Winter can be unpleasant, foggy, and sometimes bitterly cold. In some places, snow lies outside, and at night beautiful ice crystals form on the windows. For many, these are among the less appealing aspects of the cold season, when you have to put on countless layers, clear ice and snow off your car, or shovel the snow from your driveway.
But winter also has its beautiful side, something we can look forward to. When it snows outside and we breathe in the cold, fresh air on a walk. That’s when we really feel like going to the sauna, warming up, then cooling off with a few fresh breaths of cool air and a plunge into the ice-cold plunge pool. And cooling down after a sauna session is also extremely important for the body. We explain why in the following article.
What happens in the body when you use a sauna and cool down?
It’s not just the deep relaxation we find so soothing when using a sauna that helps us regenerate and recharge. A lot happens physically, too, which benefits our health and strengthens our immune defenses.
Using a sauna heats up our skin. To help our body process the heat, our blood vessels widen in response. The increased flow of warm blood to the body’s core raises our body temperature to 38 to 38.5 °C. So we get thoroughly warmed up and start sweating. Our cardiovascular system is working at full capacity. When we step out into the cool air after a sauna session and take a dip in the ice-cold plunge pool, the cold stimulus causes our blood vessels to contract and narrow again. Our skin temperature drops rapidly as we cool down. To prevent our body from getting chilled, warm foot baths after the cooling phase help regulate body temperature.
This shift from hot to cold is an ideal workout for the heart, circulation, blood vessels, and stamina. This training promotes health for people with both high and low blood pressure. Make sure you feel comfortable. If you feel unwell or have circulation problems, it’s best to leave the sauna in good time. You should also listen to your body while cooling down, as your circulation may not cope and you could feel faint. For extremely high blood pressure, the bio sauna is recommended, as its lower temperatures are gentler on the body. If you want to be on the safe side, contact your family doctor and ask for advice.
How should I cool down properly?
One thing is certain: the health benefits of using a sauna are only achieved when you cool down afterward. In other words, cooling down is just as important for our body as heating up. That’s why we’ve put together a few cooling tips for you:
- Get some fresh air after your sauna session. It not only feels wonderfully refreshing, but also gives your airways a chance to cool down more effectively.
- Take it slowly. Spending too long in the sauna and then cooling down too quickly can cause circulation problems and overtax the body. It’s easy to overestimate your limits and then collapse under a cold shower.
- Take your time. Cool down for as long as you spent in the sauna. Only then will your body return to its normal temperature.
- Foot baths after cooling off help regulate your temperature and prevent you from getting chilled. Special foot bath buckets are made of wood with a transparent hygienic seal.
- After cooling down, take a rest so your body can regenerate and recover.
Different ways to cool down
After a hot sauna session, nothing sounds better than jumping straight into the cold plunge pool. However, this is not entirely without risk. To avoid overtaxing your heart and circulation, it’s important to take a few breaths of cool, fresh air first and cool your body down gradually. After that, there are various ways to bring your body back to its normal temperature. Here are a few cooling methods:
Deluge shower/bucket
Wooden deluge buckets are specially designed for cooling down after a sauna session. They are mounted on the wall and emptied by pulling a lever. This is an invigorating way to cool off, as the cold water pours out in a powerful gush. Deluge showers spray cold water evenly from a wide opening, offering a gentler refreshment.
Plunge pool
Most plunge pools, also called plunge tubs, are made of wood and filled with cold water. A ladder makes it easier to get in. First splash cold water on your limbs, then slowly cool the rest of your body. Finally, you can submerge yourself completely.
Kneipp hose
A Kneipp hose is a little thicker than a regular garden hose, and cold water flows through it. To wet your skin evenly, it’s best not to set the water pressure too high. As with a plunge pool, start by cooling your arms and legs, then slowly move toward your chest and heart area.
Ice fountain
Ice makes cooling down a tingling, refreshing experience. The ice fountain produces crushed ice that trickles down from above into a collection basin. Rubbing yourself briefly and vigorously with the crushed ice improves circulation in your warmed-up skin, which contracts noticeably in response to the sudden cold.
Snow
If it has snowed, snow is naturally another welcome way to cool down. As with an ice fountain, you can rub snow over your body or roll around in it. The result is pleasantly tingling, rosy skin. Just don’t forget to get back inside in time, even if you’re having fun in the snow.
Conclusion
No sauna session is complete without cooling down. To achieve the positive health effects of sauna bathing, the focus should not be solely on heating the body, but also on cooling down afterward. This is actually quite easy, since after using a sauna we naturally feel the need to cool our bodies down again.
After sauna bathing, cooling down, and resting, we enjoy a feeling of blissful relaxation and feel as good as new.