SaunaScape

If you know the Muppets, you know the song “Mahna mahna.” It was the first act of the first episode of the Muppet Show in 1976 and closes out the 2011 movie The Muppets. But did you know that “Mahna mahna” got its start in the sauna?

“Mah Nà Mah Nà” was written by Italian composer Piero Umiliani. It made its debut in a the pseudo documentary “Svezia, inferno e paradiso” (Sweden: Heaven and Hell) in a scene called “The Polar Bare Club” featuring a dozen or so Swedish women who walk through the snow into a traditional sauna, where we then see them clad in a towel. You can see the safe for work version at YouTube, or a longer and not-so-safe version at DailyMotion.

We leave you with Victor Nureyev and Miss Piggy singing “Baby It’s Cold Outside” in a steam room.

If you know the Muppets, you know the song "Mahna mahna." It was the first act of the first episode of the Muppet Show in 1976 and closes out the 2011 movie The Muppets. But did you know that "Mahna mahna" got its start in the sauna? "Mah Nà Mah Nà" was written by Italian composer Piero Umiliani. It made its debut in a the pseudo documentary "Svezia, inferno e paradiso" (Sweden: Heaven and Hell) in a scene called "The Polar Bare Club" featuring a dozen or so Swedish women who walk through the snow into a traditional sauna, where we then see them clad in a towel. You can see the safe for work version at YouTube, or a longer and not-so-safe version at DailyMotion. We leave you with Victor Nureyev and Miss Piggy singing "Baby It's Cold Outside" in a steam room. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARUM0-jtjIg

You can’t search for articles on “steam room” on the internet very long without coming across infomercial style weight loss claims: “Lose weight fast! With our new Super Steam Bath, you’ll be burning up to 600 calories every half hour, all without moving a muscle! Act now! Operators are standing by!”

Meanwhile, the fitness gurus, like Chris Klebba all say “the effects of a steam room on weight loss are due to a loss of water from sweating, not actual fat loss. Bottom line, forget it for fat loss.”

So who’s right? Well in a strange twist, both of them are wrong!

Steam rooms don’t burn many calories. But they do help regulate hormones that drive us to overeat. Interestingly, a steam room also helps those who don’t eat enough to eat more.

Better still, regular steam room users have improved circulation, which can help prevent  atherosclerosis, and reverse the effects of coronary heart disease.

These are conclusions from a 2003 study by Kagoshima University in Japan, where a team of researchers studied the effects of steam bath therapy on lifestyle diseases. The study began as a test to see if steam bathing could be used to improve the health of patients with congestive heart failure. The team noted improvement in both the symptoms and cardiac function of their subjects after a single steam bath, and continued improvement with more, regular steam baths.

When they examined the underlying mechanism of these improvements, they hypothesized that a similar improvement in the health of patients with lifestyle-related diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking and obesity could also be improved with regular steam bathing.

They tested a group of “at risk” people, who each had one or more of these conditions, and were not receiving treatment for any of these. What they found surprised them. After 2 weeks of daily steam room use, where they raised their body temperature by 2°F (1°C) for 30 minutes, they found that every member of the group had a lower blood pressure. Fasting plasma glucose and body weight also went down for the group.

To study this further, they repeated the study with a group of 5 men and 5 women. For 2 weeks, they all ate a controlled diet of 1800 calories / day, and each took a single steam bath each day. At the end, all 10 had lost weight. Their collective body fat fell from an average of 42% to 37%.

They did not attribute these results to calorie burn in the steam room, but instead to better regulation of the hormones that controlled their appetite. During the study, the subjects did not get hungry as quickly, and did not tend to overeat or snack between meals.

Coronary heart disease patients who were under eating as a result of their disease did the exact opposite: Regular steam baths improved their appetite, and they ate more to get them back to a healthy weight.

So, if you want to drop a few pounds, spend time every day in the steam room or sauna at your gym. You aren’t burning calories, but you should lose weight. Isn’t that what counts?

[Clinical Implications of Thermal Therapy in Lifestyle-Related Diseases] via Stephen Colmant

[caption id="attachment_248" align="alignright" width="300" caption="photo by whoaitsaimz on Flickr"][/caption] You can't search for articles on "steam room" on the internet very long without coming across infomercial style weight loss claims: "Lose weight fast! With our new Super Steam Bath, you'll be burning up to 600 calories every half hour, all without moving a muscle! Act now! Operators are standing by!" Meanwhile, the fitness gurus, like Chris Klebba all say "the effects of a steam room on weight loss are due to a loss of water from sweating, not actual fat loss. Bottom line, forget it for fat loss." So who's right? Well in a strange twist, both of them are wrong! Steam rooms don't burn many calories. But they do help regulate hormones that drive us to overeat. Interestingly, a steam room also helps those who don't eat enough to eat more. Better still, regular steam room users have improved circulation, which can help prevent  atherosclerosis, and reverse the effects of coronary heart disease. These are conclusions from a 2003 study by Kagoshima University in Japan, where a team of researchers studied the effects of steam bath therapy on lifestyle diseases. The study began as a test to see if steam bathing could be used to improve the health of patients with congestive heart failure. The team noted improvement in both the symptoms and cardiac function of their subjects after a single steam bath, and continued improvement with more, regular steam baths. When they examined the underlying mechanism of these improvements, they hypothesized that a similar improvement in the health of patients with lifestyle-related diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, smoking and obesity could also be improved with regular steam bathing. They tested a group of "at risk" people, who each had one or more of these conditions, and were not receiving treatment for any of these. What they found surprised them. After 2 weeks of daily steam room use, where they raised their body temperature by 2°F (1°C) for 30 minutes, they found that every member of the group had a lower blood pressure. Fasting plasma glucose and body weight also went down for the group. To study this further, they repeated the study with a group of 5 men and 5 women. For 2 weeks, they all ate a controlled diet of 1800 calories / day, and each took a single steam bath each day. At the end, all 10 had lost weight. Their collective body fat fell from an average of 42% to 37%. They did not attribute these results to calorie burn in the steam room, but instead to better regulation of the hormones that controlled their appetite. During the study, the subjects did not get hungry as quickly, and did not tend to overeat or snack between meals. Coronary heart disease patients who were under eating as a result of their disease did the exact opposite: Regular steam baths improved their appetite, and they ate more to get them back to a healthy weight. So, if you want to drop a few pounds, spend time every day in the steam room or sauna at your gym. You aren't burning calories, but you should lose weight. Isn't that what counts? [Clinical Implications of Thermal Therapy in Lifestyle-Related Diseases] via Stephen Colmant

A reader wrote us this question:

Dear SaunaScape:

I’m going to a resort with some friends this weekend. In the spa area, they have a sauna. I’ve never used one before. There is one in my gym locker room and I don’t use it because it intimidates me. I don’t want to make a sauna faux-pas.

What is the etiquette for using a public sauna or a steam room like this?

Thank you,

Jordan

Jordan:

You shouldn’t get anxious about the sauna. It is a place to relax and do what is comfortable. Yes, it is a new experience for a lot of people, but as long as you remember the golden rule – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you – you’ll be just fine.

If you are looking for some more specific rules, here is our top ten list of the most important etiquette rules consider when using a public sauna or steam bath:

10. Close the door.

Nothing upsets me more than when I am getting a good sweat on and someone else gets up to leave and does not close the door behind them. Nearly as bad is when someone is on their way in, and stops to chat with someone else while holding the door open.

When the sauna door is open, it does not take long for the heat to spill out of the sauna. It’s even worse in a steam room. If your gym or resort was stingy while sizing their sauna heater, it may take ten minutes or more for the sauna to recover from the door being open for just a minute.

If you are going in or out, please do it quickly, and make sure the door closes firmly behind you.

9. Sit on a towel.

Nothing is worse than walking into a sauna and having to find a spot to sit among the sweaty body prints others have left on the sauna bench. Saunas are not hot enough to kill germs, and in a high-use area like a public sauna, there may be a sealant or a protective barrier of gunk that neutralizes the disinfecting properties of wood.

Bring a towel in the sauna or steam room that is large enough to make a barrier between your body and the benches. If you’re sitting upright, a hand towel is big enough. If you’re going to lay down, you probably need a beach towel. It will protect you from what others have left behind, and keep you from leaving things behind.

Make sure you have a second towel that you leave outside the sauna to dry off with afterwards. You won’t want to use a sauna towel, and you can’t use a steam room towel to dry off after you’re done.

8. The sauna is not a clothes dryer.

There is a person at my gym who believes that the sauna is his personal clothes dryer. He does cardio, then goes for a swim. He brings in his sweaty clothes, wet bathing suit and towel and hangs them on the railing around the sauna stove to dry while he showers. Please, whatever you do, don’t do this.

7. Silence is golden.

I use the sauna as my place for relaxation and introspection. If you are going to talk, please do it quietly. Of course, if it is your own sauna, or you have the sauna to yourself, you can yak it up if you want. Just respect that in a public place, other people may want quiet.

6. If it’s in a locker room, it’s OK to got naked.

It seems like  Tobias Fünke wrote most sauna etiquette guides. Most begin with a rant against seeing other people’s naked bodies in locker rooms. I’m going to rant the other way: It’s a locker room. You’re supposed to change clothes in there, which means you need to get naked in there. Until the early 1970′s, many high school and YMCA swimming pools throughout the US and Canada expected men to swim naked. Now, proper decorum says we aren’t supposed to show our bodies to anyone.  This ad  is indecent (but not this one).

They call it a sauna bath for a reason. You wouldn’t complain about people being naked in the shower, would you? So if the sauna is in an area where you can be naked, then go naked in the sauna! It’s more hygienic and better for you too.

By the way, a sweat suit or a sauna suit is never appropriate attire for the sauna. If you don’t want to get naked, see our post on what to wear in the sauna.

5. Keep your hands and eyes to yourself.

I may sauna naked, or with very little clothing. That does not mean that I amshowing off for anyone else. The Finns have a saying, “behave in a sauna like you would in church.” I’ve been in a number of saunas and seen some things that definitely aren’t church-like.

My attitude is, that if someone is coming on to someone else in the sauna, it isn’t hot enough. I go looking for the thermostat to turn up the heat. In a proper sauna, you can’t think about anything except “can I stay in here another minute?”

4. Leave your electronics outside.

The sauna isn’t good for your electronics, but electronics also aren’t good for the sauna. The heat and humidity (yes, even if it’s a dry sauna) in the sauna will damage your phone, iPod or other gizmo. The etiquette problem is nearly every device has a camera these days. I don’t know if you are just browsing through your music collection or if you’re taking photos of me. I’d rather not have to ask. The other problem is your music. Yes, you’re listening to it on earphones, but if it is quiet in the sauna, I’m probably going to hear most of it. And really, if that phone call is so important, why are you taking it in the sauna?

Use your gizmo while you’re working out, but leave it in your locker when you take a sauna.

3. No spitting on the rocks.

I’ve seen this happen before. I shouldn’t have to write it. Just don’t do it.

2. Shower before you sauna.

Reading through other sauna etiquette posts on the internet, it is amazing how many people see nudity as dirty, but don’t see dirt as dirty. I’ve seen it at my gym too: people remove their sweaty workout clothes to reveal a sweaty swimsuit underneath and head straight for the sauna. Or someone comes right out of the pool and heads straight into the sauna.

If you’ve been swimming, there is chlorine on your body that will volatilize in the sauna and can irritate everyone’s eyes and lungs who shares the sauna with you. If you have been out in public, your perfume or some other smell you picked up throughout your day will become stronger and more pungent in the sauna.

Be considerate to the others who use the sauna with you: Take a shower first. If you’re wearing a swimsuit or some other clothing in the sauna, take it off while you shower.

Don’t forget to take at least a quick rinse off after you sauna before you get into the pool.

1. Remember to ask first before you do anything that affects me.

This is a public sauna, and I’m going to share it with you. I may like what you want to do, like splashing water on the rocks, or using that secret trick that sends the heater into overdrive. I may not care about others, like if you prepare some secret skin rub that you’re going to use or if you’re going to exercise in the sauna. Or, I may not want to stay, and may ask you to wait until I leave before you start.

This is a public place. I have as much right to enjoy the sauna the way I want to as you do. If they conflict, let’s talk about it and find a way we both can live with. Everyone will be better off that way.

Keep in mind, these are the general rules for a public sauna. If you are lucky enough to have your own, you can make your own rules. If you are a guest in someone else’s sauna, then you should ask them what their rules are before making assumptions.

Good Luck!

What is your opinion of sauna etiquette in your gym’s locker room? Take our poll and let us know!

 

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Photo of the Kotiharju Public Sauna in Helsinki. Image by Sami Oinonen via Flickr"][/caption] A reader wrote us this question: Dear SaunaScape: I'm going to a resort with some friends this weekend. In the spa area, they have a sauna. I've never used one before. There is one in my gym locker room and I don't use it because it intimidates me. I don't want to make a sauna faux-pas. What is the etiquette for using a public sauna or a steam room like this? Thank you, Jordan Jordan: You shouldn't get anxious about the sauna. It is a place to relax and do what is comfortable. Yes, it is a new experience for a lot of people, but as long as you remember the golden rule – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you – you'll be just fine. If you are looking for some more specific rules, here is our top ten list of the most important etiquette rules consider when using a public sauna or steam bath: 10. Close the door. Nothing upsets me more than when I am getting a good sweat on and someone else gets up to leave and does not close the door behind them. Nearly as bad is when someone is on their way in, and stops to chat with someone else while holding the door open. When the sauna door is open, it does not take long for the heat to spill out of the sauna. It's even worse in a steam room. If your gym or resort was stingy while sizing their sauna heater, it may take ten minutes or more for the sauna to recover from the door being open for just a minute. If you are going in or out, please do it quickly, and make sure the door closes firmly behind you. 9. Sit on a towel. Nothing is worse than walking into a sauna and having to find a spot to sit among the sweaty body prints others have left on the sauna bench. Saunas are not hot enough to kill germs, and in a high-use area like a public sauna, there may be a sealant or a protective barrier of gunk that neutralizes the disinfecting properties of wood. Bring a towel in the sauna or steam room that is large enough to make a barrier between your body and the benches. If you're sitting upright, a hand towel is big enough. If you're going to lay down, you probably need a beach towel. It will protect you from what others have left behind, and keep you from leaving things behind. Make sure you have a second towel that you leave outside the sauna to dry off with afterwards. You won't want to use a sauna towel, and you can't use a steam room towel to dry off after you're done. 8. The sauna is not a clothes dryer. There is a person at my gym who believes that the sauna is his personal clothes dryer. He does cardio, then goes for a swim. He brings in his sweaty clothes, wet bathing suit and towel and hangs them on the railing around the sauna stove to dry while he showers. Please, whatever you do, don't do this. 7. Silence is golden. I use the sauna as my place for relaxation and introspection. If you are going to talk, please do it quietly. Of course, if it is your own sauna, or you have the sauna to yourself, you can yak it up if you want. Just respect that in a public place, other people may want quiet. 6. If it's in a locker room, it's OK to got naked. It seems like  Tobias Fünke wrote most sauna etiquette guides. Most begin with a rant against seeing other people's naked bodies in locker rooms. I'm going to rant the other way: It's a locker room. You're supposed to change clothes in there, which means you need to get naked in there. Until the early 1970's, many high school and YMCA swimming pools throughout the US and Canada expected men to swim naked. Now, proper decorum says we aren't supposed to show our bodies to anyone.  This ad  is indecent (but not this one). They call it a sauna bath for a reason. You wouldn't complain about people being naked in the shower, would you? So if the sauna is in an area where you can be naked, then go naked in the sauna! It's more hygienic and better for you too. By the way, a sweat suit or a sauna suit is never appropriate attire for the sauna. If you don't want to get naked, see our post on what to wear in the sauna. 5. Keep your hands and eyes to yourself. I may sauna naked, or with very little clothing. That does not mean that I amshowing off for anyone else. The Finns have a saying, "behave in a sauna like you would in church." I've been in a number of saunas and seen some things that definitely aren't church-like. My attitude is, that if someone is coming on to someone else in the sauna, it isn't hot enough. I go looking for the thermostat to turn up the heat. In a proper sauna, you can't think about anything except "can I stay in here another minute?" 4. Leave your electronics outside. The sauna isn't good for your electronics, but electronics also aren't good for the sauna. The heat and humidity (yes, even if it's a dry sauna) in the sauna will damage your phone, iPod or other gizmo. The etiquette problem is nearly every device has a camera these days. I don't know if you are just browsing through your music collection or if you're taking photos of me. I'd rather not have to ask. The other problem is your music. Yes, you're listening to it on earphones, but if it is quiet in the sauna, I'm probably going to hear most of it. And really, if that phone call is so important, why are you taking it in the sauna? Use your gizmo while you're working out, but leave it in your locker when you take a sauna. 3. No spitting on the rocks. I've seen this happen before. I shouldn't have to write it. Just don't do it. 2. Shower before you sauna. Reading through other sauna etiquette posts on the internet, it is amazing how many people see nudity as dirty, but don't see dirt as dirty. I've seen it at my gym too: people remove their sweaty workout clothes to reveal a sweaty swimsuit underneath and head straight for the sauna. Or someone comes right out of the pool and heads straight into the sauna. If you've been swimming, there is chlorine on your body that will volatilize in the sauna and can irritate everyone's eyes and lungs who shares the sauna with you. If you have been out in public, your perfume or some other smell you picked up throughout your day will become stronger and more pungent in the sauna. Be considerate to the others who use the sauna with you: Take a shower first. If you're wearing a swimsuit or some other clothing in the sauna, take it off while you shower. Don't forget to take at least a quick rinse off after you sauna before you get into the pool. 1. Remember to ask first before you do anything that affects me. This is a public sauna, and I'm going to share it with you. I may like what you want to do, like splashing water on the rocks, or using that secret trick that sends the heater into overdrive. I may not care about others, like if you prepare some secret skin rub that you're going to use or if you're going to exercise in the sauna. Or, I may not want to stay, and may ask you to wait until I leave before you start. This is a public place. I have as much right to enjoy the sauna the way I want to as you do. If they conflict, let's talk about it and find a way we both can live with. Everyone will be better off that way. Keep in mind, these are the general rules for a public sauna. If you are lucky enough to have your own, you can make your own rules. If you are a guest in someone else's sauna, then you should ask them what their rules are before making assumptions. Good Luck! What is your opinion of sauna etiquette in your gym's locker room? Take our poll and let us know! What would you wear in a locker room sauna? Public OpinionView Results  

I was in a hotel a few weeks ago, and they had one of those magnifying mirrors in the bathroom. As I was brushing my teeth, I got a glimpse of a close-up view of my nose. Gross! I’m not typically a vain person, but I changed my morning plans and headed out to the nearest drugstore to buy a box of nose strips so I wouldn’t offend the client I was about to visit.

Once your eyes open to what your nose looks like at 10x magnification, you can’t ignore it anymore. I noticed that the strips would clean the blackheads out of my nose for a couple of days, but pretty soon, it would be back to its same yucky appearance. Sure the nose strips worked, but they are expensive, and leave a glue-like residue on your nose. There has to be a better way I thought.

There is. The sauna is the best exercise for your skin. If you use it correctly, you can sauna away your blackheads, pimples and other skin blemishes.

Using a sauna to clear your acne

To get started, you need a sauna. If you don’t have one at your gym or spa, you can find a public one in our database, or search for a hotel sauna if you’ll be traveling. Any type of sauna will work for this: A conventional Finnish-style sauna, an infrared sauna, or even a steam room or steam sauna all work well. It just needs to get your body hot enough to sweat.

To do this, you need:

• A bathing suit (or less if you’re comfortable), because you’re going to get wet;
• Two towels: one to sit on in the sauna, and one to dry off with;
• A brush, loofah, or rough cloth to exfoliate your skin; and
• Your preferred soap or facial cleanser.

To begin, take a hot shower and wash your acne problem area with your soap or cleanser. Make sure to rinse all the soap off well when you finish. Many cleansers can leave a residue that can promote acne. After your shower, dry yourself off.

Now head into the sauna. Lay your towel on the bench and relax. If you want, splash some water on the rocks to increase the sensation of heat. Wait until your body starts sweating.

If you’ve never used the sauna before, you may feel a some of moisture on your forehead just after you enter. This is most likely condensation and not sweat. Depending on the heat of the sauna, it may take 5-10 minutes before your body starts really sweating. You will know when, because sweat will be pouring out of every square inch of your skin.

Now that your sweat is flowing, take your exfoliating device of choice, and gently rub at the surface skin of all your problem areas. All that sweat will mobilize your sebum and mobilize all the dirt, dead skin and other contaminants that might be in your skin. When you are done exfoliating, stay in the sauna for another minute or two and let your sweat continue to do its magic.

Once you finish in the sauna, or if the heat gets to be too much for you, head back to the showers. Start with a warm shower and rinse your skin clean. When you have done that, turn the shower to as cold as is comfortable, and stand under it until you feel like the deluge of sweating has stopped. Don’t use soap or other cleansers.

When you are done, towel dry again and take a break until you have stopped sweating. Take a drink, go for a walk, just sit and relax or even go for a swim if there is a pool available. Your body needs to recover from your first sauna round.

Once you feel like you are back to normal, head back into the sauna again. You should start sweating more quickly this time. Again, once your whole body sweat starts, exfoliate that problem area another time, sweat it out and shower off to cool down. When you are showering, resist the temptation to use soap. If you typically put on lotion after a shower, resist that temptation too. You will find that after a sauna, all of your skin’s natural oils have done the job for you.

When you look at your problem area in the mirror, you will find that your skin is more clear than ever before. A sauna session like this at least twice a week will keep your skin clear for a lot less money than some of those fancy cleansers will.

Your skin: close up

To understand how a sauna removes acne, it helps to take a closer look at your skin. There are two major types of glands in your skin that secrete substances to help it: Sweat glands and sebaceous glands.

Sebaceous glands surround your hair follicles and secrete a waxy substance, called sebum, onto the surface of your skin. Sebum is unlike any other substance your body secretes, and all of its purposes are still not well understood by the medical community. Sebum helps protect your skin by moisturizing it and providing nutrients directly to the surface skin cells. It also helps repel water from your skin when you are cold, but also keeps your sweat from rolling off when you are hot. Some even believe it has antibacterial properties that protect your skin from disease.

The problems come when your sebaceous glands get blocked. There are many things that can block them: dead skin, cosmetics, bacteria, even a poor diet. If the blockage is at the surface of your skin, you get a blackhead. If the blockage is underneath, you get a whitehead, pimple or a boil.

The Sauna and Sebum

When you heat up your skin with a sauna, it does several things for you that can help get rid of your acne. Raising the temperature makes sebum more fluid causing it to flow. Also, when you start sweating, the sweat released softens your skin and mixes with the sebum to make it more fluid.

When you exfoliate your skin in the sauna, the sebum helps lubricate whatever device you are using, making it easier to get rid off all that stuff your skin doesn’t want on it, while your sweat mobilizes it and carries it away.

Some risks:

A few words of warning before you try this treatment:

If you are on a prescription medication, talk to your doctor before you go in the sauna. The heat of the sauna can cause your medicine to be absorbed more quickly than normal, potentially giving you a short-term overdose. Some medications affect your body’s response to heat, putting you at risk of overheating while in the sauna.

While you are in the sauna, listen to your body. If you feel lightheaded or nauseous, leave at once and get yourself into a cool shower to lower your body temperature. When you do go to leave the sauna, stand up slowly to reduce the risk of fainting.

Some types of acne do not respond well to a sauna treatment. For instance, if your acne is cystic, this regimen can complicate things. Keep an open mind, and if things don’t work the way you expect them to, speak to a medical professional.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Image by RachelHermosillo via Flickr"][/caption] I was in a hotel a few weeks ago, and they had one of those magnifying mirrors in the bathroom. As I was brushing my teeth, I got a glimpse of a close-up view of my nose. Gross! I'm not typically a vain person, but I changed my morning plans and headed out to the nearest drugstore to buy a box of nose strips so I wouldn't offend the client I was about to visit. Once your eyes open to what your nose looks like at 10x magnification, you can't ignore it anymore. I noticed that the strips would clean the blackheads out of my nose for a couple of days, but pretty soon, it would be back to its same yucky appearance. Sure the nose strips worked, but they are expensive, and leave a glue-like residue on your nose. There has to be a better way I thought. There is. The sauna is the best exercise for your skin. If you use it correctly, you can sauna away your blackheads, pimples and other skin blemishes. Using a sauna to clear your acne To get started, you need a sauna. If you don't have one at your gym or spa, you can find a public one in our database, or search for a hotel sauna if you'll be traveling. Any type of sauna will work for this: A conventional Finnish-style sauna, an infrared sauna, or even a steam room or steam sauna all work well. It just needs to get your body hot enough to sweat. To do this, you need: A bathing suit (or less if you're comfortable), because you're going to get wet; Two towels: one to sit on in the sauna, and one to dry off with; A brush, loofah, or rough cloth to exfoliate your skin; and Your preferred soap or facial cleanser. To begin, take a hot shower and wash your acne problem area with your soap or cleanser. Make sure to rinse all the soap off well when you finish. Many cleansers can leave a residue that can promote acne. After your shower, dry yourself off. Now head into the sauna. Lay your towel on the bench and relax. If you want, splash some water on the rocks to increase the sensation of heat. Wait until your body starts sweating. If you've never used the sauna before, you may feel a some of moisture on your forehead just after you enter. This is most likely condensation and not sweat. Depending on the heat of the sauna, it may take 5-10 minutes before your body starts really sweating. You will know when, because sweat will be pouring out of every square inch of your skin. Now that your sweat is flowing, take your exfoliating device of choice, and gently rub at the surface skin of all your problem areas. All that sweat will mobilize your sebum and mobilize all the dirt, dead skin and other contaminants that might be in your skin. When you are done exfoliating, stay in the sauna for another minute or two and let your sweat continue to do its magic. Once you finish in the sauna, or if the heat gets to be too much for you, head back to the showers. Start with a warm shower and rinse your skin clean. When you have done that, turn the shower to as cold as is comfortable, and stand under it until you feel like the deluge of sweating has stopped. Don't use soap or other cleansers. When you are done, towel dry again and take a break until you have stopped sweating. Take a drink, go for a walk, just sit and relax or even go for a swim if there is a pool available. Your body needs to recover from your first sauna round. Once you feel like you are back to normal, head back into the sauna again. You should start sweating more quickly this time. Again, once your whole body sweat starts, exfoliate that problem area another time, sweat it out and shower off to cool down. When you are showering, resist the temptation to use soap. If you typically put on lotion after a shower, resist that temptation too. You will find that after a sauna, all of your skin's natural oils have done the job for you. When you look at your problem area in the mirror, you will find that your skin is more clear than ever before. A sauna session like this at least twice a week will keep your skin clear for a lot less money than some of those fancy cleansers will. Your skin: close up To understand how a sauna removes acne, it helps to take a closer look at your skin. There are two major types of glands in your skin that secrete substances to help it: Sweat glands and sebaceous glands. Sebaceous glands surround your hair follicles and secrete a waxy substance, called sebum, onto the surface of your skin. Sebum is unlike any other substance your body secretes, and all of its purposes are still not well understood by the medical community. Sebum helps protect your skin by moisturizing it and providing nutrients directly to the surface skin cells. It also helps repel water from your skin when you are cold, but also keeps your sweat from rolling off when you are hot. Some even believe it has antibacterial properties that protect your skin from disease. The problems come when your sebaceous glands get blocked. There are many things that can block them: dead skin, cosmetics, bacteria, even a poor diet. If the blockage is at the surface of your skin, you get a blackhead. If the blockage is underneath, you get a whitehead, pimple or a boil. The Sauna and Sebum When you heat up your skin with a sauna, it does several things for you that can help get rid of your acne. Raising the temperature makes sebum more fluid causing it to flow. Also, when you start sweating, the sweat released softens your skin and mixes with the sebum to make it more fluid. When you exfoliate your skin in the sauna, the sebum helps lubricate whatever device you are using, making it easier to get rid off all that stuff your skin doesn't want on it, while your sweat mobilizes it and carries it away. Some risks: A few words of warning before you try this treatment: If you are on a prescription medication, talk to your doctor before you go in the sauna. The heat of the sauna can cause your medicine to be absorbed more quickly than normal, potentially giving you a short-term overdose. Some medications affect your body's response to heat, putting you at risk of overheating while in the sauna. While you are in the sauna, listen to your body. If you feel lightheaded or nauseous, leave at once and get yourself into a cool shower to lower your body temperature. When you do go to leave the sauna, stand up slowly to reduce the risk of fainting. Some types of acne do not respond well to a sauna treatment. For instance, if your acne is cystic, this regimen can complicate things. Keep an open mind, and if things don't work the way you expect them to, speak to a medical professional.

Today is Halloween. With the world focused on ghouls, ghosts and goblins, what better a time than to think about scary scenes in the sauna. It’s amazing that the sauna isn’t used as a vehicle in more movies: The intense heat, the glowing rocks of the stove, and the unnatural sounds that you sometimes hear from your fellow sauna-goers, can conjure up ideas that Satan himself is tending the fires of the stove.

#5. The War of the Roses

This classic black comedy from 1989 features Michael Douglass and Kathleen Turner as a once happily married couple that now loves their house more than each other. Both want out of their marriage, but neither wants to leave their trophy house. They divide the house into regions, so each can go on living there separately, while going to great lengths to force the other to leave. One night, as Douglass is enjoying an after-work sauna, Turner blocks the door, trapping him inside.

You can watch the War of the Roses on Amazon or iTunes.

#4 Spirited Away

You’re a preteen Japanese girl, and your father has just transferred to a new job, forcing you and your family to move to a new to a new town. That sounds pretty scary to begin with, but what if on the drive there, you made a wrong turn which ended at a mysterious tunnel into a spirit world. Your father, ever the adventurer, urges the family through, and he and your mother are transformed into pigs. Your only chance to save them is to work at the local witch queen’s bath house while you attempt to find a way to rescue your parents.

You can buy Spirited Away on DVD from Amazon

#3 247°F

This one is making the film festival circuit in late 2011, with wide release expected in 2012. Three buff young movie stars blah-blah. Where they are locked in a sauna run amok. Now they have to figure out how to escape before the obviously possessed electronic thermostat outside the sauna causes the wood-fired sauna stove to heat faster! (Obviously, since it is a horror film, some suspension of disbelief is required.) We think this film could have been made better if the actors were dressed more appropriately.

You can find out more information at the film’s homepage or IMDB.

#2 The Chaos Experiment

Val Kilmer is a former professor who cares about global warming and the environment. To show how much he cares, he traps six unsuspecting people in a Turkish bath. He uses the threat of cooking them alive to demand that his local paper publish his global warming diatribe on their front page.

You can watch The Chaos Experiment on Amazon or iTunes

 

#1 Sauna

After 25 years of war with Russia, two brothers are set out to map the new border. The year is the late 1500′s. The setting is what will become Finland. As they walk the border, they must cross a strange swamp. In the swamp they discover a strange village with an even stranger sauna inside. This film, made in 2008 by a Finnish director is lauded for its haunting cinematography and beautiful score. The movie itself is truly scary, not in the slasher horror film style, but on a more deep psychological level.

You can buy Sauna on DVD from Amazon or electronically on iTunes.

Today is Halloween. With the world focused on ghouls, ghosts and goblins, what better a time than to think about scary scenes in the sauna. It's amazing that the sauna isn't used as a vehicle in more movies: The intense heat, the glowing rocks of the stove, and the unnatural sounds that you sometimes hear from your fellow sauna-goers, can conjure up ideas that Satan himself is tending the fires of the stove. #5. The War of the Roses This classic black comedy from 1989 features Michael Douglass and Kathleen Turner as a once happily married couple that now loves their house more than each other. Both want out of their marriage, but neither wants to leave their trophy house. They divide the house into regions, so each can go on living there separately, while going to great lengths to force the other to leave. One night, as Douglass is enjoying an after-work sauna, Turner blocks the door, trapping him inside. You can watch the War of the Roses on Amazon or iTunes. #4 Spirited Away You're a preteen Japanese girl, and your father has just transferred to a new job, forcing you and your family to move to a new to a new town. That sounds pretty scary to begin with, but what if on the drive there, you made a wrong turn which ended at a mysterious tunnel into a spirit world. Your father, ever the adventurer, urges the family through, and he and your mother are transformed into pigs. Your only chance to save them is to work at the local witch queen's bath house while you attempt to find a way to rescue your parents. You can buy Spirited Away on DVD from Amazon #3 247°F This one is making the film festival circuit in late 2011, with wide release expected in 2012. Three buff young movie stars blah-blah. Where they are locked in a sauna run amok. Now they have to figure out how to escape before the obviously possessed electronic thermostat outside the sauna causes the wood-fired sauna stove to heat faster! (Obviously, since it is a horror film, some suspension of disbelief is required.) We think this film could have been made better if the actors were dressed more appropriately. You can find out more information at the film's homepage or IMDB. #2 The Chaos Experiment Val Kilmer is a former professor who cares about global warming and the environment. To show how much he cares, he traps six unsuspecting people in a Turkish bath. He uses the threat of cooking them alive to demand that his local paper publish his global warming diatribe on their front page. You can watch The Chaos Experiment on Amazon or iTunes   #1 Sauna After 25 years of war with Russia, two brothers are set out to map the new border. The year is the late 1500's. The setting is what will become Finland. As they walk the border, they must cross a strange swamp. In the swamp they discover a strange village with an even stranger sauna inside. This film, made in 2008 by a Finnish director is lauded for its haunting cinematography and beautiful score. The movie itself is truly scary, not in the slasher horror film style, but on a more deep psychological level. You can buy Sauna on DVD from Amazon or electronically on iTunes.

There is a sauna in the locker room in my gym. Just like you see on the workout floor, there is a huge variety of what people wear in the sauna. Many believe there are no wrong ways to use a sauna, but there are definitely some wrong things to wear into the sauna.

This list applies no matter what kind of sauna you are going in: infrared sauna, Finnish sauna, portable sauna, and even a steam room.

Here is our list of what to wear in the sauna from best to worst.

Best Sauna Attire: Nothing

We’ve said it here many times before. The sauna is a bath. It is a way to clean and exercise your skin. The best way to sauna is naked with all of your skin exposed to the heat. As you are in there, you don’t have to worry about any clothing getting soaked with sweat, and when you get out, you don’t need to worry about your clothes holding heat.

Of course, don’t forget you still need a towel to sit or lay on while you are in the sauna. Unless it’s your own personal sauna, you don’t want to leave your sweaty butt prints on someone else’s sauna benches. (Worse still, you don’t want to pick something up from a sweaty butt print someone else left on the sauna bench). Even if it is your own sauna, protecting the wood from your body oils will help make your sauna benches last longer.

If you are modest, you can wrap yourself in a towel or sarong while in the sauna. Although we find that trying to keep a towel properly positioned, especially those too-small ones gyms like to give out, while you get in and out of the sauna is more embarrassing than just letting it all hang out.

Second Place: A Swimsuit

In many parts of the world, nudity is expected in the sauna. However, there are times, like at a hotel or club, where the sauna is poolside, in a mixed public area. At other times, the bath house or spa with your sauna is coed and they need coverage. This is especially true at saunas in the English-speaking parts of the world. Since you’ll be sweating profusely in the sauna, a swimsuit is a good compromise when you have to wear something.

An older bathing suit where the fabric has started to lose its elasticity is a good choice for the sauna. This way it’s a little loose, and you won’t mind getting it sweaty. Another advantage with old swimwear is that there is a pretty good chance you’ve proven it is colorfast and won’t lose its colors when you jump in the shower, pool or hot tub after your sauna.

If you are going to wear a swimsuit in the sauna, don’t wear it under your clothes. You want to change into it there, preferably just before you use the sauna. All of pollutants you’ve picked up from the environment can travel into your skin once you start sweating in the sauna.

Also, rinse off between the pool and the sauna. You don’t want to leave a sweat slick in the pool, and you don’t want to release chlorine vapors in the sauna! If you can, it is best if you take off your suit while you shower.

Don’t forget to sit on a towel when you are in the sauna. Your bare skin should not touch the wood of the sauna benches.

Men’s Swimsuits

For men, any pair of loose-fitting swim trunks is good to wear in the sauna. If you can find them, a swimsuit made from a natural fiber like bamboo or cotton are the best choices. If not, look for something made from a non-stretchy synthetic like nylon or microfiber. The heat from the sauna can damage elastic fibers.

Women’s Swimsuits

Finding a good women’s swimsuit for the sauna is a more difficult challenge. Most women’s suits are designed as form-fitting and are made with lots of Lycra or other stretchy synthetics. The heat from the sauna will damage these fibers and cause them to lose their elasticity, leaving you with a baggy suit. You also should be careful about the dyes used in women’s suits: There are stories of women who went in the sauna with a colored suit, then afterwards went for a swim and ended up with a white suit! The heat of the sauna caused the dye to release.

When wearing a swimsuit in the sauna, try to avoid suits that have slimming panels or racing suits. The compression of these are going to restrict your breathing and make your time in the sauna very uncomfortable. Definitely avoid any suit with an underwire. The metal in the underwire will heat up quickly in any sauna and can burn you. Yikes!

For women, a bikini top with a pair of men’s style bottoms is your best bet. This gives you the least amount skin of coverage, and the best chance of finding a suit with little stretch to it. Of course, not every woman feels comfortable in a bikini. If you feel you need more coverage, look for a suit that at least has a liner made from bamboo or another natural material.

Honorable Mention: Cotton Clothes

A cotton tee-shirt and shorts are the norm in the coed areas of a Korean sauna. Others prefer a cotton sarong or other body wrap. While it is not the best for getting wet, clean, cotton clothes will allow your skin to breathe easily while you are in the sauna, and will not get damaged or evolve toxic compounds in the heat of the sauna. For those concerned about modesty, a longer legged short or even a pair of yoga pants could be a good choice.

Any clothing you plan to wear in the sauna should be clean, so you shouldn’t have worn them all day. If you are using the sauna correctly, you are going to get sweaty and you won’t want to wear those clothes anyway when you are done. Bring them with you and change into them when you are ready to sauna. Don’t wear any underwear in the sauna: Underwear tends to be constricting, and you want to be able to breathe easily. Ladies, don’t wear your bra in the sauna: They are constricting, usually made from synthetic materials and trust us, you don’t want an underwire in the sauna.

Unacceptable

There are a lot of things that we have seen people wear in the sauna that are not acceptable for sauna use. We’ve seen and heard of some strange ones over the years, so it’s going to be hard to list them all, but we’ll try to at least cover some of the most common ones.

• Shoes: This is probably one of the worst offenses. There is all kinds of junk you pick up walking around all day. Bringing that into the sauna is a bad thing, plus the heat of the sauna when it lingers in your shoe is just going to make you susceptible to athlete’s foot. If you wear shower sandals when walking through the gym, make sure you leave them on the floor when you step on the benches.
• Sauna Suits: It is our opinion that sauna suits should not be worn by anyone, ever. Especially in a sauna. Covering your whole body with plastic insulates your body from the heat of the sauna, eliminating most of the effects. Most sauna suits are made of PVC, which has a melting point lower than many saunas. PVC sauna suits give off toxic fumes and leaches toxic liquids for years after it was manufactured. You don’t want those compounds touching your skin, and you really don’t want to be breathing them in while you are in the sauna.
• Sweat Suits: During wrestling season, we see a lot of young people going in the sauna wearing a full sweat suit with the hood pulled up. My guess is they are trying to cut weight before their next match. It does not do them any good. In the sauna, that sweat suit is going to act as an insulator from the heat of the sauna. It slows the progress of heat, so it’s going to take a lot longer in the sauna before they start to sweat, which is what they really want. If you’re going to cut weight in the sauna, go in naked, then put on your sweat suit when you can’t stand it anymore to slow your cool down.
• Workout Clothes: You got all sweaty on the treadmill, and now you’re coming into the sauna with those same clothes on? Please.
• Street Clothes: This is probably the worst offense. The fabric of your clothing picks up all sorts of chemical and biological compounds during the day. When you come into the sauna wearing these, you releasing them to everyone who is in there with you. Your modesty is not that sacred. Please get changed.

Sauna Laundry

This article would not be complete without a discussion of how to clean what you wore into the sauna. Many commercial laundry detergents are loaded with things like optical brighteners, foaming agents, perfumes and fabric sizing chemicals that you don’t want touching your body when you are in a sauna. Your best bet is to use an ultra gentle detergent meant for baby clothes, or even no detergent, just plain vinegar. Give everything an extra rinse to make sure as much soap is out as possible, and then dry everything normally.

However, if you’re going with the quick rinse in the sink method, don’t use the sauna as your dryer!

Even if you don’t use the sauna, if you wash your swimsuits this way, you will find that they last longer.

What do you prefer to wear in the sauna? Let us know in our poll.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Photo by colorblindPICASO on Flickr"][/caption] There is a sauna in the locker room in my gym. Just like you see on the workout floor, there is a huge variety of what people wear in the sauna. Many believe there are no wrong ways to use a sauna, but there are definitely some wrong things to wear into the sauna. This list applies no matter what kind of sauna you are going in: infrared sauna, Finnish sauna, portable sauna, and even a steam room. Here is our list of what to wear in the sauna from best to worst. Best Sauna Attire: Nothing We've said it here many times before. The sauna is a bath. It is a way to clean and exercise your skin. The best way to sauna is naked with all of your skin exposed to the heat. As you are in there, you don't have to worry about any clothing getting soaked with sweat, and when you get out, you don't need to worry about your clothes holding heat. Of course, don't forget you still need a towel to sit or lay on while you are in the sauna. Unless it's your own personal sauna, you don't want to leave your sweaty butt prints on someone else's sauna benches. (Worse still, you don't want to pick something up from a sweaty butt print someone else left on the sauna bench). Even if it is your own sauna, protecting the wood from your body oils will help make your sauna benches last longer. If you are modest, you can wrap yourself in a towel or sarong while in the sauna. Although we find that trying to keep a towel properly positioned, especially those too-small ones gyms like to give out, while you get in and out of the sauna is more embarrassing than just letting it all hang out. Second Place: A Swimsuit In many parts of the world, nudity is expected in the sauna. However, there are times, like at a hotel or club, where the sauna is poolside, in a mixed public area. At other times, the bath house or spa with your sauna is coed and they need coverage. This is especially true at saunas in the English-speaking parts of the world. Since you'll be sweating profusely in the sauna, a swimsuit is a good compromise when you have to wear something. An older bathing suit where the fabric has started to lose its elasticity is a good choice for the sauna. This way it's a little loose, and you won't mind getting it sweaty. Another advantage with old swimwear is that there is a pretty good chance you've proven it is colorfast and won't lose its colors when you jump in the shower, pool or hot tub after your sauna. If you are going to wear a swimsuit in the sauna, don't wear it under your clothes. You want to change into it there, preferably just before you use the sauna. All of pollutants you've picked up from the environment can travel into your skin once you start sweating in the sauna. Also, rinse off between the pool and the sauna. You don't want to leave a sweat slick in the pool, and you don't want to release chlorine vapors in the sauna! If you can, it is best if you take off your suit while you shower. Don't forget to sit on a towel when you are in the sauna. Your bare skin should not touch the wood of the sauna benches. Men's Swimsuits For men, any pair of loose-fitting swim trunks is good to wear in the sauna. If you can find them, a swimsuit made from a natural fiber like bamboo or cotton are the best choices. If not, look for something made from a non-stretchy synthetic like nylon or microfiber. The heat from the sauna can damage elastic fibers. Women's Swimsuits Finding a good women's swimsuit for the sauna is a more difficult challenge. Most women's suits are designed as form-fitting and are made with lots of Lycra or other stretchy synthetics. The heat from the sauna will damage these fibers and cause them to lose their elasticity, leaving you with a baggy suit. You also should be careful about the dyes used in women's suits: There are stories of women who went in the sauna with a colored suit, then afterwards went for a swim and ended up with a white suit! The heat of the sauna caused the dye to release. When wearing a swimsuit in the sauna, try to avoid suits that have slimming panels or racing suits. The compression of these are going to restrict your breathing and make your time in the sauna very uncomfortable. Definitely avoid any suit with an underwire. The metal in the underwire will heat up quickly in any sauna and can burn you. Yikes! For women, a bikini top with a pair of men's style bottoms is your best bet. This gives you the least amount skin of coverage, and the best chance of finding a suit with little stretch to it. Of course, not every woman feels comfortable in a bikini. If you feel you need more coverage, look for a suit that at least has a liner made from bamboo or another natural material. Honorable Mention: Cotton Clothes A cotton tee-shirt and shorts are the norm in the coed areas of a Korean sauna. Others prefer a cotton sarong or other body wrap. While it is not the best for getting wet, clean, cotton clothes will allow your skin to breathe easily while you are in the sauna, and will not get damaged or evolve toxic compounds in the heat of the sauna. For those concerned about modesty, a longer legged short or even a pair of yoga pants could be a good choice. Any clothing you plan to wear in the sauna should be clean, so you shouldn't have worn them all day. If you are using the sauna correctly, you are going to get sweaty and you won't want to wear those clothes anyway when you are done. Bring them with you and change into them when you are ready to sauna. Don't wear any underwear in the sauna: Underwear tends to be constricting, and you want to be able to breathe easily. Ladies, don't wear your bra in the sauna: They are constricting, usually made from synthetic materials and trust us, you don't want an underwire in the sauna. Unacceptable There are a lot of things that we have seen people wear in the sauna that are not acceptable for sauna use. We've seen and heard of some strange ones over the years, so it's going to be hard to list them all, but we'll try to at least cover some of the most common ones. Shoes: This is probably one of the worst offenses. There is all kinds of junk you pick up walking around all day. Bringing that into the sauna is a bad thing, plus the heat of the sauna when it lingers in your shoe is just going to make you susceptible to athlete's foot. If you wear shower sandals when walking through the gym, make sure you leave them on the floor when you step on the benches. Sauna Suits: It is our opinion that sauna suits should not be worn by anyone, ever. Especially in a sauna. Covering your whole body with plastic insulates your body from the heat of the sauna, eliminating most of the effects. Most sauna suits are made of PVC, which has a melting point lower than many saunas. PVC sauna suits give off toxic fumes and leaches toxic liquids for years after it was manufactured. You don't want those compounds touching your skin, and you really don't want to be breathing them in while you are in the sauna. Sweat Suits: During wrestling season, we see a lot of young people going in the sauna wearing a full sweat suit with the hood pulled up. My guess is they are trying to cut weight before their next match. It does not do them any good. In the sauna, that sweat suit is going to act as an insulator from the heat of the sauna. It slows the progress of heat, so it's going to take a lot longer in the sauna before they start to sweat, which is what they really want. If you're going to cut weight in the sauna, go in naked, then put on your sweat suit when you can't stand it anymore to slow your cool down. Workout Clothes: You got all sweaty on the treadmill, and now you're coming into the sauna with those same clothes on? Please. Street Clothes: This is probably the worst offense. The fabric of your clothing picks up all sorts of chemical and biological compounds during the day. When you come into the sauna wearing these, you releasing them to everyone who is in there with you. Your modesty is not that sacred. Please get changed. Sauna Laundry This article would not be complete without a discussion of how to clean what you wore into the sauna. Many commercial laundry detergents are loaded with things like optical brighteners, foaming agents, perfumes and fabric sizing chemicals that you don't want touching your body when you are in a sauna. Your best bet is to use an ultra gentle detergent meant for baby clothes, or even no detergent, just plain vinegar. Give everything an extra rinse to make sure as much soap is out as possible, and then dry everything normally. However, if you're going with the quick rinse in the sink method, don't use the sauna as your dryer! Even if you don't use the sauna, if you wash your swimsuits this way, you will find that they last longer. What do you prefer to wear in the sauna? Let us know in our poll. What would you wear in a locker room sauna? Public OpinionView Results

If you are near Graz, Austria on the 29th-30th of October 2011, why not stop in at the Wellnessbad Eggenberg for the 2011 Sauna World Cup?

Everyone who pays their admission to the bath house (€13 for 3 hours / €18 for all day) can see if they can win the Powerwacheln, or power-waving, competition to see who can generate the fastest wind speed using only a towel.

Of course, the real competition is in the sauna, where sauna meisters from around the world compete to see who is the master of the aufgu?. For judging, willing volunteers fill the sauna and experience the ceremony put on by one of the contestants. At the end of the sauna round they rate that contestant on the technique, entertainment value and relaxation ability of their performance. At the end of the weekend, the competitor with the highest score is crowned the winner.

To be part of the judging team, you should visit the Sauna WM website and register now. Of course, since this is a German-speaking sauna area, if you want to judge the competition, you must go naked in the sauna.

For more information, you can see our report on the results from last year’s Sauna World Cup or visit the Sauna WM Homepage.

You can also watch this video of the 2010 Sauna World Cup, but I wouldn’t recommend watching it at work:

[caption id="attachment_1297" align="alignright" width="300" caption="A competitor conducducting an aufguss at the 2010 Sauna Wold Cup in Austria. Photo © Sauna WM"][/caption] If you are near Graz, Austria on the 29th-30th of October 2011, why not stop in at the Wellnessbad Eggenberg for the 2011 Sauna World Cup? Everyone who pays their admission to the bath house (€13 for 3 hours / €18 for all day) can see if they can win the Powerwacheln, or power-waving, competition to see who can generate the fastest wind speed using only a towel. Of course, the real competition is in the sauna, where sauna meisters from around the world compete to see who is the master of the aufgu?. For judging, willing volunteers fill the sauna and experience the ceremony put on by one of the contestants. At the end of the sauna round they rate that contestant on the technique, entertainment value and relaxation ability of their performance. At the end of the weekend, the competitor with the highest score is crowned the winner. To be part of the judging team, you should visit the Sauna WM website and register now. Of course, since this is a German-speaking sauna area, if you want to judge the competition, you must go naked in the sauna. For more information, you can see our report on the results from last year's Sauna World Cup or visit the Sauna WM Homepage. You can also watch this video of the 2010 Sauna World Cup, but I wouldn't recommend watching it at work: [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo0VolUIsTE]

British eyewear brand Specsavers gives us a cautionary video of what can happen if you don’t read the signs on the doors carefully at your hotel. A hotel guest thinks he’s heading into the hotel’s sauna for a relaxing steam. Instead he ends up eye to eye with a rather irate Gordon Ramsay.

He also demonstrates Sauna Rule #2: Always sit on a towel, because you never know what was on that bench, and people don’t want to touch the wood your bare bum touched.

Watch the 40 second video and see: Sometimes what looks like a sauna isn’t. If you’re concerned about making this mistake yourself, make sure you consult our database of hotels with saunas when you book your next trip.

via AdWeek.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VELQ39QAYP4] British eyewear brand Specsavers gives us a cautionary video of what can happen if you don't read the signs on the doors carefully at your hotel. A hotel guest thinks he's heading into the hotel's sauna for a relaxing steam. Instead he ends up eye to eye with a rather irate Gordon Ramsay. He also demonstrates Sauna Rule #2: Always sit on a towel, because you never know what was on that bench, and people don't want to touch the wood your bare bum touched. Watch the 40 second video and see: Sometimes what looks like a sauna isn't. If you're concerned about making this mistake yourself, make sure you consult our database of hotels with saunas when you book your next trip. via AdWeek.

When we search the internet for “sauna” (and trust us, we search it a lot), most of the results and nearly all of the ads are for infrared saunas or their many synonyms: IR saunas, FIR saunas, far infrared saunas, or portable saunas. They are featured on TV, many spas have them – in fact, you can now even buy into an infrared sauna spa franchise.

Like any new thing, there are proponents and detractors of this new type of sauna. But what is it, and how does it work?

Some History

Saunas have been around for nearly as long as modern man. Getting a good sweat in the sauna felt good to our early ancestors. Many people still believe it feels good today. It more than feels good, there are proven health benefits for regular sauna users.

An open fire heated the original sauna. As technology improved, saunas became dedicated rooms or buildings that people would use. The fire was contained to keep the smoke out of the sauna: First by using rocks to store the heat, then by enclosing the fire in a stove. With the invention of electricity, fire was eliminated in most stoves and replaced with electric heating elements.

Some of these electric stoves heat rocks like the original saunas of old, while others capitalized on the instant-on properties of electricity and sought to improve on the age-old design.

The Corn Flakes Connection

In the late 1890′s, electricity and electric light bulbs had started to become popular. So much so that health researcher and Corn Flakes inventor, John Harvey Kellogg, installed a newly developed technology, the electric light bath, in his Battle Creek Sanarium. Thus, the infrared sauna was born.

Infrared technology did not change much from the 1900′s until the 1990′s when light bulbs could be replaced with lightweight radiant heating panels.  Now a person could use the sauna without risking permanent blindness from all the light bulbs. Since these heaters emit nearly pure infrared rays instead of light, a sauna could be built that ran on normal household current.

Some compare an infrared sauna to a microwave oven: It is inexpensive, compact, and can give a similar result to a larger piece of hardware in much less time. It is the perfect mass-market appliance.

What is Infrared?

Infrared rays are the secret to an infrared sauna. Infrared is a type of light, and it is a way of transferring heat.

Let’s go back to high school physics for a minute. If you take sunlight, and pass it through a prism, your eye can see a rainbow of colors. However, there is more light there that your eyes can’t see. Where the red light ends, infrared begins. Infrared created by things that aren’t very hot is called near infrared, because it is close to red light on the rainbow. Infrared created by things that are very hot is called far infrared, because it is further away from visible red light.

If you spend any time studying heat transfer, what you find is that if there are two things close to one another, and they are at two different temperatures, one will radiate infrared energy to the other. So, when you are in an infrared sauna, the heating panels radiate infrared energy to you. If you left the sauna and walked into a freezer, you would radiate infrared energy to the freezer walls.

Finally, since infrared is a type of light, all the rules that affect light affect infrared. Like light, it can travel through space and some solid objects that act as infrared “windows.” Also like light, the further away you get, the less you feel its effects. It also travels pretty much in a straight line, so if there is an obstruction, you’ll get an infrared shadow and you won’t feel the heat there.

Is infrared radiation dangerous?

Radiation! The word radiation brings up images of nuclear power gone awry and the “duck and cover” drills from the cold war. The truth is all light is radiation, and for the most part, infrared radiation is as dangerous as sunlight: If you limit your exposure and listen to your body, nothing bad will happen. If you don’t you will get burned (Infrared is heat, remember?).

How does an infrared sauna work?

The current crop of infrared saunas have heat-emitting panels that surround your body. Since these are essentially a type of light bulb, you can plug your sauna in, and turn it on and by the time you are undressed, it will be ready to use.

A good infrared sauna will have large panels on a bunch of different surfaces so that you can sit, stand or lie as you prefer inside of the sauna cabin. Less expensive models have smaller panels, so you may only use these units in their manufacturer’s preferred position. This may not be your preferred position.

To make the interior of the sauna cabin more comfortable, some manufacturers add an electric heater and fan to heat the air to a more comfortable temperature. Others add a small humidification device to make it easier to breathe the air inside. Still others go back to the old electric light bath design, and have a tent that encloses your body, while your head and hands are kept outside.

When you are inside, the heating panels transfer heat directly to your skin, without heating the air inside of the sauna. Since your skin is partly transparent to infrared, the heating takes place in your skin, giving your body a pleasant warming experience. Since the air is still cool, many people, especially those with respiratory or heat sensitivity issues, find these more comfortable than a traditional sauna.

So that’s the infrared sauna. Many sauna purists disparage these as toaster ovens. Of course, the infrared sauna industry brings some of this on themselves by making truly false claims. We’ll take a look at some of these claims in a future post.

Are infrared saunas the best new thing, or just a marketing gimmick? Let us know in the comments.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="162" caption="A slightly older version of an infrared sauna that uses infrared elements that emit visible light. Image by Alesa Dam via Flickr"][/caption] When we search the internet for "sauna" (and trust us, we search it a lot), most of the results and nearly all of the ads are for infrared saunas or their many synonyms: IR saunas, FIR saunas, far infrared saunas, or portable saunas. They are featured on TV, many spas have them - in fact, you can now even buy into an infrared sauna spa franchise. Like any new thing, there are proponents and detractors of this new type of sauna. But what is it, and how does it work? Some History Saunas have been around for nearly as long as modern man. Getting a good sweat in the sauna felt good to our early ancestors. Many people still believe it feels good today. It more than feels good, there are proven health benefits for regular sauna users. An open fire heated the original sauna. As technology improved, saunas became dedicated rooms or buildings that people would use. The fire was contained to keep the smoke out of the sauna: First by using rocks to store the heat, then by enclosing the fire in a stove. With the invention of electricity, fire was eliminated in most stoves and replaced with electric heating elements. Some of these electric stoves heat rocks like the original saunas of old, while others capitalized on the instant-on properties of electricity and sought to improve on the age-old design. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="126" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption] The Corn Flakes Connection In the late 1890's, electricity and electric light bulbs had started to become popular. So much so that health researcher and Corn Flakes inventor, John Harvey Kellogg, installed a newly developed technology, the electric light bath, in his Battle Creek Sanarium. Thus, the infrared sauna was born. Infrared technology did not change much from the 1900's until the 1990's when light bulbs could be replaced with lightweight radiant heating panels.  Now a person could use the sauna without risking permanent blindness from all the light bulbs. Since these heaters emit nearly pure infrared rays instead of light, a sauna could be built that ran on normal household current. Some compare an infrared sauna to a microwave oven: It is inexpensive, compact, and can give a similar result to a larger piece of hardware in much less time. It is the perfect mass-market appliance. What is Infrared? [caption id="" align="alignright" width="180" caption="An infrared photo of two people. Image via Wikipedia"][/caption] Infrared rays are the secret to an infrared sauna. Infrared is a type of light, and it is a way of transferring heat. Let's go back to high school physics for a minute. If you take sunlight, and pass it through a prism, your eye can see a rainbow of colors. However, there is more light there that your eyes can't see. Where the red light ends, infrared begins. Infrared created by things that aren't very hot is called near infrared, because it is close to red light on the rainbow. Infrared created by things that are very hot is called far infrared, because it is further away from visible red light. If you spend any time studying heat transfer, what you find is that if there are two things close to one another, and they are at two different temperatures, one will radiate infrared energy to the other. So, when you are in an infrared sauna, the heating panels radiate infrared energy to you. If you left the sauna and walked into a freezer, you would radiate infrared energy to the freezer walls. Finally, since infrared is a type of light, all the rules that affect light affect infrared. Like light, it can travel through space and some solid objects that act as infrared "windows." Also like light, the further away you get, the less you feel its effects. It also travels pretty much in a straight line, so if there is an obstruction, you'll get an infrared shadow and you won't feel the heat there. Is infrared radiation dangerous? Radiation! The word radiation brings up images of nuclear power gone awry and the "duck and cover" drills from the cold war. The truth is all light is radiation, and for the most part, infrared radiation is as dangerous as sunlight: If you limit your exposure and listen to your body, nothing bad will happen. If you don't you will get burned (Infrared is heat, remember?). How does an infrared sauna work? The current crop of infrared saunas have heat-emitting panels that surround your body. Since these are essentially a type of light bulb, you can plug your sauna in, and turn it on and by the time you are undressed, it will be ready to use. A good infrared sauna will have large panels on a bunch of different surfaces so that you can sit, stand or lie as you prefer inside of the sauna cabin. Less expensive models have smaller panels, so you may only use these units in their manufacturer's preferred position. This may not be your preferred position. To make the interior of the sauna cabin more comfortable, some manufacturers add an electric heater and fan to heat the air to a more comfortable temperature. Others add a small humidification device to make it easier to breathe the air inside. Still others go back to the old electric light bath design, and have a tent that encloses your body, while your head and hands are kept outside. When you are inside, the heating panels transfer heat directly to your skin, without heating the air inside of the sauna. Since your skin is partly transparent to infrared, the heating takes place in your skin, giving your body a pleasant warming experience. Since the air is still cool, many people, especially those with respiratory or heat sensitivity issues, find these more comfortable than a traditional sauna. So that's the infrared sauna. Many sauna purists disparage these as toaster ovens. Of course, the infrared sauna industry brings some of this on themselves by making truly false claims. We'll take a look at some of these claims in a future post. Are infrared saunas the best new thing, or just a marketing gimmick? Let us know in the comments.

A sauna, at its simplest, is a hot air bath. The word sauna has its origins in Finnish, but in English it has become a generalization that describes a number of different ways to take in the heat that were developed by cultures throughout the world, including the Finnish sauna, Russian banya, Japanese mushi-buro, North American sweat lodge, South American temezcal, Korean jjim jil bang, Roman caldarium, and the Arabic hammam.

All of these have a rich history dating back thousands of years. Today, most fitness centers, many hotels, and several public sauna businesses all have saunas available for their patrons to use. What is a sauna and why has it been so popular?

What is a sauna?

A sauna is a hot air bath or sweat bath. You take a sauna in a special, insulated room that keeps the air still and heat in. There is a heat source in the room to transfer heat to your body: The heat in a sauna comes from rocks heated in a fire, stove, or an infrared radiator. The heat source may only heat the air, or it may also produce steam which makes it feel hotter.

In the sauna your skin gets heated well above its normal temperature. In response, your body begins sweating profusely to keep yourself cool. To get the feeling of heat all over your body and to prevent clothes from being soaked with sweat, the sauna is typically used nude, or with as little clothing as practical.

It is a type of bath. Many cultures, notably the Finns and the Russians, will have a tank of heated water inside of their sauna which they will use to wash themselves while in the heat. The Russian platza and Arabic hammam are elaborate cleansing rituals that take place while in the hot room. Other cultures wash outside of the sauna room, but use the sauna’s heat to release dirt and toxins from deep in their skin.

Why sauna?

When you look at all the different people throughout the world who came up with the idea of a sauna, there must be a common thread. There is: We humans have several features which makes us unique from any other creature on Earth.

First of all, we are naked. Unlike other mammals, we have very little hair on our bodies that protects us from the elements. When it gets cold or wet outside, we need to wrap ourselves in clothing of some kind to protect us from the cold, wind and rain. When it gets really cold, we need an external heat source, like a fire to keep us warm.

It does not take much imagination to think about our ancestors, covered in wet clothes from a day of surviving, returning home to their hut, burrow or cave and stoking their fire to create a lot of heat, then shedding those wet clothes to feel warm again. As their clothes dried next to them, the steam released, made the warmth of the fire much more pleasant.

The ancient Greek, Roman, and Arabic cultures also had sauna baths. These were typically enjoyed in the middle of the day, when it was hottest. In the summertime, many of these places are close to the temperature in a sauna. Why would these cultures enjoy bathing in the heat?

Sauna as a sweat bath:

We humans have another unique feature: We sweat to cool our bodies. As you can remember from your teenage years, there are lots of problems that can develop with your sweat glands if they aren’t kept clean.

Without modern soaps, one of the few ways to clean your personal cooling system was to get really sweaty, then rinse off your body. The Romans have a well described history of the process at their baths. Like a modern fitness center of today, they began by exercising in the courtyard of the baths to work up a sweat. Then they covered their bodies with oil and dust, then scraped them off. With the oil and dust came all of the other dirt and grime they had picked up on their bodies since their last bath. After that, they entered the baths proper, where they alternated between hot and cold rooms and pools to finish the cleansing process.

So what is the modern sauna?

The modern sauna that is in your gym locker room, or if you’re really lucky, your backyard is a combination of all these historical baths. The room is typically lined with wood. The open fire is gone, replaced with a sealed stove that is safe to use indoors. Some sauna stoves are still filled with stones. They help keep the temperature even inside the sauna, and allow you to splash water on them to make steam. Others do away with the stones, and use infrared panels to heat your body directly.

Modern medicine is coming to discover that the sauna can help with a number of ailments like heart problems and high blood pressure. Regular sauna baths help improve your endurance and heat tolerance and can help remove metabolic wastes post-workout. It also has psychological benefits: Regular sauna users have more energy, are happier, sleep better, and can maintain a healthy weight. It is also one of the few exercises for your skin — your body’s largest organ.

What is the sauna to you? Is it a sacred space? A place to recover from your last workout? Part of your beauty regimen? Or is it just a place to get away from your clothes and the modern world for a while? Let us know in the comments.

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption] A sauna, at its simplest, is a hot air bath. The word sauna has its origins in Finnish, but in English it has become a generalization that describes a number of different ways to take in the heat that were developed by cultures throughout the world, including the Finnish sauna, Russian banya, Japanese mushi-buro, North American sweat lodge, South American temezcal, Korean jjim jil bang, Roman caldarium, and the Arabic hammam. All of these have a rich history dating back thousands of years. Today, most fitness centers, many hotels, and several public sauna businesses all have saunas available for their patrons to use. What is a sauna and why has it been so popular? What is a sauna? A sauna is a hot air bath or sweat bath. You take a sauna in a special, insulated room that keeps the air still and heat in. There is a heat source in the room to transfer heat to your body: The heat in a sauna comes from rocks heated in a fire, stove, or an infrared radiator. The heat source may only heat the air, or it may also produce steam which makes it feel hotter. In the sauna your skin gets heated well above its normal temperature. In response, your body begins sweating profusely to keep yourself cool. To get the feeling of heat all over your body and to prevent clothes from being soaked with sweat, the sauna is typically used nude, or with as little clothing as practical. It is a type of bath. Many cultures, notably the Finns and the Russians, will have a tank of heated water inside of their sauna which they will use to wash themselves while in the heat. The Russian platza and Arabic hammam are elaborate cleansing rituals that take place while in the hot room. Other cultures wash outside of the sauna room, but use the sauna's heat to release dirt and toxins from deep in their skin. Why sauna? When you look at all the different people throughout the world who came up with the idea of a sauna, there must be a common thread. There is: We humans have several features which makes us unique from any other creature on Earth. First of all, we are naked. Unlike other mammals, we have very little hair on our bodies that protects us from the elements. When it gets cold or wet outside, we need to wrap ourselves in clothing of some kind to protect us from the cold, wind and rain. When it gets really cold, we need an external heat source, like a fire to keep us warm. It does not take much imagination to think about our ancestors, covered in wet clothes from a day of surviving, returning home to their hut, burrow or cave and stoking their fire to create a lot of heat, then shedding those wet clothes to feel warm again. As their clothes dried next to them, the steam released, made the warmth of the fire much more pleasant. The ancient Greek, Roman, and Arabic cultures also had sauna baths. These were typically enjoyed in the middle of the day, when it was hottest. In the summertime, many of these places are close to the temperature in a sauna. Why would these cultures enjoy bathing in the heat? Sauna as a sweat bath: We humans have another unique feature: We sweat to cool our bodies. As you can remember from your teenage years, there are lots of problems that can develop with your sweat glands if they aren't kept clean. Without modern soaps, one of the few ways to clean your personal cooling system was to get really sweaty, then rinse off your body. The Romans have a well described history of the process at their baths. Like a modern fitness center of today, they began by exercising in the courtyard of the baths to work up a sweat. Then they covered their bodies with oil and dust, then scraped them off. With the oil and dust came all of the other dirt and grime they had picked up on their bodies since their last bath. After that, they entered the baths proper, where they alternated between hot and cold rooms and pools to finish the cleansing process. So what is the modern sauna? The modern sauna that is in your gym locker room, or if you're really lucky, your backyard is a combination of all these historical baths. The room is typically lined with wood. The open fire is gone, replaced with a sealed stove that is safe to use indoors. Some sauna stoves are still filled with stones. They help keep the temperature even inside the sauna, and allow you to splash water on them to make steam. Others do away with the stones, and use infrared panels to heat your body directly. Modern medicine is coming to discover that the sauna can help with a number of ailments like heart problems and high blood pressure. Regular sauna baths help improve your endurance and heat tolerance and can help remove metabolic wastes post-workout. It also has psychological benefits: Regular sauna users have more energy, are happier, sleep better, and can maintain a healthy weight. It is also one of the few exercises for your skin — your body's largest organ. What is the sauna to you? Is it a sacred space? A place to recover from your last workout? Part of your beauty regimen? Or is it just a place to get away from your clothes and the modern world for a while? Let us know in the comments.