The correct bathing procedure is recommended by the bathing rules posted in many public saunas and published by the German Sauna Association eV, Bielefeld.
1. Please note that the sauna bath is not a strictly regulated bath. The sauna user should primarily feel comfortable. Beginners to sauna bathing can leave the sauna room earlier than recommended. Pay attention to how you feel when taking a sauna bath.
2. Make sure you have enough time. A full sauna bath takes about two hours. It is meant to be relaxing; rushing through the treatments will put more strain on your body than relax it. You should also not go into the sauna hungry or with a full stomach.
3. First clean yourself in the shower and then dry yourself thoroughly, because dry skin sweats more quickly. A warm foot bath before the sauna also promotes sweating.
4. In the sauna, place your towel under your whole body. The stay should be short, but the effect should be intense. Therefore, sweat on the middle or upper bench. Eight to 15 minutes is enough. Above all, trust your feelings. You should sit up for the last two minutes to get your circulation used to the upright position.
5. Do not get in the shower or plunge pool right away. First cool off in the fresh air, the body now needs oxygen. Only then pour off with a Kneipp hose or cool down under the flood shower. If you use the plunge pool, remember that you should wash off your sweat beforehand.
6. After cooling down, a warm foot bath creates a pleasant feeling of warmth, as this allows the body to fully balance its temperature. Further cold water applications train the blood vessels particularly intensively and increase your body's resistance.
7. Following this, a short break is recommended to promote recovery.
8. It is better not to drink anything while you are in the sauna, otherwise the detox effect will largely not be achieved. The use of a solarium, on the other hand, does not interfere with the effectiveness of the sauna. Since the sauna bathing with the many water applications leads to a reduction in the horny layer and thus increases the sensitivity to light, especially in fair-skinned people, the solarium should best be used before going to the sauna.
9. Carry out further saunas like the first, with three saunas in a row being sufficient to achieve the desired health goals. Further sauna sessions no longer lead to an increase in the sauna effects.
10. A sauna bath is particularly useful for physical and mental relaxation. In order to maintain the effectiveness of the sauna and to avoid unfavorable circulatory reactions, you should therefore refrain from sporting activities after the sauna. A massage, on the other hand, can intensify the relaxing effect between sauna sessions or after the sauna.
Source: German Sauna Association eV, Bielefeld (www.sauna-bund.de)
