Get the most out of your Sauna experience
Dear Windrushers,
As most of you know there is a sauna besides the lido, which is free to use on a Saturday after the cold water swim, but it is often not-so-hot. Which seems to be due to a combination of lack of insulation and a smallish wood-burning stove. But I think that there are some things everyone could do to make their sauna experience more enjoyable and effective:
1) if you don't dry yourself before entering the sauna the cold water evaporating from your skin will cool you down, and the benches will get drenched with water also adding to the cooling effect. It is therefore good sauna practice to dry yourself off each time before going in
2) If you dried yourself and the hot air can actually reach your skin you should start to sweat, which is intentional as it clears your pores and is good for general health (even though I am sure we all sweat enough...) Therefore you should take a towel with you into the sauna to sit on it, preventing the benches to get soaked with sweat and water from your swim wear (if you decide to keep it on...). It is also much more comfortable and will immediately make you feel warmer :)
3) as a result, you would ideally need 3 towels. One to dry off, one to sit on, and one for the shower in the end. It is possible to use one for everything if you don''t feel put off by drying yourself with a wet towel you sat on before, and if everyone follows this guideline the benches should be warm and dry, and your towel will only be slightly wet from drying yourselves in between. But I guess many people wouldn't want to forgo having a nice dry towel in the end, therefore having at least one dedicated sauna towel and one for afterwards would be ideal.
4) to help the hot air circulate through the sauna you can wave it towards the benches with your towel, especially after an "Aufguss" (pouring water on the hot stones to generate hot steam). This is a common practice in Skandinavian and German saunas, and helps considerably to heat up after a cold water swim. Here is a picture showing the practice:
I hope you will enjoy your next sauna even more now!
Your Swim Captain ;)
Views: 175
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Rory Kemper on
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The photo sells it Tobi ; )
Another point is people shouldn't use the pool water either.
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Permalink Reply by Laura A on
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Such an excellent post!!! Hopefully we will all be sweating in no time :-).
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Permalink Reply by Nicola Kelly on
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This is by far the best post I think I've ever seen, Tobias. Gutted I can't join the towel-swinging, chilled chats for a few weeks but see you all soon. x
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Permalink Reply by Tony on
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Hmmm is this the first time we have read on the Windrush site "swim wear, if you decide to keep it on"
I hope the new membership secretary will keep a careful eye on new applications we receive in the next few days?
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Permalink Reply by Corrina Connor on
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I find reports of the Brockwell Sauna both alluring and alarming!
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Permalink Reply by Charles Barclay on
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Is the man in the photo trying to fan the sauna fire back to life or is he signalling that the orgy starts now?
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One can only hope Charles....
I can attest that the drying off beforehand works...although the sauna door is now warped and doesn't shut properly which isn't helping.
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