HEAT FROM SAUNA OR STEAM ROOMS
Sauna and steam rooms offer intense, sweat-inducing heat for health and wellness.
Saunas provide dry heat (70–100°C) with humidity <20%, derived from heated stones, electric heaters/stoves, or infrared panels. Regular, controlled exposure (10-20 minutes, more than 3 times per week) is recommended to maximize health benefits.
Steam rooms use water vapour produced from boiling water (>100°C). The steam is let inside the steam room to maintain 100% humidity, and a temperature of 40-50°C. The steam room should be used 2–3 times per week for 10–20 minutes per session for optimum health benefits.
For both sauna and steam, start with lower-duration sessions of 5 minutes, and then scale up as per one’s comfort over the following weeks.
HEALTH BENEFITS
The preference for using sauna or steam rooms may depend on personal tolerance as well as the health benefit being sought. Individuals with heat sensitivity may find steam rooms more tolerable due to their lower temperatures, while others may prefer the intense, dry warmth of saunas. Both Sauna and Steam use heat to provide health benefits:
Muscles and Joints
Dry heat from the sauna helps muscles by increasing local blood circulation, delivering oxygen and nutrients, removing waste products like lactic acid, and relaxing muscles by increasing temperature and flexibility. This improves physical performance as well as recovery and healing, and reduces pain and stiffness of joints and muscles. Dry heat is particularly useful for chronic muscle and joint inflammation, sports injuries, arthritis, or fibromyalgia.
The heat from a steam bath penetrates muscles and soft tissues, encouraging better blood flow, and reducing soreness, tightness, or stiffness after a bout of intense physical activity or workout. Steam rooms help reduce Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). Heat therapy from steam also helps loosen stiff joints and reduce pain, which can be particularly beneficial for those with arthritis who are unable to tolerate the high temperatures of the sauna.
Metabolic Health
Dry heat increases metabolic rate by up to 20%, that enhances the body’s ability to burn more calories both at rest and during activity, directly assisting efficient weight management, fat loss, and increased energy levels. Though steam also increases metabolic rate, overall metabolic rate and calorie burning are significantly higher with sauna than steam. Sauna sessions over time may increase HDL (good) cholesterol and reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides.
Cardiovascular Health
Saunas are the preferred mode for cardiovascular benefits. Regular sauna sessions (4 or more times per week) have been studied to be associated with a roughly 50%–60% lower risk of fatal CVD events (angina/MI), including stroke. It also reduces blood pressure by inducing blood vessel dilation (vasodilation), reducing vessel wall stiffness, and improving vascular endothelial (inner lining of the vessels) function. Sauna acts as a passive, light-to-moderate exercise, enhancing circulation, helping particularly those with stages of heart failure.
For people with high heat sensitivity, steam rooms can also provide cardiovascular benefits, as high humidity and heat dilate blood vessels, enhancing blood flow to help lower blood pressure and improve cardiovascular function.
Stress and Mental Health
The high-temperature environment lowers stress levels and improves overall mood. Heat therapy stimulates the production of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), serotonin, and endorphins that support brain plasticity and alleviate depression and anxiety. Regular sauna or steam sessions lower cortisol levels, reducing overall tension.
If taken in the evening, sauna can improve sleep depth and duration.
The quiet, warm environment of both sauna or steam encourages the body’s relaxation response. Though sauna can lead to deeper relaxation states, those looking for a quick soothing cozy experience may prefer steam rooms.
Respiratory Relief and Sinus Health
Steam rooms are the choice in this therapy space. The warm, moist air in steam rooms helps open nasal passages, loosen mucus, and relieve congestion, making it highly effective for those with sinusitis, asthma, or seasonal allergies. This humidity-rich environment can also soothe irritated respiratory tracts and improve overall breathing comfort.
Skin Health
Sweating due to heat helps eliminate toxins (detoxification), especially heavy metals, and helps in cleansing the skin.
Dry heat in a sauna increases blood flow, which boosts oxygen and nutrient delivery, improves tissue repair and stimulates fibroblasts (that produce collagen protein), and enhances skin permeability. Prolonged and uncontrolled dry heat exposure in a sauna often dries the skin, causing roughness and flaking, weakening of the skin barrier, loss of suppleness, and an increase in fine lines and premature aging. Therefore, moderating sauna temperature and regular usage of moisturizers is recommended.
Steam rooms may be preferable to maintain skin moisture and suppleness. Steam helps in promoting deep skin hydration and aiding in effective cleansing, reducing dryness, flushing out impurities from pores, and improving skin elasticity and radiance over time.
Inflammation and Immunity
Heat exposure overall promotes cellular repair, helps reduce chronic, low-grade inflammation and helps boost the immune system by activating innate and acquired immune defences. It triggers the production of Heat Shock Proteins (HSPs) that are guardian molecules, protecting cells from stress (heat, toxins, infection) by ensuring correct protein folding, repairing damaged proteins, or targeting irreparably damaged ones for disposal, maintaining cellular health (proteostasis), and helping with normal cell functions. This leads to protective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant effects.
PRECAUTIONS:
- While generally safe, individuals should stay hydrated and limit sauna or steam sessions to 15-20 minutes, with breaks in between.
- Extreme heat can increase stress, anxiety, and irritation, instead of improving the same, therefore effective temperature control and monitoring are important.
- Always shower before entering to remove sweat, perfumes, and lotions. Maintain hygiene and use a towel to sit on, to minimise infections (especially in steam rooms).
- Take off all metal jewellery and watches, as they can burn skin.
- Exit immediately if feeling dizzy or nauseous, and cool down gradually.
- Potential, though rare, side effects include dehydration and lowering of blood pressure. Drink water before and after entering a sauna or steam room. One should consult a doctor if feeling light-headed, dizzy, or extremely fatigued.
- Sauna and steam should be avoided by individuals with unstable angina, recent heart attack (MI), severe aortic stenosis, history of epilepsy, severe COPD or heat-induced breathing issues, and pregnant women.
- Alcohol should never be consumed while in a sauna/steam session due to the increased risk of severe low blood pressure or arrhythmias.
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