up” and be in good shape. Naturally, the pulse rate should not increase too much.
Swimming is especially beneficial for people with excess weight leading a sedentary lifestyle, as well as to relax and relieve tension after physical work, running, athletic gymnastics, etc. The water temperature in the pool must be at least 20 degrees. After swimming take a shower (36-38 C) for 1-3 minutes. This will prepare the body and make it easier to bear the heat in the steam room.
After a short rest (and it is determined individually - from 10 to 20 minutes), you can go to steam. Pour boiling water into the basin (with the addition of aromatic infusion to the water) and pour 100-200 ml on hot stones until the desired temperature is reached (if you steam with a broom, then moisten more) and air humidity. Be aware that pouring small portions of boiling water over the stones allows you to “make” the steam less wet. They say about this: “light”, “soft”. The secret here is simple: when water is added in large portions, it does not have time to completely evaporate (besides, the stones cool down) and settles down with heavy water vapor. As a result, the steam burns, additionally loads the cardiovascular system, the person feels tired. They say about such a pair: “raw”, “heavy”. Connoisseurs pour water on the stones in small portions, trying to find the hottest place (when the water seems to explode with a loud bang, falling on the stones) in order to make the steam dry and not flood the stones.
In dry air baths (for example, saunas), where the air temperature is 90-120 degrees, excessive dryness irritates the nasopharyngeal mucosa. For the purpose of moistening, pour hot water over the walls and ceiling. In a dry bath, the leaves of the broom instantly twist, break and crumble. To prevent this from happening, take a basin of hot water into the steam room and periodically dip a broom into it.

How to make steam

From time immemorial in Rus', there were traditions that were borrowed by many peoples, how to cook fragrant steam. When creating it, special recipes were used. Such a couple had healing properties. For example, in the book Right way to health and life extension - Russian steam bath”, published in Moscow in 1904, many herbal infusions, balms and rubbings are recommended for use in the bath. It is not easy to prepare “delicious” steam, it requires a lot of practice or expert advice. And many people keep steam cooking a secret.
Before you start preparing fragrant steam, you need to make sure that at an average height of the steam room the temperature and humidity of the air are quite similar, that is, they do not burn or dry the nasopharynx.
Now take boiling water and add various aromatic or healing substances, infusions, etc. to it. Usually add (based on 3 liters): 50 g of kvass or beer, or half a teaspoon of honey, or one piece of sawn sugar, or half a teaspoon of dry mustard (having previously roasted it well), or 7-10 menthol or mint drops, or half a teaspoon of eucalyptus oil, or two tablespoons of the same infusion, or one teaspoon of instant coffee, or an infusion of spruce needles, or an infusion of lime flowers, or fragrant tea, or mint infusion.
Useful and infusion of chamomile - a wild plant with healing properties.
A good therapeutic effect is obtained by adding coniferous extract to the water - liquid or in the form of briquettes (previously diluted in boiling water). Both are sold in a pharmacy or infused at home. Pouring the solution on the stones fills the steam room with the aroma of pine needles, which well relieves fatigue after tiring physical or mental work.
The smell not only contributes to a certain mood, but also has a healing effect. Let's say you are constantly worried about a dry cough and even endless colds. To harden the respiratory organs, you need to buy the appropriate herbs at the pharmacy, for example, marshmallow, elecampane, etc. The prepared composition of the infusion does not have to be poured onto the stones, you can spray it on the walls, even if they are tiled. Aromatic substances, penetrating through the skin and upper respiratory tract, have a beneficial effect on the central nervous system and other organs.
Coniferous extract is recommended as a sedative for functional disorders of the central and peripheral nervous system, cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension (in the initial stages, i.e. when the doctor is not forbidden to visit the bath), as well as overwork.
Useful and steam, prepared with an infusion of thyme. If someone has a disturbed sleep, then try to go to the bath at about 16-18 hours and take a steam bath with an infusion of thyme. And you will see that your sleep has become better. The procedure must be repeated constantly until your condition stabilizes. Here one involuntarily wants to recall the ancients again. So, for example, the Slavs, for a better night's sleep, instead of down pillows, lay down on pillows stuffed with thyme grass. Previously, this could not be explained, but now everything has been solved. It turns out that the plant contains a fragrant essential oil, which has a beneficial effect on the centers responsible for sleep. Such a bath increases the general tone of the body, improves mood and performance.
It is no coincidence that in the old days they said: “Spicy smells and tastes naturally enliven and approve the bodily feelings of healthy and disease-obsessed people.” In the Urals, an infusion of kalufer, sweet clover and others is added to the water fragrant herbs. Often grass for smell is placed on the shelves. A steamed eucalyptus broom gives a particularly good effect. In the steam room, they press it to the face and breathe through the nose for 4-5 minutes.
The smells of some infusions stimulate human activity and create a certain mood. Medical scientists came to such conclusions long ago. Already today, Japanese physiologists have established that, for example, the smell of jasmine noticeably excites the activity of the brain. The smell of lavender also gives a tonic effect.
But in general, the recommendations are as follows: tonic infusions, oils should be used in the morning, when you need to invigorate the body. IN evening time On the contrary, you need to use aromas that soothe and promote sound sleep.

About the benefits of sweating

So, the wig is ready. You can also steam. However, do not rush to go to the topmost shelves, because your body is not yet prepared for high temperatures. First you need to warm up at a low air temperature in order to cause the necessary expansion of skin vessels and the onset of sweating. For this purpose, it is enough to visit the bottom (or on the middle shelf) of the pair department.
We have already mentioned that people differ from each other in individual characteristics: some begin to sweat (ceteris paribus) at the 4th minute, while others at the 10-12th minute. Therefore, without exception, after 5-7 minutes of staying in the steam room, everyone needs to go to the soap compartment and sit. And the expected drops of sweat will appear in 3-5 minutes.
It is recommended for a beginner to enter the steam room once - to lie down below, i.e. in the comfort zone, for no more than 5 minutes. Whipping with a broom is better to postpone until the next time. If after the bath you feel cheerful, then the next time you can increase the visit to the steam room by 1 minute and gradually move on to 2-3 visits, bringing total time in the steam room up to 15-35 minutes (depending on age, health, temperature conditions in the steam room and other conditions). In general, the entire bathing procedure should not take more than 2-3 hours, and in the steam room you can spend no more than 35 minutes, regardless of the number of visits. And here it must be emphasized that the duration of the bath procedure is determined not by the clock, but by the state of the person, everyone feels when he should leave the steam room. It is advisable for experienced bathers to first lie down on the middle shelf so that the head and legs are at the same level. It is even better that the legs are a little higher (in modern steam rooms there is a special footrest in the form of a rail for this). This position creates a natural outflow of blood and lymph from the underlying areas of the body, and thus facilitates the work of the heart. If it is not possible to lie down, it is necessary to sit down, but so that the legs are at the same height with the body.
In a standing position, you put yourself at risk of heat stroke, because the air temperature at the level of the head is higher (15-20 C) compared to the body.
In order to evenly warm up all areas of the body, change position more often, that is, first lie on your side, then on your back, on the other side and on your stomach.
In the steam room, you should always breathe through your nose: at the same time, hot air is cooled, and too dry air is humidified.
After warming up for 5-7 minutes, do not stand up abruptly: you risk losing your balance for a moment. And although this phenomenon in itself is not dangerous, you can fall and hurt yourself badly. A minute before leaving the steam room, if you were lying down, sit down to prepare the circulatory system for a standing position.
When leaving the steam room (this applies to everyone), you should not immediately go to bed to rest, you need to walk for 2-3 minutes. In this case, it is useful to raise your hands up and take deep breaths, after which it is recommended to rinse under a warm shower. Do the same before entering the steam room again.
Before each subsequent visit to the steam room, you need to have a good rest for 15-20 minutes (5-7 minutes in the soap department, and then in the locker room, well covered with a sheet or wearing a bathrobe). Both in the soap department and in the dressing room there should be no drafts, it is cold.
To keep warm and continue sweating, you can drink hot tea or other fortified drink. Do not drink in one gulp, preferably in small sips.
Depending on the condition and purpose, the steam room can be visited 3-4 times. After each subsequent session, rest in the soapy room or dressing room should be increased.
If you decide to take a steam bath with a broom, then this is done after the first or second entry, when the body is ready for stronger temperature effects. Contrasting procedures are taken between visits to the steam room. But for those who want to lose weight, it is important to remember that any cooling immediately stops sweating reflexively, and this prevents further weight loss.
It is very useful to carry out massage or self-massage in the bath. Do it immediately after leaving the steam room. Before the massage, in no case should you cool down, even go out into a cool room. Do not drink cold drinks either. Hot tea or milk is drunk slowly, in small sips and no more than a glass. The total massage time in the bath after the steam room is 25-35 minutes (up to 15 minutes are allotted for self-massage). Each massage is repeated 3-4 times. The procedure can be interrupted by visiting the steam room (for 3-5 minutes). If you are not tired, then it is useful to whip yourself with a broom all over your body.
After the massage (self-massage) take a warm shower (1-2 minutes) and start washing. Before leaving the soap department, it will be useful to go to the steam room for 1-2 minutes, and then under a warm shower and into the dressing room. Do not put on underwear if you are not cold and continue to sweat.
Before leaving the bath, it is not recommended to swim in a cool pool, douse yourself with cold water, and wipe yourself with snow. These procedures are always interspersed with visits to the steam room. And before going outside, especially in winter, you need to relax a bit in a cool room.
It should be remembered that the bath is a means of strengthening health. Therefore, no "records" are inappropriate here. Record-breaking long stay in the steam room and record-breaking high temperature are unjustified risk factors that healthy person can make you sick.
For those who find it difficult to withstand the bath load, you can follow this procedure. First, wash your head, hands, feet. After that, rinse and relax in the soap compartment, if it is not stuffy in it. It is better to go to the locker room and, covered with a sheet, sit for 7-10 minutes. Then wash yourself with hot water and go to steam. In the steam room, choose the temperature that suits you and take a steam bath while sitting. Well, the best option is when you lie down, and you will be steamed. After that, having rested in the soap compartment, you can wash yourself.
in baths with high relative humidity (up to 90-100%), the temperature should not exceed 70 C (for the elderly and weak people - 45-55 C). At a humidity of 30-40%, the temperature can rise to 90 C, and at 5-15% - up to 110 C.
The stated technique of the bathing procedure concerns dry-air and damp baths. In the case when they bathe without a broom, then, lying on a shelf, it is necessary to turn from time to time. This will help to more evenly steam all parts of the body.
Do not expect a miracle by going to the bathhouse once. If you use it regularly and correctly, then in the near future you will notice that you have become more active at work, you are less tired, nervous, and if you skip the bath procedure, you will immediately feel, as they say, “not at ease” ..

Steam with a broom correctly

A broom in a bath is not used for exotic, with its help a more effective effect on all organs and systems of the human body is carried out.
“Broom massage” enhances blood circulation not only in the skin, but also in deep-lying tissues, which contributes to a better redistribution of blood, lymph and interstitial fluid throughout the body. As a result, sweating increases significantly, products that are unnecessary to the body are removed, and skin respiration increases. All this contributes to a more enhanced metabolism.
Any broom, no matter what you use in the steam room, releases medicinal substances - phytoncides, which have a bactericidal effect. In addition, the essential oils contained in the leaves and branches, getting on the skin, improve its metabolism, increase its tone, prevent premature aging and aging of the skin. The skin after quilting with a broom acquires a healthy color. It is no coincidence that in the old days people said: "Which day you take a steam bath, that day you do not grow old."
It is better to bathe together, taking turns whipping each other with a broom. The most rational position of the body for the one who is hovering is lying on a shelf (bench). Firstly, the temperature thus affects all parts of the body equally. For even in the most well-equipped steam rooms, the difference in air temperature at the level of the legs and head (if you bathe while standing) is up to 20 C. This adversely affects thermoregulation, besides, the head overheats unnecessarily, which is harmful.
Secondly, when lying down, Better conditions for more complete relaxation of all parts of the body. But if it is not possible to lie down, it is better to bathe in a sitting position, and the legs should not hang down, they should be raised to the level of the body (i.e. put on the shelves, bench). Studies have shown that in the supine position, the pulse is on average 8-10 beats / min less often, therefore, the load on the cardiovascular system is reduced. This is especially important for those who bathe for the first time or after an illness (if the doctor has allowed to bathe).
We have already said that the broom should be light, the handles should be thin, neatly wrapped with a bandage or other soft cloth. If you do not follow this rule, then even the strongest and roughest hands become covered with water calluses (which is why mittens are also recommended). In addition, a light broom more carefully “works out” both muscles and joints.
It is necessary to soar each other with a broom “according to science”, because you often have to see how one literally tortures another with a beating.
First, take a fancy to the shelves with the air temperature suitable for you and lie down on your stomach, stretching your arms along the body. Then the partner with two brooms should make a light stroke from the feet to the head. In the opposite direction, one broom slides along one side, and the other along the other, then along the lateral parts of the pelvis, thighs and calf muscles to the feet - so 2-3 times. Next, the brooms need to be lifted up, trying to capture hotter air with them, lower them on the lower back and press them with your hand for 1-3 seconds. The same movements are carried out in the area of ​​​​the shoulder blades, on the knee joints. The whole complex is repeated 3-4 times. At the same time, attention should be paid to the fact that the brooms do not move through the air, but must touch the body. If the air temperature in the steam room is too high and the skin cannot withstand the heat, the brooms should be moved slowly, without lifting them up. The burning of the skin is eliminated with a broom, which is first dipped in cool water.
In baths, where the temperature and humidity are optimal, brooms should not be soaked in water, otherwise they will lose their ability to pump heat. In addition, they stick together and become heavy. A dry light broom well collects evaporated from the surface of the body and evenly distributes warmer ambient air over it.
The air temperature in the steam room is set individually in each case. For example, in a dry-air (Finnish, Russian) bath, the air temperature is in the range of 90-120 C, relative humidity is 10-25%, and in a damp one - 50-70 C and humidity up to 100%. These are the optimal norms for whipping with a broom. But there are fans for whom this is not enough. Increasing the effect of heat on the human body can be achieved by quickly moving brooms from one part of the body to another and periodically, either at the feet or at the head, raise them higher, as if pumping hotter air, which creates the necessary heat.
The next soaring technique is lashing, which is performed with fast lashing movements, the end part of the broom. At first, it is done on the back with light “strokes” in all directions. Then - on the lower back, pelvis, thighs, calf muscles and feet. This process takes up to 1 minute. They finish it with stroking, but the movements are already done much faster than initially. Duration - up to 1 min.
Next, the partner lies on his back. All techniques are performed in the same sequence as lying on the stomach. Then they turn back up again. First, the first two steps are repeated: stroking and quilting, which should not take more than 2 minutes.
Then they proceed to the main method - whipping (it is stronger) in combination with a broom compress. Start from the back. The broom is lifted up (they capture hot steam) and 2-3 whips are made on the latissimus dorsi muscles, and then pressed with a hand - this will be a compress. The same is done on the lower back, gluteal muscles, the outer surface of the thighs, lower legs, on the feet (excluding the popliteal fossae, where the skin is very sensitive). When it is necessary to deeply warm the knee joint in order to increase its elasticity or restore impaired functions, a broom is applied to it, and the lower leg is bent with careful springy movements until the heel touches the pelvis.
The compress is especially useful for injuries, muscle pain (after heavy physical exertion), radiculitis, myositis, muscle inflammation, gout and some other ailments.
After that, the brooms are placed on the lower back and at the same time spread them apart: one broom is advanced to the head, and the other to the feet. This technique is called “stretching” and is recommended for various pains in the sacro-lumbar region. Stretching is carried out 4-6 times and ends with a general stroking of the whole body.
If in the second (third) run they intend to bathe with brooms, then the whole procedure is repeated, but for the first two steps (stroking, lashing) and the total time is reduced. at the end of soaring, a rubbing technique is used, which is performed as follows: with one hand (most often with the left), the broom is taken by the handle, and with the palm of the other, slightly pressing on the leafy part, they rub the back, lower back, pelvic area, etc. The trunk can be rubbed in all directions, and the limbs along. Rubbing can be done with strokes or circular motions.
If, after visiting the steam room, you will not conduct a self-massage or massage session, then in this case you should do a broom massage (energetic whipping and rubbing) in the steam room more vigorously, especially in the back, lower back, chest and hips. If you visit the bath together, the three of you, then it is more effective to conduct a mutual massage. Then take a 1-2 minute warm shower and start washing.
You can also steam yourself. If possible, you need to lie on your back and start soaring first one leg, then the other, for which they stroke them in the direction from the foot up to the pelvis. Brooms should slide evenly either along the front of the legs, then along the back, 3-4 times. If the air temperature in the steam room is high, the brooms should be moved slowly and not removed from the body so as not to build up the heat. At normal air temperature in the steam room, you can increase its influence by quickly moving the brooms from one

What Russian does not like to take a steam bath in a good bathhouse? For most, the process of soaring is nothing more than relaxation, but in fact, the bath brings great benefits to our body. About how to steam in the bath correctly, how it is useful, how harmful and whether there are contraindications - read about all this below.

The benefits and harms of the bath

Going to the bathhouse has a comprehensive positive effect on the body, of course, provided that the person has no contraindications, but more on that later, now we will consider the pros and cons of the steam room.

First of all, the positive effect is, of course, on the skin. There are many types of baths, so to get the maximum benefit, you need to choose the right one for yourself. For example, a Turkish steam room will be optimal for a sensitive dermis, a Finnish steam room for a normal one, etc. A trip to the bath makes the skin younger: it cleanses, the layer of dead cells is removed through the pores of the skin. Regular sessions make the skin supple and toned. High temperatures contribute to the destruction of harmful microorganisms on the body. Thanks to the bath, you can significantly skin, normalize the work of the sebaceous glands. And what can I say, if you take honey with you to the bathhouse, with which you can spread the body before the steam room - mmm ... for this, the skin will triple thank you with its velvety and tenderness.

The bath acts as a stress for the body, although it is useful when the body temperature rises by 10°C, and the internal organs warm up by 3°C. If for the person himself such an increase has a pleasant effect, then for the viruses and bacteria that lurk inside it is detrimental. Due to such an increase in temperature, metabolism is accelerated, interferon (an antiviral protein) is produced faster, body cells are more likely to recover, and the number of lymphocytes increases. But malignant cells are seriously inhibited in their growth.

The high temperature of the steam room expands the blood vessels, the blood begins to drain from the brain, which reduces its activity and leads to a state of relaxation, for this reason the bath can be “prescribed” for some diseases of the central nervous system. If you alternate low and high temperatures, in this way you can well train the elasticity of blood vessels, the heart muscle, which will reduce the likelihood of a heart attack. In the bath, the vascular system is stimulated, and the pulse rises to 150 beats, the blood begins to circulate more actively, while not affecting blood pressure in any way, even the smallest capillaries expand, which helps nourish the skin. Under the influence of the Russian bath, a lot of sores associated with impaired blood flow, the same varicose veins, are cured.

By increasing sweating, the load from the kidneys is significantly reduced. Interestingly, this effect continues for six hours after going to the steam room. For this reason, the bath acts as a kind of cure for diseases with this organ and, in general, for problems with the urinary system. The procedure has a positive effect on the work of the gastrointestinal tract. In an invigorating way, high temperature acts on the pituitary gland, and it is he who regulates the work of other glands: the adrenal glands, thyroid gland, ovaries and prostate. Bath and helps to restore sexual desire. And nursing mothers can boast of an increase in the amount of milk.

Probably, everyone has heard about the effect of the bath on the respiratory organs, which begin to work actively and saturate the blood with oxygen, and its arrival is fraught with an increase in the level of hormones of joy. The bath helps to remove lactic acid and urea, which stagnate in the muscles after exercise and cause pain. If you pick up a suitable broom in the steam room, then in short time sore joints can be cured.

And this is just a small interpretation. useful properties baths, in fact there are a lot of them. The bath has a versatile effect and has a positive effect on almost all organs and systems of the body. As for harm, in the absence of contraindications and with the condition of a dosed visit, it simply does not exist. Therefore, before going to the steam room, be sure to check if you have any diseases that are included in the list of contraindications, and even better, consult your doctor.

Bath contraindications

Often they like to go to the bathhouse to take a steam bath, taking alcohol with them, but in no case should this be done - these are incompatible things and instead of benefiting the body receives a huge load that wears out the internal organs. You can’t go to the bathhouse on an empty stomach or, conversely, having eaten tightly, just before going to bed, it’s also better to abandon the steam room. These are general contraindications that apply to absolutely everyone.

The bath carries a special risk for the "cores". Despite its positive effect on the heart muscle, the bath provides preventive measures for a healthy heart, but for those who experience problems with it, the steam room can be a real test. The same applies to hypertensive patients, with a constant pressure above 200 mm. The bath is contraindicated in tuberculosis, the presence of malignant tumors and inflammatory processes of the respiratory organs, although at the initial stage of a cold, the bath is indicated on the contrary and helps to prevent the disease. Diseases of the kidneys and liver require mandatory consultation with a doctor, since, for example, kidney stones, nephritis are the strictest contraindications.

List all the diseases in which the bath is not the best, or even dangerous way you can rest for a very long time. Therefore, if you have problems in the areas listed below, you should definitely consult with a specialist about a possible visit to the bath.

• Painful joints and muscles.
• Skin diseases.
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
• Diseases in the acute stage.
• Fungi.

In no case should you overload your body with a long stay in the steam room! High temperatures are good, but prolonged exposure leads to overheating, which is fraught with negative consequences. Available clear signs the fact that it's time to tie up the steam and go out on Fresh air, namely:

• nausea;
• dizziness;
• pre-fainting state.

As soon as you feel something is wrong, immediately leave the steam room. It is especially dangerous to be in this state in the steam room alone, as you can simply not reach the door and faint. After leaving the steam room, you need to wash yourself with cold (but not icy) water and wait while lying down until the condition returns to normal. Needless to say, on this day you can’t go into the steam room anymore. Do not joke with your health, such unjustified "willpower" has led to the death of more than one attendant.

When to prepare brooms for a bath

The general rules for harvesting brooms are as follows:

The time when it is necessary to harvest brooms directly depends on what raw materials will be used to create it. Let's consider different options.

• Brooms made of birch traditionally begin to cook in July, the beginning or middle of the month. The tree from which the branches are cut should be tall and with falling branches (they also say weeping). But some experts, on the contrary, recommend using young trees for these purposes, which have never bloomed yet, because they have very flexible twigs and delicate leaves. Before cutting the branches, check its leaves on the tongue. If the leaves are rough - pick up another copy. But tender and velvety - what you need.
• The collection of oak branches falls on the period from June to August. The correct place for collection should be darkened. Proper assembly will help create a high-quality broom, which will last up to four bath sessions.
• Nettle brooms are prepared in the middle of summer, before or at the time of flowering of the plant.
• Cherry and currant brooms are prepared at the very beginning of June.

Brooms from other trees are prepared from early July to mid-August. Remember, the collection of raw materials for brooms should take place far from the roadway, no closer than three kilometers. Otherwise, there will be no sense from the broom.

How to steam a broom for a bath

There are several options for how to properly steam a broom. The simplest and fastest is to immerse the broom in a bucket of cold water for a couple of minutes, and then soak in warm water for the same time, but in no case in boiling water. In this case, the basin with a broom must be covered so that it is steamed. The drier the broom, the longer it should be left in the water. The fact that the broom is ready can be recognized by its aroma, which begins to emanate from it. The water in which the bath “tool” was steamed can be used to water hot stones. This will fill the room with a pleasant aroma.

It is very important to steam dry brooms. Poorly dried ones can become sour and become heavy, they heat up very quickly, which can lead to burns on the skin.

How to dry bath brooms

A bath is good, and a bath with a broom is generally wonderful. But in order to benefit from its use, you need to properly prepare a broom. We have already talked about how and when to collect raw materials for a broom, now about proper drying. Ideally, when drying will take place in natural conditions, although this is relatively long, it is correct. So, for starters, remember the mandatory rules:

• no draft;
• no direct sunlight and brightly lit room;
• no high humidity.

The ideal temperature regime in the room where brooms are dried is 15-25°C. You can not cook brooms in an unfavorable atmosphere, such as in a garage or utility room. As for in what form to dry a broom, in a lying or hanging, there is no definite answer. A lot depends on the type of broom and the shape that you want to get in the end. However, flat ones are considered the most versatile. They move more steam, capture more air and direct the flow easily. Flat brooms are obtained by "lying" drying. But if the object is made in order to simply breathe in the aroma of foliage, then you can make voluminous brooms that are hung to dry.

If desired, the drying process can be combined. First, fold the brooms for a couple of days, turning them over regularly (this will make the shape uniform), and then, when the shape is flat, hang it for a week or two.

Drying time also depends on the type of raw material. So, for example, a birch tree needs a couple of weeks, while oak brooms take one and a half to two more, and maple brooms are generally the longest.

How to bathe in a bath with a broom

At least two people go to the bathhouse with a broom to take a steam bath. The one who will soar - lies down, and the one who will soar must be sure to put bath mittens on his hands, otherwise corns cannot be avoided. A bathhouse with a broom is an amateur, for someone it can become a real hard labor. However, in any case, you need to remember the golden rules:

• a strict rule - a broom simply must be wet, so periodically it must be moistened with water;
• the “stronger” the temperature (over 60 ° C), the more carefully you need to work with a broom so as not to get burned by steam;
• the bath attendant needs to be extremely careful: do not swing strongly and do not whip the recumbent - the movements should be smooth and slightly touching.

It's only in the movies that everything looks extremely simple, but in practice, many professional and simple experienced bath attendants agree that the possession of a broom is a whole science. Consider in theory some techniques for soaring with a broom.

One lays down on his stomach and stretches his arms along the body, and the other takes a broom in each hand and begins to stroke the lying person, moving the brooms from head to toe and back. This is repeated several times. If the room is very hot - do not move the broom away from the body.

After the preparatory procedure, near the lower back, slightly raise the broom, grab some air with it and lower it onto your back, pressing it with your hand for about three seconds. This technique is called a compress. It will be very useful after exercise and for pain in the joints, with injuries and sciatica.

When problems affect the lumbosacral region, you can use the "stretching" technique. In this case, both brooms are placed on the lower back and move in different sides, one to the feet, the other to the shoulder blades, and then to reverse sides to meet each other. It is very important that the brooms do not come off the body. If the room is very hot, then you need to wield a broom carefully, without rushing anywhere.

The “fastening” technique is performed with the ends of the broom, making light fastenings in all directions along the thighs, pelvis, calves, lower back and feet. The duration is about a minute, and the reception ends with stroking.

After the described manipulations lying on the stomach, the person is laid on his back and everything repeats.

A stronger trick is called "whipping" - the broom rises, air is captured and a couple of three whips are performed on different parts of the body with a compress for three to four seconds.

Plowing is performed with a slight wave of the broom and a very weak, barely perceptible touch to the body, in this case the “lying” person feels a pleasant hot breeze. If you need it hotter, just raise the broom higher.

Complete the procedure with a broom by simple rubbing. With one hand you need to hold the broom by the handle, and with the other, lightly press the leaves of the broom and thereby rub the whole body. The arms and legs are rubbed along, and the torso in all directions.

After all the manipulations, you need to get up very slowly and carefully, otherwise dizziness may appear.

How to steam in the bath

A visit to the bath can become a pleasure and "repair" the body only if it is done correctly. It would seem, what is so difficult? In principle, nothing, but you need to know about some of the nuances. Consider the whole process of soaring "from" and "to".

• The first stage is preparation. Before the bath, you must definitely wash yourself, just rinse with water at a temperature of 38 ° C. The purpose of the procedure is to warm up the body. It is not necessary to use soap and a washcloth, as this will wash away the lipid layer that acts as a barrier. Otherwise, the high temperature in the bath will dry out the skin. You can indulge from the heart with soap and a washcloth after the bath. Also, do not wet your hair, so as not to get a heat stroke later. And it is even better to put on a special cap in the bath, which is just the same better to moisten a little in water. That's all, now you are absolutely ready to enter the steam room, of which there are usually five to seven.
• The second stage is adaptation. The first entry into the bath is used in order to get used to the high temperatures, so the broom is not used, but they take it with them to steam it well. To warm up the body, a temperature of about 60 ° C is suitable, so it is better to sit on the first shelf. Lie down, relax. After a little time, sweat will begin to appear, the heart will beat faster, the skin will turn red - this has begun the process of adaptation. In terms of time, the first call should be within ten minutes, no more.
• The stage of friction is heat. The duration of the second call is about a quarter of an hour. This time you can use a broom or just lie down.
• Stage four - repeated visits. During subsequent visits, and, as we have already said, there are usually at least five of them, the temperature in the steam room can be raised. The maximum length of stay in the bath should not exceed 25 minutes, while being attentive to your feelings, and if you feel unwell, go out, never sit too hard.

Particular attention should be focused on the rest between calls. The duration of these should not be less than the duration of the visits. Fans of baths use these gaps for contrasting procedures: for example, jump into a font, an ice hole, pour cold water over them or wipe themselves off with snow. However, if your experience of going to the bathhouse is not so rich, then it is better to leave it for the future. And you can start with the fact that after the steam room, stand in the shower with a water temperature of 25 ° C. The process should be started gradually. If the soul does not lie for hardening, then you can wrap yourself in a towel, sit quietly and drink tea.

How often can you go to the bath

Going to the bathhouse is so pleasant that it can be very addictive, but everything, even the most good and useful, should be in moderation.

In many countries where the bathing culture is actively developed, people go to the steam room almost every day. However, experts in the field of medicine do not share such views at all. In their opinion, visiting the bath should be no more than once a week. In principle, this opinion is quite justified. After all, a bath is, first of all, stress for the body, which has a positive effect on health. However, if such stress happens on a daily basis, instead of benefit, you can get harm.

The Russian bath is a symbol of health and longevity. The bath tradition has centuries of history, and therefore, not only the technology of building steam rooms, but also the rules for their use to obtain maximum benefit, were firmly entrenched among the people.

Over time, visiting the bath has been transformed - existing methods improved and changed somewhat, because we are talking about the colossal experience of our ancestors.

However, despite ancient tradition, even now the question of how to competently bathe in a bath causes a lot of controversy and controversy. Therefore, in this article we will consider the key features of visiting the baths.

Secrets of the Russian bath

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

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

1. The type of heating "in black" assumed the presence of an open hearth, and therefore the products of combustion and smoke settled on the walls. Of course, there was an outlet here, which was closed during the heating period. There were no recommendations on how to properly bathe in this type of baths.

1. The type of heating "in white" is modern. Such a building designed to heat water. The hearth here is closed, that is, all the smoke comes out through the chimney. It is about such structures that we will talk today.

Preparation for procedures

The fact that the bath has a powerful healing effect is not a secret to anyone. But in order to reach desired result, you need to know about the features and rules of visiting the bath.

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

And to prevent this from happening, there is a simple and accessible instruction:

1. Before going to the bath, do not overload your body with food.. In order to suppress your appetite, it is best to eat something light.
2. For hygiene reasons, take a shower before treatment.. You can't wet your head. Otherwise, you may cause overheating.
3. When entering the steam room, do not forget to put on a cap or hat on your head. to prevent overheating.

1. The best time for taking bath procedures is determined individually, as 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, the bath can be on par with physical activities such as walking and running.

Broom selection

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 all care, but you can do it yourself by preparing the material in June-July.

If you cannot carry out independent harvesting, then when purchasing a broom, be guided by the following rules:

1. The broom should lie comfortably in the hand. The beam should be neither thin nor thick.
2. Leaves should be healthy and free from mold.

Advice!
One of the most effective ways checking the quality of the broom is as follows: shake the broom strongly, if the leaves do not crumble, then the drying took place according to all the rules, and such equipment can be purchased.

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

About how to steam

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

The soaring technology consists of the following steps:

1. 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. For each person, this stage is individual, but its average duration is from 3 to 10 minutes.

Advice!
If in the process of warming up you experience a rapid heartbeat, sweating and reddening of the skin, then these are normal signs of the body's reaction to elevated temperature.

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

1. First entry with a broom. How to properly steam in a bath with a broom is a rather individual question. It all depends on the person and his susceptibility and adaptation to temperature.
   Naturally, it is best to bathe together:
   
   • The person who will be soared must also lie on his stomach.

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 in order to avoid steam burns, starting from the feet, slowly making light movements with a broom.
  • It is desirable that there are two brooms, one in each hand of the steamer.
  • The main advantage of paired vaping is that the vapers can distribute the percussive movements evenly over the entire surface of the body.

1. Cold and hot shower.

Advice!
If you came to the bath 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 at the same time is to know the measure. After the first entry, it is advisable to wrap yourself in a towel, go out and drink a glass of mineral water or herbal tea here.

Advice!
Drinking in the bath is a must.
The fact is that when sweating, a large amount of fluid is excreted from the body.
Therefore, drinking not only helps restore water balance, but also remove toxins from the body.

1. Second entry with a broom. The second entry has minor differences from the first. The soaring time in this case increases slightly, however, the state of the body should be taken into account. The average time spent in a steam room is 10-20 minutes. This is followed by a contrast shower again.
   If you are a strong person with a healthy heart, then you can douse 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 douse yourself in cold water, go to the steam room for a couple of minutes in order to warm up a bit, and after that you should go back to the relaxation room.

1. Since it is correct to take a steam bath in a sauna means to make 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 bath. IN total number visits can stretch up to five.

Features of the Turkish bath hammam

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

In view of such features, hammam is recommended for people with cardiovascular diseases. The basis of Turkish technology is heating. A feature of such bath buildings is that both the floor and the sunbed, 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 start peeling, the main function of which is to cleanse the skin from dead cells. After that, pouring and resting takes place. The procedure requires periodic repetition with small time intervals.

Bath contraindications

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

For some reason, it is believed that native Russians absorb the ability to bathe with their mother's milk. This opinion is not entirely correct. Steaming with benefit is not very difficult, but there are certain rules, ignoring which can cause damage to the body. Even many of the avid vapers do not know how to properly prepare a bath, they do not know how to take a steam bath in a Russian bath correctly, they simply harm their health instead of strengthening it.

The bathing procedure is a real art, which consists of a combination of many parameters. This includes a correctly selected and high-quality steamed broom, and optimal selection humidity and temperature, and the choice of pleasant aromas for the steam room, and proper preparation to contrasting influences. All these bath components affect the health of the bather, his mood and enjoyment of the washing procedure.

Some useful secrets

It has been experimentally established that the minimum time spent on high-quality bath procedures should be at least 2 hours. You should not run into the bath for half an hour, there will be no benefit from this. The best time to go for a health hike is in the evening. Perfect option suggests that after a bath, a person immediately goes to bed, so that the wellness procedures adequately end with a healthy sleep, which is especially strong and sweet after a steam room.

Taking a steam bath is especially useful after serious physical exertion, if the body is very exhausted and you need to restore its strength in a short time.

On the way to good health, it is enough to strictly observe only two rules:

• You need to go to the bath regularly. Once every week (it is possible once every two weeks, but not less often), you should set aside time for a bath in your schedule, even if it is very busy and has no gaps. An unsystematic, occasional visit to the steam room is ineffective, it will not bring harm, but there will be practically no benefit either.
• No need to test the strength of your body, trying to sit in the steam room for as long as possible. It won't add health. It is much more important to know and follow the sequence of procedures, to use them correctly.

Preliminary preparation

Anyone who goes to "purgatory" for health must forever abolish the "syndrome" bath party. A visit to the bath should not be associated with a cultural event, with alcohol flowing like a river and tables filled with dishes.

You need to clearly understand that the bath is not at all a restaurant with a steam room. You need to go there absolutely sober and not with a full stomach. It is not necessary to starve, you just need to have a bite to eat an hour and a half before going to the bathhouse. It is recommended to take only herbal tea with you, which perfectly quenches your thirst after visiting the steam room. Other non-alcoholic drinks are also suitable: kvass, fruit drink, regular tea. Just don't let them be ice cold.

Bath fees

People usually don't go to the Russian bathhouse empty-handed. You need to have a suitable bag with you, in which you will have:

• change of linen;
• clean sheet;
• bathrobe or wide towel;
• ordinary narrow towel;
• wool cap;
• light shoes, such as flip-flops;
• shampoo, washcloth, soap;
• The most important bath accessory is a broom.

broom preparation

Before starting the steaming procedure, it is necessary to steam the broom in accordance with all the rules, if it is dry, fresh is allowed into the business without steaming. First, the broom is dipped in cold water for 15 minutes, and then in hot water for 3 minutes. Cold water will change color, becoming like green tea. You can add boiling water to it and pour over hot stones. The steam room will be filled with a pleasant aroma.

How to take a steam bath in a Russian bath: the first entry into the steam room

While the broom is steaming, you can start the bath procedure. To learn how to properly bathe in the baths, it is better to go with knowledgeable people. If this is not possible, we read the article further with double attention.

First of all, you need to stand under a warm shower for a couple of minutes. You don't need to wet your head. After the shower, a direct road to the steam room. In this case, a hat should be put on the head. Warming up should begin from the lower shelves. The optimum temperature for initial heating is around 60˚C. Then you can climb higher and lie down on the top shelf.

It is desirable that the legs are slightly higher than the head. In this position, the work of the heart is facilitated. If it is impossible to lie down, then you can sit down, but the legs should be positioned so that they are on the same level with the body.

For the first call, 5 minutes will be enough. This is enough to sweat and adjust the body. After the first entry, you need to relax, drink some hot tea infused with herbs.

Subsequent visits to the steam room

After rest, you can go to the steam room for the second time. The broom is already ready, and it can be put into operation. In order to raise the temperature, you need to splash water several times on hot stones in small portions. The stones will shoot with powerful jets of hot air, and fill the steam room with dry fragrant heat. Small portions of hot water will not quickly cool the stones, allowing you to succumb again and again until the temperature is comfortable for the bather.

It is best to bathe with a broom together. One lays down on the shelves with his back up and relaxes. The second one first blows hot air onto it with a broom. Then he begins to whip the soaring person with gentle blows with a gradual increase in blows. In conclusion, you can rub the body with a broom, but you should not forget that this can not be done with every broom. The procedure is repeated, turning the soaring person on his back.

Having understood how to bathe, you can safely go to the baths. But it is advisable to visit the steam room together for safety reasons: two people can monitor each other's condition and help to leave the hot room in case someone becomes ill. The steam room is a source of quite a serious load on the body, and the body may not withstand it.

Completion of the vaping procedure

Soaring should end according to the sensations. When it gets hot and a feeling of fatigue appears, this is a signal that it is time to go to rest. Almost any person 10 minutes in the steam room will be enough. After leaving the steam room, you need to lie down in the coolness of the rest room. You need to rest the longer, the more visits were made. But it is not recommended to go to bed right away.

First, it is advisable to walk a little, raising your hands up and taking deep breaths, then rinse your body under a warm shower, and only after that you can take a horizontal position. During rest, hot tea or a vitamin drink, which is drunk in small sips, will help maintain heat.

Proper rest

In terms of time, the break between visits to the steam room should not be less than the soaring procedure. After 3-4 visits to the steam room, it is advisable to give yourself a massage with a hard mitten, and before the last one, it would be nice to apply a scrub on the body. Then it remains only to wait for a profuse sweat, which will take 8-10 minutes, and then wash off all the "excesses".

Cooling down after the steam room

In total, 5-7 visits to the steam room are usually made during the bathing cycle. More is not desirable, less may not be enough. After each visit to the steam room, you need to immediately cool down. For this, a pool with cold water, a river or a pond, snow is perfect. Leaving the steam room, you must first wash off the sweat under the shower, and then rush into the hole. You should not just overdo it - contact with ice water should be half a minute, no more.

Not everyone, especially beginners, is ready for such a cold blow. There is no need to reach out for others, showing bravado, it is better to take a moderately cold shower, and postpone swimming in the snow for the next visits to the bathhouse.

Temperature contrast

When, after the next entry into the steam room, there is a feeling of readiness for swimming in the snow or in ice water so you need to warm it up first. After that, a “bullet” into the water or snow - and run back to the steam room. Again, you need to steam well with a broom, while the pleasure a person receives is completely indescribable.

The end of the bath

After the end of the soaring procedure and visiting the washing room, it is advisable to sit a little more in a cool dressing room. To dry properly. Drying yourself with a towel is not necessary, because this will only lead to a new wave of sweating.

Having learned how to take a steam bath, do not forget that this is an excellent tool to promote health, but excessive bravado can be harmful. High temperature is a risk factor that, if used incorrectly, can make even a healthy person sick.

If after entering the steam room there is a feeling of dizziness, shortness of breath, increased heart rate, nausea and lethargy, then it is better not to go to the steam room anymore, because the consequences can be unpredictable and very serious.

To quench your thirst after a bath, you should drink kvass, juices, herbal infusions, mineral water. Useful tea. But beer, on the contrary, is not healthy, like any other alcohol, because it creates an additional burden on the heart.

The expression "enjoy your bath!" familiar to everyone.

It is no coincidence that such a greeting of a person leaving the bathhouse resembles a congratulation.

Indeed, after a good bath, the body becomes younger, the body is filled with lightness, the skin acquires a healthy color and elasticity, and the mood rises.

Why not congratulate you on this?

In order for bath procedures to be beneficial and give only positive results, you need to know how to steam in the bath correctly.

And what is a real bathhouse without a broom? A broom is not a simple attribute for a bath, it enhances the benefits of a steam room. From a broom you can get an excellent massage and beneficial effect phytoncides contained in the foliage.

What kind of broom to choose, how to prepare it and how to take a steam bath in the bath with benefit?

How to steam in the bath: indications and contraindications

Since ancient times, it has become known about the healing properties of the bath. A variety of diseases came to be treated there. It is currently people who go to the bath to relax, relax or lose weight, but in ancient times baths could easily replace hospitals. First of all, colds and runny noses were treated there, in which the bath was considered indispensable. With the help of bath heat treatment, people got rid of chronic bronchitis, catarrh of the throat and nose.

The greatest medieval physician Avicenna wondered how to take a steam bath in the bath. He recommended to be treated in the bath for such ailments:

- insomnia, migraine, melancholy;

- paralysis and spasms of the body;

- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, indigestion, loss of appetite, diarrhea and even hiccups;

- pleurisy;

- joint pain and gout;

- jaundice (requires a regular bath);

- bloody tumors and diabetes;

— severe pain bladder and urination problems due to the stone;

- loss of strength.

He was able to single out the contraindications of the bath for some cases and diseases. Frequent trips to the bath are harmful to vision, categorically contraindicated in case of headaches and epilepsy. With tinnitus, you should not drink wine in the bath, and do it after a head injury. A disease such as asthma is very rarely compatible with a bath, especially not recommended after eating.

It is interesting that to this day his observations are relevant, although more than a thousand years have passed since they were compiled.

Now it is considered that individual approach, in the bath you can get rid of almost any sore.

Bath procedures are prescribed:

- with hypertension and hypotension;

- in diseases of the cardiovascular system;

- with problems with blood circulation;

- with rheumatism and sciatica;

- with skin diseases;

- mild form diabetes;

- with obesity;

- with kidney diseases, as well as to facilitate their work;

- in diseases of the liver.

It was not for nothing that the proverb was coined: “For a couple and in the bath forty diseases come out”.

Modern experts advise people with:

— serious illnesses of cardio-vascular system;

- acute or viral diseases of the respiratory tract, malignant tumors and metastases;

- diseases of the nervous system such as Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, myasthenia gravis, neurovegetative disorders;

- acute and chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, melena, proctocolitis, colostomy and enterostomy;

- severe consequences from childbirth, complicated by pregnancy;

- pustular inflammation on the skin.

How to take a steam bath in a Russian bath: its difference from a sauna

1. The Russian bath has a space filled with water vapor, the temperature in it is kept at around 40–50 °. In the steam room there are benches at different heights, where the heating temperature also differs with height. To cool down use water, snow or fresh air. A sauna or a Finnish bath is different in that hot dry air is used to heat it. At the same time, the temperature in the steam room is kept at about 100 °. You can cool off after the sauna in the water or in the air.

2. Humidity in the sauna is lower, so high temperatures around 100°C are easier to bear.

3. The next visible difference between a Russian bath and a sauna are stones. In the sauna, as a rule, hot stones lie open. They pour water on them and in return they instantly get hot steam. In the Russian bath, the stones are placed inside the oven with a door that is opened to add steam. When the door is closed, the temperature will be maintained at the same level, and the stones will retain heat up to 4 times longer.

4. In the sauna, a swimming pool is an obligatory attribute. In the Russian bath, this phenomenon is quite rare. When the first Russian baths began to appear, they were traditionally built on the banks of lakes or rivers, so that after steaming they could refresh themselves in nature.

5. It is difficult to imagine a Russian bath without a broom, beating with which improves blood circulation and sweating, as well as the general benefits of bath procedures. In the sauna, the broom is inappropriate due to the fact that too hot air simply dries its leaves, and they crumble.

How to steam a broom: secrets and tricks

Before going to the bath, you should first decide on the type of broom. Conventionally, brooms can be divided into:

1) deciduous (birch, oak, mountain ash, linden) - the most common type;

2) herbal;

3) conifers (fir juniper) - a species with bactericidal, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties;

4) prefabricated (combining several types).

Any broom needs pre-steaming. This is done so that it does not crumble at the slightest wave of it. The only exceptions are brooms made from fresh twigs or herbs, as they can be spoiled or boiled when steamed. A dry broom will need to be prepared. There are several ways to do this.

1. Broom is filled with cold water and left in it for 30 minutes. Then it is well shaken off and put into the water with a log house, and with the leaves up for a while. Thanks to this method, water rises along the cuttings and makes the twigs softer. The broom is ready, all that remains is to shake it well in the bath.

2. Another option is for those who have little time. First, a broom made of dry branches is poured with cold water, after a few minutes it is moved to another container with warm water. And after another 2-3 minutes, you can add more hot water to the same container. After these three stages a broom can be used.

3. The easiest and fastest option for softening a broom is boiling water. It should be noted right away that this method is not the most correct and there is a risk of spoiling the broom. Upon arrival in the bath, you should boil water, place a broom in a basin, pour boiling water over it and cover with a lid. Give it 2 minutes and it's ready. Do not leave the broom in boiling water for a long time so that it does not have time to deteriorate.

4. A more extreme way to steam a broom is while in the steam room. The broom should be dipped into the water and carried over the stones while hanging. Water from the branches will drip onto the stones, and form steam, which will steam the broom. With this method, you should be careful not to burn yourself and not leave leaves on hot stones. They will smolder and form a very unpleasant odor.

These basic techniques are only suitable for brooms made of deciduous trees. But how to properly steam in the bath with a herbal broom, the steaming procedure of which is significantly different. They don't need a long stay. It is enough to dip a herbal broom in hot water three times, and it is ready for use. In this case, the exception is a nettle broom, which is very stinging in itself. It must first be lowered for a few minutes in warm water, then moved to cold. You will need to repeat the procedure a couple of times, only after that the nettle broom can be used.

Prickly coniferous brooms should be kept in hot water for at least 15-20 minutes, preferably covered with a lid. Only then will the needles soften and soak with steam.

If you store the broom in the refrigerator, then you will not need to steam it at all. Just enough to let him thaw. And after the bath, they put it in a bag and put it back in the refrigerator.

How to steam with a broom: step by step instructions

1. The first stage can be called preparatory. Before entering the steam room, be sure to remove all jewelry and take a warm shower (approximately 36–38 °). It is necessary in order to prepare the body for the effects of higher temperatures. You do not need to use soap or a washcloth, save them for later steps. Be sure to pat dry with a towel. It is important not to wet your hair in the shower, so that later in the steam room you do not get a heat stroke.

2. Now you should arm yourself with all the things you need, such as a hat, broom, towel and go to the steam room. The first entry is adaptive. You don't need to use a broom yet. The body warms up in 5–10 minutes and prepares for further procedures. Beginners can initially occupy the lower shelves in the steam room, as the temperatures are lower below.

3. After the first and each further exit from the steam room, you need to cool the body with water, snow or air, depending on the equipment of the bath.

4. On the second run, you will need a broom. Therefore, it is important to visit the bath at least together. Massage with a broom involves the following actions:

Swinging movements with a light touch of the body of a person lying on his stomach;

Not hard quilting with the capture of hotter air under the ceiling;

Stroking with a broom along the whole body

The transition to hard whipping, alternating with a few seconds of pressing the broom to different parts of the body;

How The final stage you can choose to rub the body with a broom.

The entire massage should last about 5 minutes. After it, a second cooling procedure is required.

5. For one visit to the bath, experts recommend visiting the steam room from 5 to 7 times.

How to steam in the bath: what you can eat and drink

An important point when visiting the bath is satiety. It is important to know how to properly bathe in the bath, but at the same time not get the promised benefits from the procedures. It's all about food and drink.

You can not go to the bath after a heavy meal or with heavy food in the stomach, as it will be digested for a long time. And that puts a strain on the heart. Also discard the option with an empty stomach right away, because the body needs strength for a difficult bath procedure. In countries such as Finland and Bulgaria, it is considered optimal to eat fruit before going to the bath.

According to the rules, they do not eat in the bathhouse itself, but drink only warm or hot tea. It can be herbal, mint, black with lemon or any other. An alternative is kvass or cranberry juice. Do not drink strong alcoholic beverages, it is very dangerous and can be fatal. Avoid beer and mineral waters, as well as flavored drinks.