As many people grapple with myriad health issues such as high blood pressure, arthritis, and stress, among other health complications, alternative treatment methods are rapidly overtaking the conventional treatment offered in health facilities, and one of the options that is quickly attracting a huge following due to its health benefits is sauna therapy.
In Kericho County, Mr. Kenneth Langat, a farmer in Chepsir village, constructed a traditional sauna that would come in handy for many of his friends and neighbours who suffer various ailments, with the promise of full recovery after several sessions of the therapy.
Langat, who spoke to KNA, revealed that after experiencing the healing virtues of sauna therapy a few years ago, he envisioned an opportunity for him not only for financial gains but also to help ailing people around him, and in 2020, he decided to offer the sauna therapy services at his compound.
He says the venture that was initially private and restricted to his friends and family has now been fully opened to the public after word spread that ailing people recovered fully after sauna therapy sessions.
He explains that the sauna is typically a therapy room where people heat their bodies to between 70° to 100° Celsius, or 158° to 212° Fahrenheit, for up to five minutes or more per session, during which they sweat profusely inside the room while inhaling herbal steam, which he said had healing abilities.
He says that his traditional sauna uses wood to heat the sauna rooms and sauna rocks to a high temperature, explaining that other types of saunas found in different parts of the world use electrically heated saunas, infrared rooms, and steam rooms.
He, however, says that regardless of how a sauna is heated or the humidity level, the effects on the body are similar, noting that more often than not, his clients prefer to fully undress during the sessions to actively skin-breathe, cool down, and sweat.
Langat says that clothing in the sauna room is a distraction, yet it is essential that one feels comfortable and relaxed in the sauna to get the best possible health benefits.
“Many saunas simply use the heat with normal humidity, but here at this traditional sauna, the humidity has a mixture of traditional herbs with healing properties acquired from various roots, leaves, and stems of trees found deep in the forests. For the last two years that we have been in operation, many people have received health benefits,” says Langat.
He notes that saunas have been used for thousands of years with benefits such as improving blood circulation, easing pain, reducing stress, and improving cardiovascular health, adding that when a person sits in a sauna, their heart rate increases, blood vessels widen, and this increases circulation in a similar way to moderate exercise, depending on the duration of sauna use.
“As the skin temperature rises, heavy sweating also occurs. The heart rate rises as the body attempts to keep cool. It is not uncommon to lose about a pint of sweat while spending a short time in a sauna, and this is quite therapeutic,” says Langat.
The farmer says he started the venture at the height of COVID-19 and that it has since grown into an obsession for many within Kericho County and beyond, saying that he only charges Sh200 per person for a session.
“We have a therapy room for women and another one for men, and there are assistants who attend to the clients for safety purposes since we also have to be cautious to reduce chances of injury and harm,” Langat adds.
According to Langat, people with heart diseases and those under the influence of alcohol are strictly not allowed to use the sauna to avoid complications due to their situation, as the heavy sweating and the humidity and heat may adversely affect them.
“We advise our clients that before using the sauna facilities, they need to be well hydrated by drinking lots of water to avoid dehydration during the intense heating sessions. We also provide warm water and some oranges before and after using the sauna to refresh their bodies,” says Langat.
Due to the rising demand for sauna services from clients within Kericho County and beyond, Langat expresses his desire to expand his sauna rooms, which can only accommodate a maximum of eight people per session.
“We are less than a kilometre from the Chepsir Shopping Centre along the Kericho-Nakuru Highway, and we welcome people from all walks of life to experience the magic of sauna therapy,” says Langat.
By Kibe Mburu
