The concept of using a steam bath or a sauna bath sounds new, but it is not. The use of steam rooms goes a lot back in history, but what seems better is the practice of still using one. The existence of saunas and steam baths is limited, but one can reap a good number of benefits from using a sauna. With time, a sauna might have changed in design and there might be a lot of added features, but the benefits still remains same. There are some, however, who believes that if anyone wants to use a sauna, then a traditional sauna is the best choice.
So, how does a traditional sauna work?
In a traditional sauna, the environment is heated completely with the help of a heater that uses a rock mass and the steam is created when water is poured over the rocks. Time taken by a traditional sauna to pre-heat the interiors is nearly 45 minutes approximately. The user has to be patient for using the sauna room. The temperature needs to be something around 150 to 195 degrees. The user can use the traditional sauna for just about 20 minutes at the max to break into a sweat. Once you step out of the sauna room, make sure that you take time to cool down. Give yourself 5 to 10 minutes. The person using the sauna room can also adjust the temperature simply by creating steam off the rocks. Doing that, helps to generate humidity within the sauna room and it makes one feel hotter. Not only that, it also makes it a safe option for many.
Investing in a traditional sauna in your home sounds a good idea, but before doing so, make sure that you are aware of a few things.
First of all, keep this in mind that larger traditional saunas might ask for a special wiring for accommodating the heater. Smaller units must be plugged in a designated outlet.
Next, consider the heater. The heater is crucial in making your sauna a successful one. One can look out for certain things in a heater like a sound warranty, low energy consumption, ease of use, and a good number of rocks being used in the heater.
Whether you want to enjoy the dry heat or want to add some humidity, it is your choice. However, experts are of the opinion that humidity is good for reaping the best benefits. Following are some of the health benefits of using a traditional sauna.
- Using a sauna room helps one to lose weight, burning nearly 60 calories in a half hour session.
- The sauna helps to remove toxins from the body due to excessive sweating
- Helps in improving the cardiovascular health by increasing heart rate and circulation but not the blood pressure.
- Sauna helps in strengthening the immune system.
- Opens up the pores, improves skin by flushing out dead skin cells and impurities.
- Helps deal with body and joint pain. Those with Arthritis find using the sauna beneficial by dilating blood vessels and improving the blood flow.
As far as installing a traditional sauna is concerned, it is less expensive when compared to the infrared sauna.