Sauna Use/Etiquette

Discussion in 'Health & Fitness' started by BenTheMan, Oct 22, 2008.

  1. BenTheMan Dr. of Physics, Prof. of Love Valued Senior Member

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    Ok, I just joined a gym here (I'm in the Bay Area for a few months, for grad school), and was wondering what the use/benefit of a sauna/steam room was for.

    I mean, it's great to sit in the hot room for a while after lifting, but is there any real benefit to it?

    Further, what level of conversation is appropriate with the naked elderly man sitting next to me?

    Please advise.
     
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  3. superstring01 Moderator

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    Nudity in public saunas is actually prohibited by most state health codes (I know it is in FL, OH and AZ). Tell the dude to slip on some shorts or throw on a towel. Nothing more distracting that loose nuggets in a sauna.

    ~String
     
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  5. iceaura Valued Senior Member

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    ? There is no God.

    Honest to Pete, we're going to end up in hijabs. I know it.

    You have to sit on a towel. That's just common courtesy. But shorts?

    When I was a kid, clothes were prohibited in the pool at the local Y. They certainly weren't standard in the sauna.
    Finns swear by them - add years to your life, cure what ails you, etc. But they beat themselves with sticks (yellow birch twigs are favored), and run them pretty hot - probably hotter than you get at a gym.

    Watch the dehydration.
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2008
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  7. superstring01 Moderator

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    Duh. I coulda' told you that.

    Some guys just need to keep their cloths on. The gym I work out at has the requisite "fat guy" with junk hanging halfway to his knees who walks from shower to locker full monty. It's enough to make a gay man straight... and trust me, I'm very gay.

    Shorts aren't totally necessary, but a fully wrapped lower section is (at least where I live, it is). Again, it's health-code run amok, but I'm not complaining. If it were all the hot, buff, younger men who pranced around in their birthday suits, I'd be a bit more reserved in my protestations against nudity in saunas, but seeing as how it's always the WWII age men who have no use for clothing in the locker room, I feel it's best for morale and comfort to require some sort of junk-covering in saunas.

    Damn. I was born two decades too late.

    When I was living in Spain, I befriended a Finnish family who had one in their home. While I refused to enter therein unclothed (they did), I did get to partake of it on several occasions while listening to them regale me with its many health benefits.

    ~String
     
  8. rpenner Fully Wired Valued Senior Member

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    Freaking gaydar sidelobes always screwing up my television reception!
     
  9. lucifers angel same shit, differant day!! Registered Senior Member

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    they're very good if you have a cold, and they clear the skin aswell, which is always good

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  10. John99 Banned Banned

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    Steam rooms are better with their wet steam but saunas are more of a dry heat which is not particularly good.

    I think you wear a small towel in both of them and if the guys are naked then i wouldnt go into them. I have showered with large groups of naked men but that was due to necessity.
     
  11. John99 Banned Banned

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    Steam rooms are better with their wet steam but saunas are more of a dry heat which is not particularly good.

    I think you wear a small towel in both of them and if the guys are naked then i wouldnt go into them. I have showered with large groups of naked men but that was due to necessity.
     
  12. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    When I went to the gym I had to wear bathing trunks into the steam and sauna rooms. I'd think that should be the case everywhere when a public gym is being used. Now as for conversation of course you can discuss stuff with whomever might be there.
     
  13. BenTheMan Dr. of Physics, Prof. of Love Valued Senior Member

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    Ehh...that's probably me, except the junk hanging to my knees part. I mean...it TOTALLY hangs to my knees.

    Either way, I AM down about 35 pounds since may.

    I checked this morning and it only says you have to sit on a towel. Gotta love California

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  14. Steve100 O͓͍̯̬̯̙͈̟̥̳̩͒̆̿ͬ̑̀̓̿͋ͬ ̙̳ͅ ̫̪̳͔O Valued Senior Member

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    It would piss me off if I had to cover up.
     
  15. MacGyver1968 Fixin' Shit that Ain't Broke Valued Senior Member

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    I don't want to see no shriveled up grampa junk..that looks like beef jerky that got left out in the sun to long. Dude...wear a towel!
     
  16. BlueMoose Guest

    Here in Finland at least the city I live in you must be full naked if you want to go to sauna in swimming hall and get showered before entering (not the lame ass steam room) because of the health issue ! The towels and shorts and that stuff are the items that carries all kind of germs in ! Last time when I was there I had great conversation with half older man than me about...the sauna lol

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    and then the conversation went by itself to many direction, in the sauna everybody is kinda equal and in that atmosphere its kinda easy to talk about, just pick your subjects carefully at first, meaning no outright political or religious outbursts

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    Inhaling the humid air does good for your lungs, also its very relaxing and the warm opens up tight spots in my back. I like medium heat, with heat maniacs sauna is everything else than pleasure.
    Also it has teach us from the young age to be comfortable about nudity.
    We did get sauna in last summer about 30 times or so, most of those in my friends summer houses, sauna and swimming in the lake in sun setting, breath taking.
     
  17. one_raven God is a Chinese Whisper Valued Senior Member

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    I'm confused, BlueMoose.
    You said inhaling the humid air is good for your lungs, but saunsa don't have humid air, they have dry air, humid air is in the steam rooms 9which you called lame ass).
    Please explain.
     
  18. John99 Banned Banned

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    Because they keep throwing water on the rocks.
     
  19. John99 Banned Banned

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    My girlfriends house has a sauna by the pool but it hasnt worked for years. The wood and the rocks and breathing all that in. Didn't seem too healthy to me.
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2008
  20. BlueMoose Guest

    Its not good sauna if the air is dry, often in electric heated sauna are dry aired.
    Real good sauna offers humid air when water throw to sauna stove (kiuas), and those kind of stoves are heated by wood, building a good sauna is real art

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    I bet I would have hard time to find out of Finland as good saunas as I´m used to use

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    I was in sauna first time so little that I cant even remember it.
     
  21. BlueMoose Guest

    -You havent been in real sauna it seems, there are chimneys for the smoke ya know

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  22. John99 Banned Banned

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    I have been. I know the ones i was in had rocks and no electric. I can walk across to a real sauna anytime i want.
     
  23. BlueMoose Guest

    -Wouldnt guess that from your comments !

    -And in electric stoves there is rocks also...
     

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