The expression "with light steam!" familiar to everyone.
It is no coincidence that such a greeting from a person leaving the bath resembles a congratulation.
After all, 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 him?
In order for bath procedures to be beneficial and give only positive results, you need to know how to steam in the bath.
And what is a real bath without a broom? A broom is not a simple attribute for a bath; it enhances the benefits of the steam room. From a broom, you can get an excellent massage and the beneficial effect of volatile products contained in the foliage.
What to choose a broom, how to prepare it and how to steam in the bath with benefit?
How to steam in the bath: indications and contraindications
Since ancient times, it became known about the healing properties of the bath. A variety of diseases came to treat there. This is currently going to the bathhouse to relax, relax or lose weight, but in ancient times, baths could easily replace hospitals. First of all, colds and colds went there to treat, in which the bath was considered indispensable. With the help of bath heat therapy, people got rid of chronic bronchitis, catarrh of the throat and nose.
The greatest medieval physician Avicenna wondered how to bathe in the bath. He recommended to be treated in a bathhouse for such ailments:
- insomnia, migraine, melancholy;
- paralysis and body spasms;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, indigestion, loss of appetite, diarrhea and even hiccups;
- pleurisy;
- joint pain and gout;
- loss of voice or its hoarseness;
- jaundice (requires a regular bath);
- bloody tumors and diabetes;
- severe pain of the bladder and problems with urination due to stone;
- a breakdown.
He was able to isolate and contraindications baths for some cases, and diseases. Frequent trips to the bathhouse are harmful to vision, are categorically contraindicated for headaches and epilepsy. With noise in the ears, you should not drink wine in the bath, also do it after head injuries. A disease such as asthma is very rarely compatible with the bath, especially not recommended after meals.
It is interesting that to this day his observations are relevant, although more than a thousand years have passed since their compilation.
Now it is believed that with an individual approach, in the bath you can get rid of almost any sore.
Bath procedures are prescribed:
- with hypertension and hypotension;
- with diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- with problems with blood circulation;
- with rheumatism and radiculitis;
- with skin diseases;
- with a mild form of diabetes;
- with obesity;
- with diseases of the kidneys, as well as to facilitate their work;
- with liver diseases.
It was not without reason that a saying was invented: "Forty diseases come out in a steam room and in a bathhouse".
Refrain from going to the bath advise modern specialists to people with:
- severe diseases of the cardiovascular system;
- acute or viral diseases of the respiratory tract, malignant tumors and metastases;
- diseases of the nervous system like Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, myasthenia gravis, neuro-vegetative 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 steam in a Russian bath: its difference from a sauna
1. 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 use water, snow or fresh air. A sauna or a Finnish bath is different in that it is heated with hot, dry air. In this case, the temperature in the steam room is kept at about 100 °. You can cool off after the sauna in water or in the air.
2. Humidity in the sauna is lower, so high temperatures around 100 ° are easier to carry.
3. The next visible difference between a Russian bath and a sauna is stones. In a sauna, as a rule, hot stones lie openly. They pour water on them and in return instantly receive hot steam. In a Russian bath, stones are located inside the oven with a door that is opened to add steam. With the door 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 a mandatory attribute. In a Russian bath, this phenomenon is quite rare. When the first Russian baths began to appear, they were traditionally built on the shores of lakes or rivers, so that after steaming it was possible to freshen up in nature.
5. It is difficult to imagine a Russian bath without a broom, the whipping of which helps to improve blood circulation and sweating, as well as the overall benefit of the 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 bathhouse, you should first decide on a broom. Conventionally, brooms can be divided into:
1) deciduous (birch, oak, mountain ash, linden) - the most common type;
2) herbal;
3) coniferous (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 he 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. The broom is filled with cold water and left in it for 30 minutes. Then it is well shaken off and put into the water by a log house, and leaves up for a while. Thanks to this method, water rises according to the cuttings and makes the twigs softer. The broom is ready, it remains only in the bath to shake it well.
2. Another option is suitable for those who have a little time. First, a broom from dry branches is poured with cold water, after a few minutes it moves to another container with warm water. And after 2-3 minutes, you can add more hot water to the same tank. After these three steps, you can use the broom.
3. The easiest and fastest option for softening a broom is boiling water. It is immediately worth noting that this method is not the most correct and there is a risk of spoiling the broom. Upon arrival in the bathhouse, boil water, place a broom in a basin, pour boiling water and cover. Give him 2 minutes and he is 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 of steaming a broom - being in the steam room. The broom should be dipped in water and carried on weight over the stones. Water from the branches will drip onto the stones, and form steam, which will steam the broom. With this method, it is worthwhile to be careful not to burn yourself and leave leaves on hot stones. They will smolder and form a very unpleasant odor.
These basic techniques are suitable only for brooms from deciduous trees. But here's how to steam in a bath with a herbal broom, the procedure for steaming is significantly different. They do not need a long parking. It is enough to dip the grass broom three times into hot water, and it is ready for use. In this case, an exception is a nettle broom, which is very burning in itself. It must first be lowered for several 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.
Thorny 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 keep the broom in the refrigerator, then you will not need to steam it at all. It’s enough that he just thawed. And after the bath, they put it in a bag and again put it 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, it is imperative to remove all jewelry from yourself and visit 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 at the same time, leave them for later stages. Be sure to dry yourself with a towel. It is important not to wet your hair in the shower, so that later in the steam room you won’t get heat stroke.
2. Now you should arm yourself with all the things you need, such as a hat, a broom, a towel and go to the steam room. The first approach is adaptive. You do not 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 below and temperatures are lower.
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 approach you will need a broom. Therefore, it is important to visit the bathhouse at least for two. Massage with a broom implies the following actions:
• Swinging movements with a light touch of the body of a person lying on his stomach;
• Non-rigid quilting with the capture of hotter air under the ceiling;
• Stroking a broom along the entire body
• The transition to hard whipping, alternating with a few seconds of pressing the broom to different parts of the body;
• As a final step, you can choose rubbing with a broom of the body.
The entire massage should last about 5 minutes. After it, a repeated cooling procedure is mandatory.
5. At one time visiting the bath, experts recommend visiting the steam room 5 to 7 times.
How to steam in the bath: what you can eat and drink
An important point when visiting a bath is satiety. It is important to know how to steam in the bath, but not to receive the promised benefits from the procedures. And it's all about food and drink.
You can’t go to the bathhouse after a heavy meal or with heavy food in the stomach, as it will be digested for a long time. And this puts a strain on the heart. The option with an empty stomach also sweep away immediately, 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 bathhouse.
According to the rules, they don’t eat in the bathhouse, they only drink 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 water, as well as drinks with flavors.
