west one bathrooms topkapi sauna wellness lifestylewest one bathrooms touch steam sspswest one bathrooms bodylove a 5west one bathrooms ssps 02

How To Take A Sauna

The benefit of a sauna is that the body is able to expel considerable amounts of toxins and is intensively heated up in a very short space of time. The sauna offers a host of benefits to people of all ages, with very few exceptions. However, anyone using a sauna for the first time must bear in mind that our body needs time to get used to certain stimuli, so a sauna should be approached with care and caution. We recommend you follow these stages without overdoing it, so your body can enjoy maximum benefit from the sauna.

You must never take a sauna on an empty stomach or, conversely, if you are very full; it is a good idea to have a light meal beforehand consisting of, for instance, cereals, yoghurt or fruit. It is equally important for your body to have a good supply of liquids to help to sweat. Drink hot herbal tea or sugar-free, soft and, most important of all, non-alcoholic drinks.

Before entering the sauna, wash your body all over with soap and hot water then dry yourself off.
Your feet must be warm.

You are now ready to enter the cabin, which you can do either naked or wearing a towel made from natural fibres so as not to hamper sweating.

Stage one 

(warming up)

The first stage (warming up) usually lasts from 5 to 8 minutes. Either lie down or sit comfortably with your legs bent and your feet at bench height. Stay calm and try to relax.

At the beginning the air in the sauna can be kept dry, later on you can pour water over the hot stones inside the cabin to increase the humidity and, consequently, sweating. For the last two minutes, sit normally with your feet below you so your blood circulation can get used to the erect position once again. After this stage, leave the sauna slowly to avoid your blood pressure dropping or you feeling dizzy.

Stage two

(cooling down)

According to the classic Finnish tradition, stage two consists of a short bath in ice-cold water which can be replaced by a cold or warm shower. Always wait at least two minutes after exiting the sauna before having a shower. Aim the water jet in the shower first at your feet then gradually up to your trunk, making sure your head is not the first part of your body to be hit by the water, to avoid dangerous disturbances to your circulation.

Stage three

Stage three involves re-entering the sauna for a further ten minutes then another cold shower when you come out.

At the end of each session

At the end of each session, we recommend you lie down for about ten minutes to relax. This lets your blood pressure return to its normal rate. The cooling down stage must last at least as long as the warming up stage.

Replacing lost liquids must start immediately after you finish your treatment: drinking plenty of liquids helps replenish the body with the right amount of water lost during the sauna. Herbal teas, fruit and vegetable juices are all excellent beverages to replace fluids and mineral salts.

Visit our Small Size Premium Spa by Sieger Design. The first working installation in the UK in our West One Bathrooms Battersea Showroom.

Make an enquiry

Sign up to newsletter

Newsletter Sign-up