How to go to the hammam in a fitness club?

February 20, 2018

Today, Turkish baths are in demand and popular not only in the countries of the East, but also in Europe, and here in Russia. When arriving in Turkey, Morocco or another country with ancient Eastern traditions, tourists first of all strive to visit the hammam in order to fully experience the charm of the captivating atmosphere of the East.

If you have already become familiar with the benefits that a visit to a Turkish bath promises, and you know that nothing threatens your health, then be sure to visit there. But first you should find out what the rules are for visiting the hammam, how to behave there correctly and how to steam in order to get the maximum benefit from all the procedures and not harm your body.

Bath etiquette

This option is suitable for those who like to relax and feel the beneficial effects of air scented with herbs and essential oils. In such conditions, oriental women love to engage in spa treatments and have leisurely conversations. Traditionally, they spend the whole day in the bathhouse, but a couple of hours is enough for hygiene procedures and relaxation. To get maximum benefit, it is important:

Do not hurry;
Follow the rules;
Do not break the sequence of steps.

Before visiting the steam room, first enter a room with a temperature of + 35°C. Staying in a warm dressing room prepares the heart for thermal stress. After adaptation, they go to the hararet - the washing room. In the round marble hall in the middle there is a gobektashi (belly stone), on which procedures are performed. Below it in the basement there is a firebox with a boiler, from where steam is supplied through pipes.

Treatments for rejuvenation

Massage with coconut oil;
Rub in the honey-vitamin mixture;
Wrap with Moroccan clay, chocolate, seaweed.

Select procedures from the list or limit yourself to applying peach, grape seed, or olive oil.

Treatments in the hammam are not only pleasant, but also useful for rejuvenation and health promotion.

Decay products and salts are removed from the open pores along with moisture.
Tissues and blood are saturated with oxygen.
Cell division and blood flow increase.
The keratinized cells of the epidermis are removed.
The skin texture is evened out.

Every time after an intense workout, athletes take steps to quickly recover from stress. They drink or don't drink water, close the carbohydrate window, or drink protein shakes. One of the controversial measures of influence, which, according to reviews, gives the most significant results, is considered by many to be a sauna or bathhouse.

When figuring out how to properly go to the sauna after training and whether to visit it at all, you need to understand that the opinions of doctors can be fundamentally different from the judgments of coaches or ordinary athletes. Therefore, it is very important to find out all the pros and cons of such a procedure, compare them with your own health status, as well as possible consequences. That is, it is better not to conduct such experiments without going to the doctor, so as not to develop complications that could have been avoided.

To understand how a sauna affects an athlete’s body after a workout, it doesn’t hurt to know that it can be not only one standard, familiar type. Currently, there are more than ten types of baths with different types of heating.

Hammam in the pool

In order for a visit to a Turkish bath to bring maximum effect, it is best to combine it with a swimming pool. After all, at the end of the procedure, peeling is followed by a soap massage. This, by the way, is one of the most pleasant stages of visiting a Turkish bath. An experienced bath attendant will definitely put a piece of aromatic soap in a small mesh bag and quickly get foam by shaking it. The visitor will find himself covered in this foam from head to toe. The massage will begin only after this.

The rules on how to properly visit a hammam in a pool state that after a soapy massage, you must definitely go to a pool with water at room temperature. Already in this tank you will finally come to your senses after peeling and massage, which will warm you up to the maximum.

Since visiting a hammam with a swimming pool correctly is important for human health, do not forget to drink a cup of aromatic tea immediately after leaving the water. This will put your thoughts in order and calm your nerves. Remember that after a Turkish bath you should generally drink as much liquid as possible. By the way, it doesn’t have to be tea. If you are not a big fan of this drink, you can replace it with mineral water. Alcohol is best avoided. It is best not to drink alcohol at all when visiting any bathhouse, both Russian and Finnish.

After tea, another massage will await you. This time using essential oils. Remember that if you regularly start visiting the hammam, you will guarantee yourself not only a healthy, but also a strong, athletic body. In addition, your blood vessels will be in order, your nerves will calm down, and you will be able to solve life and work problems more quickly and effectively.

Hammam on vacation

Russian tourists often use the services of a Turkish bath at resorts. Moreover, in order to get to the hammam, it is not at all necessary to go to Turkey. Hamam services are offered in all tourist eastern countries.

For example, hammams are common in Tunisia. This is an African Muslim country that has increasingly attracted Russian tourists in recent years after airlines refused to cooperate with Egypt, and for some time with Turkey. Getting into a Turkish bath in Tunisia is not a problem. You just need to know how to properly visit the hammam in Tunisia.

Hamams are often located right on hotel premises. Muslims consider the procedure of visiting a Turkish bath sacred. For them, this is a kind of cleansing of soul and body. Tunisian hammams have an important feature. Men and women attend them separately. Representatives of the stronger half of humanity can stay in the hammam from dawn until noon, and women - from noon until sunset.

Many local residents are sure that in the steam room they not only wash their bodies, but also get a unique opportunity to be alone with themselves, put their thoughts in order, and get true pleasure.

The difference between a hammam and a Russian bath

To experience all the benefits of this establishment, you need to know how to visit the hammam correctly. It is very important to evaluate in advance all the benefits of Russian and Turkish baths, to find out what the health benefits and effects of each of them are.

It’s worth saying right away that the differences between these two types of baths are visible to the naked eye. If a Russian steam room is always decorated with wood, then a Turkish hammam is always decorated with marble. In the east, it is customary to create the most acceptable conditions for comfortable accommodation of guests and take care of their comfort. But the differences don't end there.

What benefits does visiting the hamam give?

The most important positive effects of a Turkish bath are the following:

relieving nervous tension;
eliminating stress;
improved sleep;
increased performance;
improvement of skin condition;
elimination of acne;
general health;
weight loss;
elimination of cellulite deposits;
improved kidney function;
normalization of the heart and blood vessels;
normalization of metabolism;
prevention of muscle inflammation;
prevention of radiculitis;
prevention of respiratory tract pathologies.

Why go to the hammam after training?

Recently, it has become increasingly popular to place hammams at large sports clubs or fitness centers. Many doubt the advisability of this. Let's try to figure out how effective this is.

The fact is that the classic design of the hammam helps the body recover as much as possible after heavy physical activity. If you learn how to properly visit the hammam after a workout, you will be able to recover quickly. The whole secret is that it is in the Turkish bath that it is possible to achieve the optimal combination of a cold stone surface with hot steam. This makes it easy to tolerate even fairly high temperatures. That is why a Russian bath or a Finnish sauna, with their very high temperature conditions, can put too much stress on the heart. Because of this, the effect can be negative even in a person who has never experienced such health problems.

If you carefully study how to properly visit the hammam in a fitness club, you will be able to quickly recover from grueling workouts and get rid of aching pain in your joints and muscles. To achieve this effect, it is enough to spend no more than a quarter of an hour in the hammam.

Turkish steam room: what is it?

The first Turkish baths began to be built in the 7th century. Classic hammams are large buildings with several rooms, each of which maintains a certain level of humidity and temperature.

Photo from cocoony-domicile.fr

Such saunas are built according to the “palm” principle - there are several small rooms around the main steam room:

Jamekian is a locker room where all visitors leave everything they need (clothes, shoes, belongings) and put on a loincloth made only from absolutely natural materials (cotton or silk fabric).
Pestemal is a place where guests take a shower.
Chebek is a room where you can warm up your body on a hot lounger, which is made of natural marble (“chebek-tashi”). It is quite comfortable to sit on it for a long time.
Hararet is a steam room designed for deep cleansing of the skin. Here they perform intense foam and oil massage and peeling.
A cafe is a room in which, after all procedures, one rests, eats or drinks healing herbal teas.

Hamam is suitable for all ages

Another important point: you can visit the hammam at any age, even if a regular sauna is strictly contraindicated for you. This Turkish bath has high humidity as well as optimal body temperature. These factors help achieve maximum peace and relaxation. In addition, the hammam helps to relax muscles, pain goes away, and tension is relieved.

If you follow how to properly visit the hammam in the gym, you are guaranteed to lose several kilograms, get rid of colds, stabilize the functioning of the cardiovascular system, and improve sleep.

Construction of a Turkish bath in a gym or fitness center requires special knowledge. In order for the hammam to bring the desired effect, it is necessary to use only high-quality materials, not violate construction technology, and be attentive to details. After all, the health and safety of people will depend on this. Therefore, such an event should only be trusted to professionals.

Cedar sauna: benefits

Another unusual type of sauna is a cedar barrel. The benefits of a cedar sauna are simply enormous. In fact, this is a mini-health resort.

Just 15-20 minutes of this unique procedure once a week is enough to:

Strengthen your immune system and forget about colds and flu forever.
Improve the musculoskeletal system.
Alleviate the course of tachycardia, arrhythmia, hypertension and atherosclerosis.
Lose weight easily and quickly.
Improve skin condition.
Get rid of cellulite.
Improve your health after injury
Normalize the hormonal system.

Contraindications to the procedure are bleeding, neoplasms, cirrhosis of the liver, chronic and inflammatory diseases, the third trimester of pregnancy.

Dietary properties of millet porridge:

Let's first remember what the benefits of this dish are before considering its calorie content. Millet porridge contains essential amino acids, which are the raw materials for building new skin and muscle cells. It contains complex carbohydrates that help remove waste and harmful toxins from the body; healthy vegetable fats, without which it is impossible to absorb provitamin A (carotene) and vitamin D. Among the vitamins, it should be noted - A, PP, B6, B5, B1 (also known as thiamine), B2, E, beta-carotene, folic acid (vitamin AT 9). More than 60% of the mass of millet porridge is carbohydrates, 3-4% is fats, 11% is proteins. In addition, millet porridge contains a large amount of fiber and a number of minerals - iron, fluorine, phosphorus, silicon, and so on.

Millet helps cleanse the body of antibiotics, toxins and waste, and binds heavy metal ions. Thanks to this, people living in areas with unfavorable ecology should definitely consume this cereal. Millet porridge is useful for those who suffer from atherosclerosis, diabetes, liver and pancreas diseases, nervous and cardiovascular diseases. As you can see, this dish is valued not only for its low calorie content.

Millet porridge is very good for those who are susceptible to heart disease - millet contains a large amount of potassium, necessary for normal cardiac function. Silicon and fluorine, which millet porridge is rich in, give strength to teeth, bone tissue, nails and hair. Copper is essential for muscle elasticity. In addition, millet porridge has a general strengthening, warming and invigorating effect, thanks to which it can be safely recommended as part of the nutrition of children and people recovering from illness.

Now let's touch on the nutritional value of millet porridge. There are 334 kcal per 100 grams of wheat – quite a significant calorie content. What exactly is the calorie content of millet porridge? And here it is:

Who is the hammam recommended for?

Anyone who has learned how to properly visit a hammam can go to a Turkish bath. This will be especially useful for those who often suffer from flu, colds, and have weak immunity.

If you suffer from gout or arthritis, then bath procedures will help solve joint problems once and for all, forget about stiffness and pain. The same applies to those who suffer from osteochondrosis.

If you constantly experience nervous tension and often experience stress, then the hammam will help smooth out the negative impact of external factors. It is also useful for everyone for general health and ridding the body of toxins and harmful substances. There are only a few exceptions.

Who is contraindicated for hamam?

There are several categories of people for whom visiting a Turkish bath is contraindicated. These include cancer patients, people with varicose veins, severe asthma, epilepsy and seizures, and some types of thyroid and kidney diseases.

If you have problems with the cardiovascular system, then you can go to the steam room in the Turkish bath, but not for long. The main thing is to prevent a sharp temperature change. If you have heart disease, it is forbidden to jump into an ice pool immediately after the steam room and suddenly become hypothermic.

About contraindications to visiting the hammam

Hamam is contraindicated in the following cases:

the presence of skin diseases;
serious cardiovascular pathologies;
acute viral and bacterial infections;
decreased body temperature;
pregnancy;
hypertension;
hypotension;
epilepsy;
intolerance to the Turkish bath.

It is important to remember that it is better to separate visits to the hammam and solarium. This is due to the fact that under the influence of a Turkish bath, the sensitivity of the skin sharply increases, which threatens to get a burn in the solarium.

Love yourself!

Oriental sauna for weight loss

To improve oxygen supply and penetration of nutritional components, steamed skin is cleansed with peeling. The following abrasives are used: salt, coffee or a special product with fruit acids.
The body is rubbed with handmade soap with anti-cellulite components - essential oils, Dead Sea minerals, olive oil and peeling is performed.
The active substance is distributed onto the thighs, buttocks, and thighs. The body is then wrapped in film.

What do you choose for wraps?

To eliminate orange peel, applications with green coffee, berry extracts, kelp, coconut oil, special gels and creams are effective.

Coffee promotes the breakdown of fat and accelerates cell renewal.
Vitamin-mineral complex with brown algae nourishes and tightens the skin.
Creams are not able to get rid of subcutaneous fat, but they have a lifting effect and even out the texture.

Ideally, a bandage wrap with gel impregnation is used, which activates drainage in the subcutaneous matrix. After 30 minutes, the applications are removed. The temperature of a heated body decreases gradually. To tighten the pores, pour cold water on yourself or jump into the pool. In one session, up to 3 cm of volume is lost.

I want to visit this piece of paradise often. Turkish women do not deny themselves pleasure and find a reason to spend quality time once a week. There are no restrictions for experienced steamers, but one visit per week is enough for beginners. After a month you can increase it up to 2 times. If you wash in the bathhouse more often, the therapeutic effect will decrease.

Benefit

About a cold;
Sore throat, laryngitis;
Diseases of the respiratory system, except asthma;
Joint pain due to arthritis, rheumatism, gout, radiculitis;
Neurosis, melancholy;
Chronic fatigue;
Muscle pain after sports training and injuries.

Regular visits to the hammam will stop the development of hypertension in the initial stage.

Contraindications

For oncology;
Liver problems:
Cardiac ischemia;
Hypertension;
Pathologies of the thyroid gland;
For cataracts;
After a stroke.

Temperature and steam put stress on the kidneys. At the first symptoms of discomfort, they move to the waiting room or lobby.

Gynecologists agree that visiting a steam room is dangerous only in the early stages. The ban is due to the fact that with an unformed placenta, there is a high risk of miscarriage. In the second semester, expectant mothers can indulge in the pleasure of sitting in the hararet with light steam and pampering their skin and hair with masks and oils.

In the last 3 months before giving birth, many try not to take risks. If the pregnancy proceeds without complications, relaxation will not cause harm. It is better to refuse visits in the last month. Heating and sudden cooling of the body causes redistribution of blood. This can cause premature release of water.

Characteristic features of a Turkish bath

The hammam procedure is long and luxurious, just like the bath itself.
The local population in the East is quite religious and the instructions of the Koran are strictly observed. And there, a lot is said about the purity of body, spirit and thoughts. What characterizes this type of bathhouse is its community. In essence, this is a classic public bathhouse, only in an oriental style. It will not be possible to retire and remove it only for your own personal use. In addition, all its premises are quite large, and in certain cases, simply grandiose. You won't be able to go there with your family either. Or rather, it will be possible to go, but we will have to steam separately. The female and male halves are separated in the most careful way.

Some of our people who have been to a local bathhouse in the East note the fact that there, on bathing day, it is customary to spend almost a full daylight hours in the hammam. Well, one more important detail. When our compatriot gets into an oriental bathhouse, she is amazed at the noise, hubbub and dynamism of the process. It feels like I'm in an oriental bazaar. You need to get used to it, understand it and come to terms with it.

The Turkish bath is distinguished by the use of incense and the obligatory musical accompaniment, and not in the form of classic rock and roll, which is familiar to our ears, but music with a rich and unique local flavor. It takes some getting used to.

In the hammam, there is very high humidity and relatively low temperature. It is now fashionable on the Internet to paint everything with the same brush. And idle experts boldly indicate a temperature threshold of 100 degrees Celsius. It is not true. Somehow such specialists should decide whether it is, after all, a dry-air sauna or hammam. A classic of the oriental genre, it is about 52 - 55 degrees Celsius, with almost 100% absolute humidity.

It is now worth considering the internal structure of the hammam and the procedure for carrying out certain procedures in it.

Rules for visiting the sauna and prohibitions after the training process

Recommendations and tips for organizing the process

When planning to go to the steam room, you need to familiarize yourself with the rules and strictly follow them.

It is prohibited to go to the bathhouse immediately after the gym. At a minimum, you should wait one or two hours, only then go to the steam room.
After an intense workout or heavy physical labor, you can go into the steam room for no more than 8-10 minutes. For beginners, this time should be halved.
We must not forget that the process must necessarily be gradual. If you experience any unpleasant sensations (shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, high fever), you should immediately leave the steam room and go to the locker room.
If you are an experienced person and visiting a bathhouse is not new to you, then after a long stay in the steam room (from 20 minutes), you should still take rest breaks of up to one hour. This is necessary to restore all physiological functions.
To replenish lost fluid, it doesn’t hurt to drink something mineralized during or after going to the sauna. Mineral water, salted tomato juice, fresh fruit juice or fresh green tea are perfect.

On average, liquid loss in a heat chamber is estimated at 1.5-1.8 liters. If possible, this deficiency should be replenished before going to bed.

When should you absolutely not visit the sauna?

There are clear contraindications that seriously reduce the range of people who can go to the steam room.

Upper respiratory tract diseases.
Tuberculosis.
Oncology with metastases.
Nephritis and other serious kidney pathologies.
Disturbed water-electrolyte balance.
Urolithiasis, cholecystitis.
Hepatitis.
Peptic ulcer disease.
Eczema, psoriasis, vitiligo, other skin diseases.
Open wounds, injuries, cuts.
Arthritis, arthrosis, rheumatism in the acute stage.
Epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, nervous and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Migraine.
Low blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases.

As you can see, the list of diseases that prevent you from taking a steam bath is quite long. Therefore, it would be best to first consult with your doctor. Especially when it comes to a sauna after intense training. Additionally, it is not recommended to go to the bathhouse under the influence of alcohol or narcotic or psychotropic substances, but this is not very important for athletes.

Fighting excess weight

A comfortable microclimate gives complete relaxation and tranquility, has a beneficial effect on the body, and helps to get rid of excess weight. Experienced nutritionists who create a comprehensive weight loss program always include a hammam in it.

Visiting a Turkish bath affects weight loss in the following ways:

heat exchange slows down, as a result of which the body’s oxidative and metabolic processes double;
metabolism accelerates, subcutaneous fat accumulations are broken down;
skin pores open, sweating increases, excess fluid, waste, toxins and other harmful substances are removed from the body.

In one visit to the Turkish bath you can get rid of 1-2 kg. Herbal teas, which should be drunk before the first run and in between, will help enhance the effect.

Do not forget that kilograms quickly disappear due to the removal of fluid from the body, so if you do not watch your diet, the weight will return. But the general health effect, which improves the functioning of the body, helps to lose weight for a long time. That is why hammam is part of a weight loss program.

Hammam for bronchitis and varicose veins

Acute bronchitis is a direct contraindication to visiting the hammam. If you ignore the doctor’s recommendations, the situation may become more complicated - the inflammatory process will develop according to the most negative scenario.

But at the recovery stage, a Turkish bath is indicated - it helps remove phlegm, accelerates the process of tissue regeneration and relieves pain symptoms, while saturating the cells with oxygen.

For varicose veins, hammam is prohibited. The steam room is a serious load for the blood vessels and even in a gentle mode can cause a deterioration in the patient’s condition.

Enjoy Your Bath!

Give in to the heat;
Torture the body with a broom;
Cool off periodically in the pool.

A visit to the steam room comes down to one goal - to sit on a towel and sweat heavily. After 10 minutes, sweat flows in streams, and because of the veil of thick steam, it is impossible to distinguish objects half a meter away. After a quarter of an hour, the relaxed body is ready for bath procedures.

A professional massage and a cloud of soap foam will help you feel bliss. First, the dexterous hands of the bathhouse attendant knead each joint until it crunches. Not only the arms are used, but also the legs. Classic Turkish massage involves kneading the prone body with the soles of your feet. After the execution, rest is required. Then the bath master puts on a kise mitten woven from horsehair or hard fibers and literally removes the skin in layers.

The bathhouse attendant dilutes olive soap in a mesh bag and squeezes a mountain of snow foam onto the body. Gently rubs the skin and at the last moment pours ice water over it. Instead of a soap massage, you can choose a classic or lymphatic drainage massage. After the procedures, the body becomes weightless. The feeling of lightness and pleasant sensations are worth subjecting it to “torture”.

What rooms does a modern hammam consist of?

In a modern standard Turkish bath, three rooms with different air temperatures and different purposes are provided for visitors:

The first room, called jamekan
, is the dressing room, where there are lockers for clothes, a locker room, and a cash desk where you can pay for all services. Here visitors receive towels, wooden slippers, and sheets. Here you can chat and drink tea.
From the jamekan, the visitor goes to the second room - sogukluk
. There are showers and toilets here. This room has a special temperature regime of 30–35°C, which prepares the human body for the higher temperatures of the steam room. After taking a warm shower, you can move to the next room.
The warmest third room is hararet
. Here the temperature ranges from 40°C to 55°C. In its center there is a marble “belly stone” - a special elevation with a firebox that maintains the desired temperature. There are also marble beds on which massages are performed and a kurna - a large bowl of water for ablution. Here you can take a steam bath and take wellness treatments.

Reviews

Necheukhina D.O., 32 years old, Ozersk We visited the hammam almost immediately after arriving in Turkey. The hammam helped us instantly relieve fatigue after the flight and stock up on strength for the first excursions. They say that you need to steam while your skin has not yet tanned; the procedures themselves should prepare it for tanning. Pakhomov B.G., 48 years old, Kirov A real hammam is only in Turkey. Russian analogues of hammam differ in everything: from the heating system of the premises to the poor-quality finishing of the steam rooms themselves - they have nothing in common with the classic Turkish hammam. Therefore, I prefer to go to the hammam only when vacationing in Turkey. Borisova A.N., 28 years old, Cheboksary There was such a bathhouse near our hotel in Turkey, we went for a walk, and along the way we encountered many hammams, the prices in them were quite low. Therefore, I will give useful advice: do not rush to visit the hammam at the hotel, look for other offers nearby.