There are a few different ways to generate heat on cold evenings, but the one I was thinking about most recently, I must admit, is the sauna.
Not being of Finnish extraction, I first glimpsed an indoor sauna — a cedar-lined little room in the suburban basement of a friend’s house — a few decades ago. We tried it out, but didn’t really get it. Apparently, neither did the rest of my friend’s family, since they started using it as a storage closet not long after that.
But times have changed. Spas and relaxation and walking around in big fluffy robes with white fuzzy slippers are big these days. And this could help explain why pre-built saunas, not very evident a few years ago, are now starting to appear in hardware and bath stores.
I now understand the appeal of the sauna more than I used to. Although not everyone would agree, there is a sizable group of people who believe that it’s a wonderful feeling to sit in a hot wooden box and sweat, cool down (and perhaps roll in the snow), and then do it again. It relaxes, relieves stress, and creates a feeling of well-being. Plus, let’s face it, it’s a huge hoot.
Besides that, time in the sauna will provide temporary relief to otherwise healthy people who suffer pains and aches due to arthritis or strenuous physical activity. All that sweating is good for the skin as well, since it washes out impurities. Although it isn’t medically proven, anecdotal evidence suggests there may be other benefits, such as detoxification (the sweating out of toxins accumulated in the body), weight loss as a result of a revved-up metabolism, among others.
The new kid on the block is the infrared sauna, which heats people and objects, rather than the air in a sauna. It works in exactly the same way as the sun’s warming energy, minus the harmful effects associated with ultra-violet radiation.
The infrared sauna allows bodies to warm and sweat without raising the temperature of the surrounding air as much as a traditional sauna, thus eliminating the need to sit in a super-hot enclosure and breathe in hot air. The infrared sauna heats up more quickly, is often cheaper to install, and is also a lot more energy-efficient than the traditional sauna.
But for the die-hard traditionalist, the old-fashioned Finnish sauna, built outdoors with a wood-heated stove, is still the only way to go. Without the high heat, the hiss of water on stone, and the ancient rituals of the sauna, they’re just not happy.
Of course, there are all sorts of other possibilities — just check online and you’ll see the huge range of saunas, both traditional with different types of heaters and infrared, for indoor and outdoor, in different sizes and finishes, and in every price range, from $1000 for a small portable unit up to $5000 or more for a large four-person cedar pre-fab unit.
Not for everyone
One important thing to remember is that heating up the body makes the heart work harder. For that reason, saunas are not recommended for people with heart or cardiovascular conditions, in addition to pregnant women, young children or frail elderly people.
– Sylvia Putz is a journalist with an interest in decor and design. She’s written for the TV show Arresting Design; sputz@arrestingdesign.com.
