Regular and effective sauna bathing offers a broad range of health supporting and promoting benefits, demonstrated through well researched and documented data but a key area where research appears to be lacking is the effects of sauna bathing during pregnancy.

The key concern for many is the effect of heat and the temporary fever that sauna bathing induces and whilst there is a wealth of research relating to hyperthermia during pregnancy, few, if any, relate directly to current sauna bathing practices.

The key findings which bridge the possible gap are derived from research specifically looking at the relationship between fever (caused by internal biological response mechanisms through infection) and feotal development or miscarriage. The studies all broadly concluded that high fever during the first trimester could possibly, particularly during the first 6 weeks, create a slightly higher risk of nueral tube defects leading to congenital issues such as spina bifida.

It is worth noting that the temperature increase induced by sauna bathing raises core temperature, on average, by less than 1 degree and that the duration of time spent in a sauna during pregnancy is suggested to be no longer than 5-10 minutes so the key difference between externally induced fever (via the sauna) or internally induced (through infection or other biological processes) is the duration and temperature differences experienced.

One of the few published research pieces on sauna bathing during pregnancy was assessed and can be found in a 1979 edition of the British Medical Journal where the sauna bathing practices of Finnish women during pregnancy were investigated to assess a possible correlation between sauna induced hyperthermia and the instances of congenital abnormalities. It was concluded that sauna bathing had no ill effects in this group of women nor could they establish a scientific reason for finnish women to discontinue their usual bathing practices.  An important factor was noted on the historical context of traditions in sauna bathing rituals where regular sauna visits were a regular part of cultural  practices.

So, where does this leave the unanswered questions surrounding sauna bathing during pregnancy?  As with all health related issues is it is for the individual to firstly assess their own personal medical history and current sate of wellbeing.  Stage of pregnancy should be taken into account, exercising restraint or caution during the first trimester.  Blood Pressure can fall, body temperature will raise naturally and nauseous feelings may continue throughout inducing feeling of dizziness and lightheadedness and so sauna bathing under such circumstances is ill advised due to risk of fainting and vomiting. It is also wise to avoid sauna bathing during pregnancy if it not a regular part of your routine.

Sauna bathing during pregnancy is yet to become part of our cultural norms here in the UK but is rarely questioned in countries where there is a long history of regular sauna practices but that is not to say that we shouldn’t question or assess the risks. Our advice is  to talk to your GP, obstetrician or midwife first, then if you are in good health and are a usual sauna bather, the health promoting benefits of the sauna should continue throughout   – just remember to take a friend or partner with you for support, stay only for 5-10 minutes or less if you feel uncomfortable and take regular sips of caffeine free fluids to keep you fully hydrated.

Poets, philosophers, writers and psychologists have long been intrigued and fascinated by the emotional responses and memories triggered by our nasal detection of odorous molecules and for all of us, it is this physical process which creates strong physiological and psychological responses when encountering certain smells.

Our olfactory system is finely tuned to detect volatile chemical components in the air, translating them to chemical and electrical signals within the brain. Forming part of the limbic system, our olfactory bulb communicates these messenger signals directly to both the emotional centre (the amygdala), and the hipocampus (associated learning) to create either a new smell association or works to trigger a conditioned response to a scent previously encountered.

It is these conditioned responses which have us responding either positively – inducing feelings of pleasure, enjoyment, relaxation, happiness etc or negatively creating a sense of repulsion, dread, unhappiness. The memories associated with scent can be subliminal in nature producing only a perceived emotional response but in reality, it is the subconscious mechanism tying emotion, association and conditioning together to create the physical and psychological responses we encounter.

The link between memory and odour is incredibly strong as demonstrated when we encounter smells from childhood; the ever familiar scent of lavender may remind some of us of a much loved great aunt whilst others a strongly disliked distant relative, the emotional response experienced is created by the conditioned responses encountered much earlier in life. Our brain processes odours in such a way as to be indelibly printed, never to be lost, even when the source of conditioning to such odours has long been forgotten.

Scent is in itself a powerful tool for inducing a state of calm relaxation or for delivering an energy boosting pick me up when needed, so it no surprise that our use of herbs, flowers and oils to enhance the sauna and steam bathing process has a long standing history.

High quality naturally derived essences and oil concentrates used within the sauna and steam room create not only a mood enhancing environment but can have physiological benefits too.

With Autumn now in full swing essences such Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint and Eucalyptus will be beneficial in staving off cold inducing germs whist clearing foggy heads and stuffy noses. However, if you are looking for alternatives to the usual seasonal essences try Sandalwood, Chamomile, Orange and Mandarin which will soothe tight chests and calm those frazzled Christmas planning nerves.

The use of essence as a tool within the bathing environment will create a welcoming and inviting space helping to enhance the mood and physical wellbeing of the bather. Talk to your clients to discover odour biases and tailor the environment to meet the needs of your guests in turn helping to create positive, mood enhancing emotional responses and those feel good connections!

In case you may have missed it, today is World Mental Health Day which means that for those of us actively involved with the promotion of health and wellness activities, it is most definitely a day to take notice of.

Spa operation activities are centered around the delivery of services, activities and products which support, enhance and promote an overall sense of wellbeing and as the recent Spa Trend Report highlighted, for the last 25 years the vast majority of spa goers have given relaxation as the top reason for a visit to the spa.

So with our clients carefully attended to, what are we doing to support our staff, team members and colleagues in safeguarding their own mental health and that of those around them? If the answer is nothing in particular, we should be thinking again. A report released this week by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development highlights the shifting patterns of absenteeism with employers now clearly seeing a shift away from staff absence caused by back pain and RSI and instead stress related illness is now the number one reason for staff taking time off.

Here at Klafs we have long understood the importance of a happy healthy working environment and our Feel Well ethos is well established, the culture it creates helping to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the team as whole.

Family first (the F in our Feel Well Values) takes into account the need for life outside work as well as developing a sense of family here at the office which in turn creates an environment of mutual respect, support and honesty – important elements in safeguarding against stress related illness.

Our team is also encouraged to use the spa equipment regularly not only so they know the product up close and personal but because we all value the health benefits it offers. Bathing regularly gives each team member time to reflect, time to relax and a offers a big boost to mental and physical health.

Playtime and work time often collide with games and shenanigans in copious doses.  Getting to know each other outside the day to day remit provides valuable opportunity to forge connections, improve communication and creates discussions in a less formal environment.

Supporting your staff doesn’t have to take the usual shape, we are a pretty unconventional bunch here at Klafs but in developing an environment which is both productive and enjoyable means that we know our team really well in a working and non working environment and so communication and support mechanisms have been created far more easily.

Safeguarding the health and wellbeing of your team is important in any environment but for those of us in the health and wellness sector, the need to practice what we preach is certainly ever more present than in today’s social and economic climate.

If you are looking for a spa with wellness in mind, here’s why Klafs should be your first port of call:

1. Klafs Technical are a Klafs Gold Partner, an accolade awarded only to Klafs Partners who deliver the very highest levels of service, technical expertise and facilities. Only a handful of partners worldwide have achieved Gold status so we are understandably a rather proud recipient!
2. Our Team have been with us for a long time so they know our product and our clients exceptionally well. Personal service, expertise and a professional yet no nonsense approach is assured whatever the size of your project.
3. Our core team are based in Liverpool which means we are within easy reach of all our UK clients. The airport is just a stride away (being just 15 minutes out of the city) whilst mainline trains offer easy and efficient access to key cities across the UK. Being only 20 minutes form the M6 helps too.
4. We specialise in creating exceptional spa spaces where wellness is the key consideration, whatever shape your project takes. Wellness begins with client experience so from initial contact through to post installation support you can feel reassured that working with our team will be plain sailing not run of the mill.
5. Klafs cabins are engineered and hand-built in Germany by an expert team of crafts men and women. They also happen to be made to order so whilst you can’t buy them off the shelf, you can feel comfortable in the knowledge that your cabin is built with your personal requirements in mind.
6. Built to order means that there is no product to see right?  Wrong.  If you are a private customer or planner, our showroom here in the UK offers a private space to view and experience Klafs cabins for yourself.  Where those larger commercial projects are planned, the House of Sauna and Spa, situated at head office in Germany, offers a unique invitation to the Klafs spa experience.  Either way, you get to meet the team and the product in a way which is uniquely Klafs.
7. Sustainability is a key priority where sourcing and manufacturing is concerned but it doesn’t end there. Sustainable and environmentally aware operation is a key concern for many of our clients – which is why you can choose to integrate Klafs technology to suit your operational needs.
8. Technology is the cornerstone of Klafs quality. Extensive research and testing produces year on year advancements, improvements and new experiences in health & wellness. Sensory stimulation is carefully crafted to subtly address the needs of the spa environment and the individual spa user.
9. Spa equipment requires regular maintenance to keep things running smoothly and efficiently but making sure you get the right advice and support is important.  Here at Klafs we offer service, spare part sales and support packages to meet the needs of the private and commercial spa environment.  Our team will offer advice and service to help you or your team to keep things in good shape.
10. Klafs engineering teams are based in both the north and south of the UK to offer you convenient and efficient support when you need it.

Whether you term it being in the buff, wearing a birthday suit or simply as nature intended, the no clothes option of sauna bathing will have you filled with absolute dread, cautious abandon or utter nonchalance depending upon your viewpoint.  If you are new to sauna bathing, don’t let the prospect of getting back to nature put you off.

Your level of comfort with public nudity depends on many factors having been shaped through cultural expectation, socio-economic factors, geographical location and many other wide reaching and diverse indicators. Nudity in the sauna is sometimes assumed to equate with sexuality but in countries where nude sauna bathing is the cultural norm, this idea couldn’t be further from the truth.

Sauna etiquette can be a strange and confusing business simply because it does vary so vastly from country to country so the first step in feeling comfortable in this sauna (naked or not) is to ask directly about the spas’ etiquette. You will feel prepared and more at ease knowing the whys and wherefores of appropriate swimwear or towel use.

Here in the UK and over in the USA the expectation is to wear suitable swimwear at all times but in Norway or Germany for example nudity is very much the norm. If you are planning a spa trip where nudity will be expected and are feeling a little apprehensive, it’s worth remembering the following points:

• Swimwear is often excluded for reasons of hygiene and to improve the known health benefits in allowing skin to breathe freely. The close fitting nature of swimsuits creates a barrier to effective perspiration (a key benefit of sauna bathing), which in turn is said to create a warm dark and rather cosy place for bacteria to reside.
• You will not be naked the whole time, rather, spa rules will often demand that a robe and suitable footwear is worn when in the main spa areas – so there is no risk of free abandon of those personal bits for those a little unsure!.  A towel should be taken into the sauna for siting on and a second smaller towel should be used to wipe away excess perspiration.
• Nobody will actually notice that you are naked in fact, you are far more likely to attract attention if wearing swimwear. Where nudity is the cultural default, it creates a different perspective on what it is to be naked, just breathe and relax remembering that sauna bathers want to simply enjoy the time of quiet contemplation the sauna offers.
• If you are uncomfortable with mixed sauna bathing you will often find that there’s the option for single sex or family bathing sessions at certain times of the day or on a particular day of the week.  Check the spa timetable or talk to the spa manager directly.

Sauna bathing in the nude has a long history and is known to improve the overall health benefits and levels of comfort experienced. If you are travelling to a country where nudity is expected, embrace the opportunity to really get closer to nature and enjoy the experience of the sauna in a whole new (and highly beneficial) way.