Ask me about sauna :>

[Unelias]

Or other things you want to know from Finland I am glad to answer with everything I know

[magical mike]

What is it?

[WhiteWolf]

Is Sauna bad for your health?... And are there any benefits from Sauna? Also is it true that you have to take a cold shower after your done?

[Unelias]

For the first question : sauna is an ancient form of heat bath, which has variations all over the world. Still, many think that word sauna should be used only for the Finnish version of heat bath. You might get the importance of sauna in Finnish culture if you think that there is about 5 million inhabitants in Finland and about 2 million saunas. Also, many Finns who move abroad build their own sauna and usually Finnish peacekeepers have their own tent saunas at least in their missions in the past times sauna was also a place where people gave birth, did pagan magic and prepared the dead for the burial. Still, it is essentially a bathing place. In Finnish sauna the temperature is usually between 80-100 celcius ( it is usually considered the good average temperature) and water is poured to the stones often. Also, many use vihta ( or vasta in eastern dialect) while bathing. It is a bunch that is made of birch twigs (with leaves ) that have been tied together. People "whip" themselves with the vasta to increase the movement of hot air and to stimulate skin. Sauna is also seen in Finland as sex-free, even gender-free zone. Families usually go together to sauna, friends and co-workers alike. While public places like swimming halls have their own saunas for men and woman, it is quite normal for friends etc to go in mixed gender sauna I quess that qualifices as short introducion about the word for starters as for Wolf's question : no I don't see why it would be bad for your health unless you have problems with your hearth or any other medical condition. Instead, it greatly benefits health in many ways. I actually made this thread because foreign people rarely have correct information about sauna and its benefits. Also, as sauna has moved out from Finland many of its original ways have been forgotten or "twisted". Cold shower is not a must, but many like to do it. Many do something relating cooldown ( jäähy) in Finnish. Popular ways are as you mentioned cold shower, pouring bucket of ice cold water over you, going rolling into snow or swimming ( both summer and winter). Many grownups ( myself included) love to sit on the outside of sauna and have a cold beer, talk or just be quiet What I have noticed is that in some countries people seem to believe that sauna should be used for weight loss. That is not the idea at all back here

[dajo]

When I go to the fitness center, I always go to the saune afterwards and then we have a pool with cold water (not too cold). After that it feels like you were reborn! And you can always have too much of anything, if you fall asleep in the saune for example, it is not good for your health for sure. But you can feel, when it is too much. I, for example, can't really stay longer than 10 minutes, after that I feel my body telling me - enough, cool down. That's when I leave, it's that simple. But sauna generally is VERY good for your health! You sweat out the poisons in your body and strenghen your immune system immensely. But I'm no expert. Just my experiences.You should try, though! :-) (My father also has a sauna in his apartement and when I was young, we had one in our house. Didn't use it a lot back then, but my faher has always been a big fan!)

[Unelias]

Nice to see that you have sauna back there too I assume it is electricity heated? The best saunas are wooden heated, saunas near lake or smokesaunas if you ever happen to stumble to Finland, ask if there is a change to go in smokesauna. I wish I could see saunas abroad since I have heard that at least in Germany you cannot pour even water to the stones in most of the saunas O.o or that the temperature is as low as 40 celcius :/ Well of course everyone has limit and sauna can be dangerous if you spend there too much time. When I go to sauna, I am usually there for hour to 2 hours. With friends on summer it can be easily hours Sometimes I like to lay down on my back and raise my legs and just ponder things in the heat. I can easily be 30-40 mins without cooling down

[Mes Tarrant]

Saunas are a huge part of the culture here in S Korea as well. It took me about 2 minutes to get comfortable being naked around everyone... It's much easier to do than one may think.

[Unelias]

Yeh, well some people have immense problems doing it even after years well what can I say, cultures are very different. But I see no reason of being ashamed of it. Besides, here it makes no difference in sauna

[dajo]

Nice to see that you have sauna back there too I assume it is electricity heated? The best saunas are wooden heated, saunas near lake or smokesaunas if you ever happen to stumble to Finland, ask if there is a change to go in smokesauna. I wish I could see saunas abroad since I have heard that at least in Germany you cannot pour even water to the stones in most of the saunas O.o or that the temperature is as low as 40 celcius :/ No, not electric, the wooden ones with water on the stones up to 100°C. I am from germany... and I can't affirm what you've heard. 40°C sounds pretty silly to me, it has to be hot. I have seen an electric one before, but I didn't like that at all. I usually stay up to 10-15 minutes, cool down and then go back in. Friends of mine also stay in up to an hour per turn, I just can't do that, I start feeling uncomfortable. It's just a very individual thing and also has to do with getting used to it. As for the being naked... yeah, no problem! I mean, everybody is. And I don't like seperated-sex-saunas. But we rarely have those. edit.: I know smoke saunas, too, they are usually a little bit colder. I was in a couple of them when I was in Island. But, since Finland is like - the home of saunas (that is also what is tried to be achieved here, so they say) I am sure, it is a lot better there!

[Unelias]

High five! Good to hear Well I have heard this from my Germanese friends and Finnish friends who went to Germany :/ odd.. well it's a GOOD thing they are like you explained yes it's very individual thing of course, and you should not be more than you feel comfortable. Unless, of course, you are a Finn and challenge everyone in sauna to löyly-competition. Creative insanity is a fun thing.

[dajo]

Well I have heard this from my Germanese friends and Finnish friends who went to Germany :/ odd.. well it's a GOOD thing they are like you explained I guess it depends. You have different kinds and have to know where to go. Like, I look out for the "scandinavian kind" (which is like.. the "normal kind" to me) But I barely ever saw the electric ones or those without stones and wood. Maybe it's also dependent on the region. Not that many people use them here though... so I bet a lot are kind of clueless. yes it's very individual thing of course, and you should not be more than you feel comfortable. Unless, of course, you are a Finn and challenge everyone in sauna to löyly-competition. Creative insanity is a fun thing. I'd loose every challenge. You win

[magical mike]

Oh tis one of those heat rooms! Could I build one in my room or house?

[Marvo]

When I was in Iceland, I was in a sauna. The sulphur smell made it feel you were sitting in a shithole though, so I got out pretty fast. I was used to the smell everywhere else. Saunas are fairly common in Denmark, most bathing facilities have them.

[Unelias]

hmm well I think that is pretty much because Iceland has those hot fountains and has somewhat vulcanic ground(is it?). Normal sauna smells fantastic For Mike, well you *could* but I doubt you lack the expertise to do a proper sauna. A good sauna is not one of the easiest buildings to make

[magical mike]

hmm well I think that is pretty much because Iceland has those hot fountains and has somewhat vulcanic ground(is it?). Normal sauna smells fantastic For Mike, well you *could* but I doubt you lack the expertise to do a proper sauna. A good sauna is not one of the easiest buildings to make Oh, its like an ancent mystical why of building these probably? (not being sarcastic) I seen online you can buy kits and stuff. I was at a suana, (I was on a Boy scout swimming thing were I swim a messly mile) But uhh I went int the sauna with a friend, (He was like 17 at the time) And there was this dude, who walked in and he had like siran wrap comeing out of his pants, I couldent stop laughing.. I pulled my towal over my face so thay wouldent notice. (thought I would share )

[Jeff777]

Unelias, greetings from America! What do Saunas DO for the skin? Or is relaxation their only purpose? Are saunas good for the hair or bad for the hair and are you supposed to wrap your head before entering a sauna?

[Unelias]

Greetings back from Finland first for Mike : All I meant with difficulty to build is that rarely a normal craftsman has the know-how to make a good sauna. In Finland there are lots of companies that build exclusely saunas and it used to be very mystical and still is in Finland. There are many non-written rules for sauna behavior i.e being too noisy is often seen as paus fax. An old Finnish saying goes : you are in the sauna like you are in a church. It is a very hard concept to explain for foreigner but I will try my best. I can tell more about sauna behavior etc. to jeff : Well I am not expert of health so I did some homework too I am terribly sorry but my English isn't really so good so I would be able to express all these medical terms I was going to so this is an part of Wikipedia article. Sauna may provide some relief to patients with asthma and chronic bronchitis, and may also alleviate pain and improve joint mobility in patients with rheumatic disease. The sauna does not cause drying of the skin, and may even benefit patients with psoriasis, although sweating may increase itching in patients with atopic dermatitis. Contraindications to sauna include unstable angina pectoris, recent myocardial infarction, and severe aortic stenosis. Sauna is safe, however, for most people with stable coronary heart disease. It is not harmful to the aged or young even infants over 3 months in moderation and does not affect wound healing. Sauna use may reduce the incidence of the common cold, and temporarily relieve the symptoms. It increases performance in endurance sport, increases plasma volume and red cell volume in athletes, decreased systolic blood pressure, significantly improved exercise tolerance, increased peak respiratory oxygen uptake, and enhanced anaerobic threshold in chronic conditions. Sauna plus multidisciplinary treatment may reduce chronic pain more effectively than multidisciplinary treatment alone. Sauna reduces chronic pain more effectively than cognitive behaviour therapy. It is indicated for rheumatic pain (with cold shower) but not for neuropathic pain. Is effective for appetite loss and mild depression.Indicated in reducing symptoms in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis,and indicated for anorexia nervosa. Sauna improves function in conditions such as, congestive heart failure, and high blood pressure, improves vasodilation, improves heart arrhythmia, and reduces heart rate on exercise. Sauna has been proposed for treatment of other conditions such as, glaucoma.Sjogren syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, anorexia nervosa, obstructive lung disease,recuperation after childbirth, and also for lifestyle related diseases of, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, atherosclerosis and smoking induced symptoms. Sauna has also been found to reduce levels of stress hormones adrenalin and noradrenalin and to increase levels of ACTH, cortisol and beta endorphin. Sauna has been found to increase the hormone testosterone in men. Sauna also found to reduce prostaglandin F2alpha and protect against oxidative stress. It enhances activation of monocytes to bacteria and endotoxins. Other benefits of saunas: It has shown that regular saunas combined with exercise therapy can efficiently clear organic chemicals, solvents,drugs, pharmaceuticals even PCBs and heavy metals from the body. In addition a sauna followed by a cold shower has been shown to reduce pain in rheumatoid arthritis where pain is mediated by sensitised c-fibre sympathetics. Regular saunas have also been found to improve micro circulation reduce vasoconstriction and hypertension. Many symptoms of chronic illnesses may be due to vasoconstriction effects eg. cold sensitivity, pain even mood states, and sauna improves microcirculation and blood supply to constricted areas.Research has also shown that adaptation to cold through short term cold stimulus, as in cold swimming, immersion (or showers) has the added benefit of improving the body's anti oxidant capabilities, with increases in glutathione and reduction of uric acid, which may mean better handling of the stresses of illness. Those that are shown to involve reduced glutathione or increased glutathione use, include; cardiovascular conditions, pulmonary diseases, diabetes, inflammatory bowel diseases, cancer, osteoporosis, aging, and after pesticide exposure.Conditions involving oxidative stress include neuro degenerative diseases, CFS, bone fracture and others. Conditions in which increased uric acid may be a risk factor include, gout, metabolic disease and vascular diseases. A reported study from the Thrombosis Institute in London into the effects of the cold bathing found that volunteers that followed a disciplined daily regime had increased immune white blood cells and the level of the bodies natural blood thinning enzymes substantially increased, improving micro circulation. It also stimulated the production of hormones such as testosterone in men, and boosted women's production of oestrogen. Cold water immersion raises thresholds of pain tolerance, and aids adaptation to cold, reduces muscle spasm, can influence the frequency of respiratory infections and improve subjective well-being. It may cause an immunological modulation in terms of the Th1-type pattern, which is a proinflammatory cytokine profile. It is involved in diseases such as arthritis, diabetes,inflammatory myopathies, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, CFS, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, fatigue conditions, auto immune disease and other inflammatory conditions. Cold water adaptation reduced total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, lowered plasma viscosity and blood pressure rate product. Cold water immersion reduces recovery time in athletes, enhances repeat performance and reduces exercise induced muscle damage. Cold water exposure challenges both the neuro-endocrine and the immune systems, reduces stress hormones and attenuates their response. Increases ADH and cortisol and increases immunomodulatory cytokines. Cold water exposure and adaptation can modify the sensory functions of hypothalamic thermoregulatory centres to lower heat loss and produce less heat during cold exposure and have immunostimulating effects.The thermogenic action of adrenaline in cold exposure produces heat and may reduce this stress hormone. An important effect is the ability of sauna to use up excess sympathetic nerve tone in both the central and peripheral nervous systems and just as importantly use up excess levels of local tissue hormones involved in feedback loops to the hypothalamus, thus aiding recovery in chronic illness. The therapeutic sauna with hot cycle followed by a cold cycle brings the benefits of both, forces all the blood to flow gently and evenly outwards to the skin to cool off in the heat of the sauna, and then forces it to flow evenly inwards to protect and heat the vital organs of the body when suddenly cooled. With sauna, sections of the body with chronically deprived blood, increase supply and reduce oxidative stress. As the blood supply cycles into the organs and then out to the skin it acts like a pump bringing stored chemical toxins from remote areas of the body through the microcirculation to the skin to be removed in sweat. The skin of our bodies is in effect another eliminatory organ so even when other organs are compromised in chronic illnesses or contamination, the skin through sweating can rid the body of such chemicals and toxins. The parasympathetic system governs sweat glands secretion and is increased by sauna. Sweating is used to eliminate toxic metals, just as iron loss in sweat increases with exercise in athletes. It has been shown with drugs such as caffeine, that delayed metabolic (organ) clearance was offset by a sizeable elimination in (skin) sweat by sauna. Sweat tests have shown pharmaceutical drugs are eliminated in sweat, narcotics, alkaloids and barbiturates are eliminated in sweat, and elimination increased with heat. Sweat analysis is also used for diagnosis of some disease, toxic metal excretion in sweat is used in diagnosis of chronic disease the result of contamination, and sweating used to eliminate toxic metals. The beneficial effects of therapeutic sauna are both temporary and long term, some benefits will last about 24 hrs. Adaptation and detoxification will occur after longer use when the practice can be suspended or continued if beneficial. Relaxation, however, is often seen as major purpose. For me, among many others, there is nothing better than hot sauna after a hard day. The relaxation is not only cause by the heat, but it is very much spiritual to majority of Finns. I myself could say that sauna is a home for my spirit where it rests and rejuvenates sauna is often seen as symbol of life too, since it is place of water and fire, both see as creative forces. The stove ( kius in Finnish) is the hearth of sauna, since it harbors the fire, which is often seen as life creating or life keeping element in the North. ( if you find that unfamiliar, imagine what do you think in -30 celcius temperature with cold blizzard all around you ) Also, the water you pour to the rocks, is called löyly. Löyly is very strange word since originally it meant "spirit" or "soul". Many surrounding countries have similar word for pouring water. About the hair.. well I am a male with very short hair so I don't know much about that ^^ but in Finland you don't bring towels into the sauna, it is considered as faus pax. You go either naked or then in swimming suits if it is mix gender sauna. Usually naked though But I would let my hair to breath, instead of wrapping it. I don't see that sauna could do much bad to the hair, the opposite really

[Marvo]

hmm well I think that is pretty much because Iceland has those hot fountains and has somewhat vulcanic ground(is it?). Normal sauna smells fantastic Yeah, I know, there's a lot of suphur smell in water of Iceland. You get used to it

[shubhi]

Or other things you want to know from Finland I am glad to answer with everything I know hie... i want to know whether sauna is not good in summers ?? my gym ppl say that it'll blacken ur skin and blah blah which i think is utter rubbish ! just want to confirm ! please reply asap

[shubhi]

hie... i want to know whether sauna is not good in summers ?? my gym ppl say that it'll blacken ur skin and blah blah which i think is utter rubbish ! just want to confirm ! please reply asap