What is a Sauna?

The word sauna is of Finnish origin. It is a mode of sweat bathing which requires frequent cooling off. The Finnish, however, did not invent this pleasant form of bathing. Sweat bathing has been popular in cultures around the world for centuries due, among other reasons, to the fact that far less water is required, compared to a traditional bath. In the 20th century, the sauna gained wider notoriety from the success of Finnish athletes in the 1924 Summer Olympic Games. Despite the great heat during those games, Finnish athletes incorporated sauna bathing as part of their training regimen and did remarkably well in the distance running events. Initially a source of fascination for athletes, the sauna has quickly gained a foothold in public and private gyms, fitness studios, wellness centers, and even clinics and spa centers. Athletes saw sauna bathing as a way to recover and promote regeneration, but everyone can benefit from the stabilizing effects on their health. Sauna bathing is characterized by dry heat, followed by cooling off, and repeated in this cycle two or three times during a session. The dry air and high temperatures in a sauna cabin distinguish the sauna remarkably from other forms of warm air bathing, such as steam rooms. A hybrid of the sauna that has developed with modern technology is a form of bathing known as the Sanarium™, also referred to as the soft sauna or bio sauna. The Sanarium™ offers many forms of bathing to suit personal taste. The Sanarium™ transforms one sauna into 5 different types of sauna bath by offering climates such as a: classical traditional sauna, warm air bath, tropical bath, aroma bath, or soft steam bath. The Sanarium™ automatically adjusts the humidity and temperature for each of these different forms of bathing through a preset menu in the sauna control. Many people find the mild heat or humid environments more pleasant than a dry hot sauna. For people with dry skin or membrane problems in particular, the climate options of the Sanarium™ programs are often more beneficial. Whether you are an athlete or not, sweat bathing, or the gentler Sanarium™ programs, can be a pleasant and therapeutic experience for any wellness area. Courtesy of: Matt Williamson, Design for Leisure