Saunas and steam rooms are often referred to in the same context which suggests that they are similar. This is a common, but inaccurate misconception and one that will be remedied here.
Both saunas and steam rooms have many health benefits and these benefits are generally reaped by increasing the temperature of the human body to encourage the opening of pores and the process of sweating. Most medical workers and fitness trainers agree that there can be a health gain when subjecting the human body to this kind of environment for short periods of time.
The potential benefits of this "artificially induced" raising of the body's temperature include, an increase in blood circulation, detoxification of the skin and body, the relieving of muscular tension, cleansing of the skin and a general bodily state of relaxation.
The differences
The main difference between a sauna and a steam room is the way in which the body's temperature is raised.
A sauna generates dry low humidity heat that sees temperatures in excess of 80 degrees centigrade. These temperatures sound incredibly high, but with almost no moisture in the air they are tolerable and cause the body to sweat profusely. This sweating process is encouraged by the lack of humidity which enables the air in the sauna to swallow up any moisture (i.e. sweat) released in to it.
A steam room works in a completely different way and uses much lower temperatures combined with very high humidity to make the body feel hot and sweaty. Steam rooms usually run at about 40 degrees centigrade, but the high humidity (which makes it harder for the body to sweat) makes them feel much hotter.
Put in simple terms, a sauna uses very hot dry air, whilst a steam room uses a combination of heat and moisture to create a very humid environment.
Other big differences between the two systems relate to the ways in which a sauna and steam room are fitted and used.
A sauna sees its users seated on wooden benches and usually taking repeated sauna sessions separated by short periods of "cooling off" time. Saunas can accommodate multiple people depending upon their size and design. The sauna walls are usually lined with seasoned wood and a "stove style" heater provides the energy source. The "dry" heat is generated from "hot" rocks place on top of the stove.
By contrast, steam showers tend to be for single session use and take an individual bather. The cubicle is sealed to make it air and moisture retentive and the shower will be tiled or manufactured from an encapsulated plastic material. A steam generator is used to create the moist and humid atmosphere, although "actual steam" (which would be 100 degree centigrade) is never used.
Which is best?
There is no definitive answer as to whether a steam room or a sauna is superior. Both achieve a similar sensation, but in very different ways.
Saunas certainly encourage a higher level of sweating resulting in greater weight loss (and the need for liquids to be taken). Furthermore, a number of sauna sessions can be taken one after another to intensify the "heat up" and "cool down" experience.
On the downside, a home sauna can be an expensive and "space demanding" luxury, whilst a steam room can be part of a modern multi-purpose shower cubical.
A steam room can also be ready to use in seconds whilst a sauna requires preparation in the form of heat-up time and much higher running costs.
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