Tips on proper sauna bathing

By Aliki Nassoufis Nov 28, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Berlin - When the weather turns colder and rainier, many people like going to the sauna. It is not only pleasantly warm and quiet there; sauna sessions are also relaxing and said to steel the body against infection.

Incorrect sauna bathing can be harmful however, so it is important to heed a few safety tips.

'There are quite a large number of casual sauna-goers as well as absolute greenhorns,' remarked Lutz Hertel, chairman of the German Wellness Association. 'They're generally ignorant of proper behaviour before, during and after a sauna session.'

Improper behaviour can result in unpleasant experiences, even circulatory collapse. Some men, in particular, dangerously overdo it, he said.

'Though they lack the routine, they sit at the highest (and hottest) level, where they remain, suffering increasingly, much longer than is necessary - and longer than is good for them.'

Practised correctly, a sauna bath can have health benefits.

'As far back as the ancient Romans, heat was recognized as being very pleasant,' noted Wolfgang Wesiack, president of the Professional Association of German Internists.

'The heat in the sauna alone really does help to relax muscles.' And the quietness of a sauna contributes psychologically to relaxation, he added.

Many people take sauna baths to strengthen their body's defences.

'The sauna process - that is, alternating between heat and cold - activates the immune system,' Wesiack said. This strengthens the body's defences and can protect against common colds and other infections, he pointed out.

'In addition, alternating heat and cold stabilizes blood circulation.'

To achieve these positive effects, a sauna bath must be taken correctly.

'You shouldn't stay in a sauna too long and you've got to allow yourself sufficient recuperation between sauna sessions,' said Marco Riedel of KissSalis Thermal Bath in the Bavarian spa town of Bad Kissingen.

So novices should begin with a rather mild sauna at temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees centigrade. 'Eight to 10 minutes per sauna session is good,' he said.

'Afterwards, it's good to move around a bit, preferably outdoors,' Riedel advised. And then comes the cold shower, but not all of a sudden.

'It's good to slowly direct the water from the right foot, leg and arm to the left half of the body and the heart,' he said, after which a 20- to 30-minute rest is in order. Another sauna session or two, hotter than the first, can follow, along with moving around, taking a cold shower and resting.

'For three sauna sessions, you should plan on about two hours. Rushing through them faster doesn't do you any good,' Riedel said.

'If you feel unwell in the sauna, you should get out sooner,' he added. And people who find that it is too hot on the topmost bench after water has been poured over the heated rocks should move to a lower bench.

'Regularity promises beneficial effects,' Riedel said. 'You should enjoy a sauna day once or twice a week.'

This does not apply to everyone, however. 'Someone with circulatory problems needs to observe a few rules,' Hertel warned, including not entering a sauna on a full stomach and avoiding added strain to the circulatory system by pouring water on the hot rocks.

'For people with low blood pressure, the subsequent cold water applications are especially important.'