How to Effectively Use a Sauna & Steam Room

While there are many ways to utilize a sauna or steam room, I believe the Russians have an interesting way of using a sauna. It is effective with either a dry sauna or a wet steam room, and the primary principle of the process is a quick change between hot and cold environments to shock the body.

Things You'll Need

• Sauna or Steam Room
• Pool or Pile of Snow
• Aromatic (optional)
• Shower

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Instructions

• 1

  Ok, so the first step in a traditional Russian Sauna is to take a shower. To get clean, wash your hair with shampoo and cleanse the body with soap. After you have showered it is time to enter the sauna or steam room.

• 2

  The difference here is a dry heat environment or a wet environment, both have the goal of raising the body's core temperature and getting you to sweat. The goal of the sweating is to release toxins through the pores and to exfoliate dry and dead skins cells. Either method is effective and the preference is yours. Some like to add aromatics to the sauna, such as mint, eucalyptus, etc. to enhance the experience.

• 3

  After you have sat in the heat for awhile, raised your temperature, and worked up a good sweat, the next step is to jump into a cold pool, or if the right time of year, a snow pile. This shocks the system and reverses the trend in body temperature. The theory is the constant changing and sudden changes make the cleansing process more efficient.

• 4

  Finally, after you go through a few rounds of the sauna and the pool, it is time to shower again, clean the sweat and dead skin cells from your body. Remember to drink plenty of water and juice during and after the sauna to help in the cleansing process.