Before our experts will tell you what actually better for you Steam Room vs Sauna, we should know little bit about both of them.
Steam Room Vs Sauna : Which is Better For You?
What’s the Sauna?
Saunas use dry heat. They are typically heated with very low humidity between 180 degrees Fahrenheit and 195 degrees Fahrenheit. It use wood, gas, electricity, or infrared technology (using light) to produce heat.
What Is The Steam Room?
Basically, steam rooms aren’t as hot like saunas, and they are lot more humid. Usually the steam room is heated between 100 and 120 degrees Fahrenheit and has about 100 percent humidity. But even if they are not technically as hot, you will feel more heat in steamy rooms than in saunas due to the humidity. You’ve probably seen steam rooms in your gym or inside the spa.
Benefits of Steam Room.
Steam rooms are similar to saunas. Both encourage you to sit in a small, warm room, and both are beneficial for your health. The major difference is the type of heat they provide. The sauna usually uses dry heat from hot rocks or closed stoves. On the other hand Steam rooms are heated by a generator which is filled with boiling water.
While a sauna can help to relax and loosen your muscles, it won’t have the same health benefits as a steam room. The key to the unique health benefits of steam rooms is humidity.
The steam room can improve your health in many ways those are as under;
1. Effective In Respiratory Problem.
Steam room is effective for anyone with a respiratory problem such as asthma or allergies. Medicines for such breathing problems can dry up your breathing route.
Steam moisturize and open the lungs a little more and hydrate the respiratory tract. If you struggle with congestion, steam can also act as a humidifier and help to clear the passage of your nose for easy breathing.
2. Improve Blood Circulation.
Anything that raises your body temperature will boost your heart rate, which in turn increases your circulation. Sitting in a steam room is almost like walking on a treadmill at a regular pace, Due to the heat, your heart has to pump more to circulate your blood, which means you’re getting some cardio benefits, even if you’re sitting in the heat.
A study on aged people showed that moist heat improved circulation, especially in the extremities.(1) Better circulation can lead to lower blood pressure and a healthier heart. It can also promote the healing of broken skin tissue. However, keep in mind, this is still no replacement for exercise.
3. Reduces Blood Pressure.
Spending time in the steam room can lower your blood pressure. According to several researches on people, it has proved that in the steam room some hormones released from their bodies that change their heart rate. One of these hormones is aldosterone, which helps to regulate your blood pressure.
When aldosterone is released from sitting in the steam room, it can help to lower high blood pressure. That’s why the steam room makes you feel relaxed.
Studies have shown that steam room is effective for reduce blood pressure when people are using it regularly. In fact, people can see better heart health. Research shows that people who regularly use steam room at least four times a week for 20 minutes have a significantly lower risk of heart attack, stroke, and dementia.
4. Reduces Stress.
Living in the steam room can also reduce the production of cortisol in your body. Cortisol is the hormone that controls the level of stress you feel. When your cortisol levels drop, you feel more control and relaxed. Spending a few minutes in a relaxed state regularly not only improves your overall health, but it also helps to heal your mind and improve your focus.
5. Provide Glowing Skin.
Using a steam room can beneficial for your entire skin, as it is bringing blood flow to the surface of your skin before you start sweating.
Regular sauna makes the skin more robust, which means it makes it more firm and elastic, which is good for aesthetic reasons.
6. Clears The Congestion.
Steam rooms create an environment which warms the mucous membranes & encourages deep breathing. As a result, using one can help to break the congestion inside your sinuses & lungs.
Steam therapy used to treat colds and sinus infections at home is controversial because you can scorch yourself if you do it in the wrong way. But steam rooms are comparatively safe, as long as you’re not inside for too long.
A study conducted on a group of children found that children with respiratory infections recover more quickly after steam therapy than children who did not use steam therapy. However, do not use the stream room when you have a fever.
7. Promotes Skin Health.
By coming into contact with the environment, all kinds of toxins can get trapped under your skin. Steam rooms help to resolve that problem by using heat to open your pores. Hot steams removes dirt and dead skin which can lead to breakouts. As a result, you may have clearer and more similar-toned skin.
8. Workout Recovery.
The pain you feel after working out is called the Delayed Onset Muscles Soreness (DOMS). Professional athletes have known for decades that heat therapy can help them to recover. Heat can penetrate deeper into the muscle tissue and help to relieve DOMS. A study showed that moist heat works effectively and more quickly than dry heat in muscle recovery.
9. Loosens The Hard Joints.
It is very important to warm up before workout to avoid injury. Using the steam room as part of your warm-up can help you to reach maximum mobility during activities like running, Pilates and yoga. A study was conducted where heat was applied to the knee joint before the activity, and as a result, the joint was far more flexible and relaxed.
The results show that heat can help to reduce injury before workout. It was also found that women benefited exclusively from heat therapy on the knee joint to protect against injury. Using steam room can also help to suppress stress, headaches, possibly because it reduces muscle pain that contributes to them.
10. Burns Calories.
When you’re in a steam room or sauna, your heart rate increases. If you use the steam room after an aerobic workout, your heart rate already increases, and the steam room can also prolong that. When used correctly, experts note that the sauna vs steam room stimulate your body in a way that normal exercise does not.
However, sweating it out in the steam room to lose weight quickly is not an effective tool. All the weight you lose in the steam room is the weight of water, and to avoid dehydration you have to replace it with drinking water. But using the steam room regularly as a way to burn more calories in the gym can make your diet and exercise routine more effective.
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11. Better Mood.
Some studies suggest that steam room can improve your mood, which, again, may be associated with the relaxation factor. However, according to a study it has proved that people who regularly used steam room had a lower risk of psychosis and the use of steam room could reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
It’s still unclear whether those benefits are directly related to use of steam room or else, or if it’s only linked to a healthy lifestyle that includes socializing and relaxation.
12. Boosts Immune System.
Several forms of hydrotherapy are known to boost immunity, and steam rooms are no exception. Exposing your body to hot water stimulates leukocytes, which are the cells that fight off infections. Sitting in a steam room when you’re fighting the cold shouldn’t be your first line of defense, however, there’s no evidence that steam can kill infection. But using the steam room regularly will boost immunity to your bloodstream causing you to fall less ill.
Prevention and Risks : Steam Rooms vs Sauna.
Steam rooms have several potential health benefits, but they may be harmful if you use them excessively. Staying in the steam room for more than 15 minutes can dehydrate you.
Steam rooms can also host other people’s germs. It is not hot enough to kill certain types of bacteria, and heat can also increase the number of bacteria.
Steam rooms alone cannot treat serious conditions. And while they can increase your heart rate and make your exercise more effective, steam rooms aren’t an option for exercise. If you’re pregnant or are recovering from surgery, avoid steam rooms and saunas until you’re completely recover.
What Are The Health Benefits of Sauna?
The sauna has the same health benefits vs the steam room, as the effects of heat are similar whether it is dry or moist heat. It means that you will get less pain and stiffness as well as some cardio benefits.
However, do not live up to your expectations in the weight loss section. Any actual pounds dropped would weigh of water, because of sweat and it goes for both the sauna vs steam room.
Frequently Asked Questions.
1. Are there any risks of using a sauna vs steam room?
You may feel dehydration and dizziness from the heat. So it is very important to make sure you are well hydrated before and after your sauna or steam room session. If you’ve had a recent heart attack or have had any other cardiovascular problems, such as high blood pressure, you must skip the sauna, because it increases your heart rate.
2. How long can you sit in the sauna or steam room?
Your sessions must be for only 5 to 30 minutes long. But how long you can safely use the sauna or steam room depends on how accustomed you are to it, or how hot the sauna or steam room is.
If you’re feeling dehydrated because you’ve probably been back for a long run, it’s not good to spend a long time in the sauna. But if you’re well hydrated and feel fine, you can stay a little longer.
It’s also common to step out of the sauna or steam room for frequent breaks, so leave whenever you feel thirsty.
It’s best to use sauna or steam room regularly for many health benefits (several times a week, if you can), start a trip to the spa for as many as five or 10 minutes to see how well you can handle it.
3. What can you wear in the sauna or steam room?
When it comes to shared public steam rooms, most of the people prefer to wear at least one towel. If you prefer to dress, natural fibres such as a cotton towel or a loose fitting shirt will be most comfortable. If you’re in a gym that allows nudity in the sauna or steam room, that time you should use towel, as these areas can be the basis for breeding germs.
4. Should I choose a sauna or steam room?
If you have respiratory problems, it’s best to stay in the steam room to keep your respiratory tract hydrated, as the sauna can dry it even more. Otherwise, it’s all about personal choice, and you get health benefits from both of them.
Bottom Line.
Adding Steam Room to your post workout routine can reduce your recovery time and help you to feel healthier. While steam rooms should never replace the treatments prescribed by your doctor, they are a great place to relax and get some health benefits while you’re in it.
Always practice good steam room hygiene by wearing flip flops, sitting on a towel and washing with a lukewarm shower to get rid of bacteria after spending time in the steam room.
