Benefits of steam and sauna bathing

Steam Room Benefits - effects on skin, muscle and joint pain, stress, and more...


Most people associate steam baths with relaxation or skin look-and-feel improvements, but steam room benefits may also include:

# relief from muscle tension and stiff joints

# boosting the immune system

# lymph detoxification

# blood circulation improvement

# sinus congestion relief

Regular use of a steam room can possibly improve your health and appearance. Read on to understand why...

What benefits do you enjoy most from steam baths? Take a second to click here and share with other readers of this site (opens a separate new window).

Unique Steam Room Benefits

Both sauna and steam baths are therapeutic, but the high moisture content in a steam room is especially good for respiratory problems.

For generations, doctors have recommended breathing steam for all kinds of respiratory issues.

Do you have any respiratory ailments? Give steam bathing a try. You just might like the results.

Of course if you have high blood pressure or other conditions, make sure you consult your doctor first!

Steam baths have been proven to be effective for conditions such as...

* asthma,
* bronchitis,
* sinusitis, and
* allergies.

Steam can help clear allergens and mucus from your lungs.

Vaporizers don't compare. Why?

Because a steam room exposes you to a higher concentration of steam, making it more effective for providing relief from breathing problems.

Breathing passages are soothed because of increased moisture content in your lungs, throat and nose.

Dr. Darrell L. Wolfe, Ac, Ph.D, wrote a good article about the therapeutic health benefits of steam rooms.

A visitor of this site named Dustin swears by the benefits of steam bathing. He says it helps him stay well during the winter season. Take a second to read Dustin's message and leave a comment (opens a new window).

Skin Benefits

Nothing is better for your skin than a heavy sweat.

Dermatologists recognize the value of steam in creating a beautiful, healthy glow.

Heavy sweating cleanses your skin more thoroughly than soap and water. How?

Because it opens your pores and allows deep-seated grime (yuck) and dead cells to be flushed out.

This is one reason steam baths can be helpful for acne treatment and some other skin conditions.

Also, the heat causes an increase in blood circulation, bringing more oxygen and nutrients to your skin surface. Over time, this can help contribute to a healthy, glowing appearance.

To better understand why a steam room benefits your skin, skim my short article --> Steam Rooms for Skin Care (opens a new window).

Pain Relief

Heat has been known to be effective against joint and muscular pain.

It causes your blood vessels to expand, which increases blood circulation.

As a result, more oxygen and nutrients can reach damaged parts of your body.

This has the double effect of temporarily reducing or stopping pain and increasing your body's healing rate.

Spend 10 or 15 minutes in a steam room after you exercise for example, and you'll help speed up healing of damaged muscle tissue.

Goodbye Stress!

Many peoples lives are filled with stress, and we all know what stress can lead to...

* high blood pressure,
* cardiovascular disease,
* migraine headaches,
* muscle tension,

...and the list goes on.

Relaxing in a steam room is a great way to unwind and relieve stress.

The heat tells your muscles to relax, and the cloud of steam provides the perfect soothing atmosphere for calming your mind.

I can't sit more than two minutes in a steam room and not feel completely relaxed.

High stress levels is probably one of the reasons more and more people are installing home steam rooms.

Have you ever taken a steam bath before bed? If so, you already know that it promotes deep, restful sleep which is so important for recharging your batteries and healing your body.

Spending time in a steam room regularly can quite possibly have a noticeable impact on your health, appearance, and your state of mind.

If you haven't already, please take a minute to share why you enjoy taking steam baths.

Benefits of the Sauna


As we mentioned earlier, the skin is a major eliminative organ. Our modern lifestyle makes most people's skin inactive. Many of us don't sweat, especially during the winter months. Modern synthetic fibres or tight clothing that doesn't allow the skin to breathe, can damage our skin and our natural ability for elimination, as does excessive prolonged sun exposure. A sedentary lifestyle also inactivates the skin.

Our skin is exposed to hundreds of chemicals during the course of our life, and is affected by them. From innocent bath products such as shampoos, shower gels, lotions and soaps to deodorants. Household cleaning solvents, detergent residues on clothes and chemicals from the bath or shower water also affect the skin.

Regular use of the sauna gradually restores the skin's elimination ability. Sweating removes toxic chemicals and metals faster than other detox method. It is a good habit that pays many health dividends.

The sauna's benefits are numerous. Not least because it is so relaxing and leaves your body soothed and your mind serene. It's main advantage lies in the fact that it promotes sweating, helping the body to rid itself of toxins. It is also believed that exposure of the skin to heat stimulates the production of white blood cells and strengthens the immune system.

Other benefits of the sauna include:

* Improved blood circulation: The sauna increases and improves the rate of blood circulation and breathing.
* Weight loss: Sauna is similar to mild exercise, it burns about 300 calories per average session. Regular sauna treatments combined with a healthy diet and moderate exercise will help you lose weight and stay fit and healthy.
* Skin cleansing: A profuse sauna-induced sweat followed by a shower cleanses your skin far more thoroughly than just taking a shower. It makes it soft and healthy with immediately noticeable effects.
* Body relaxation: Stress build-up creates tension in the body manifesting in various aches and pains. The heat and humidity of the sauna diffuses the pain and relaxes tired muscles. A sauna in the evening will leave tense muscles and sore limbs totally relaxed. Sauna also temporarily relieves arthritic pain.
* Mind relaxation: The sauna is essentially a place to relax. Regular sauna adepts all agree that it effectively helps relieve physical and mental fatigue and stress.

The sauna enhances circulation and oxygenates the cells, tissues and organs. It increases the body's ability to produce energy, which promotes healing. At the same time, heating the tissues speeds up the metabolism. Your cells are gradually capable of eliminating toxins much more effectively.