If you have lived in North America your entire life, you might not be familiar with the steam room, also known as the sauna. These hot rooms are most often associated with high-end fitness centers and day spas. Most people have never had the chance to use one themselves, even thought they would most likely enjoy the experience greatly. In order to better acquaint you with this ancient form of cleansing, I have compiled an interesting list of facts about saunas!
The steam room has ties to ancient Roman and Turkish cultures, but researchers believe that the predecessor the modern version is actually 2,000 old and comes from Finland. The Finns are the one people in the world that have integrated the taking of a sauna deeply into their lifestyle. There are actually more home steam houses in Finland than there are automobiles!
Temperatures in a sauna can get extremely hot, sometimes as high as 220 degrees Fahrenheit! The average temperature is lower, generally around 150 degrees Fahrenheit but it depends on the style and size of the steam room.
There are two main times of heat rooms: traditional or infrared. The traditional, also known as the Finnish sauna, uses a stove to heat up rocks, which in turn heat up the small wooden structure. In order to create, steam, one just has to pour water over the rocks. Infrared technology has led a competing version of the traditional steam room. Infrared heaters are used to heat up the room and the temperature is often lower in these saunas because they use heat energy more efficiently.
The Finns have an old folklore traditional about a sauna elf that enforces the rules of the sauna. If you fall asleep, play games, argue, or behave immorally while using the steam room, you will anger the saunatonttu and he will punish you. In order to avoid his wrath, you need to make sure you behave properly and make sure to leave a little food out for him.
These items were once thought to be unaffordable luxuries but no longer! If you check out online retailers, you will discover that you can own your very own home sauna for a very reasonable price!
Topic:day spas, finnish sauna, fitness centers, heat rooms, hot rooms, infrared heaters, infrared technology, little food, steam room, wooden structure