Pros/Cons of Saunas and Steam rooms?

PrettyBoy

Used the steam room in my gym for the first time in months today and realised I was unsure about the pros/cons that come with using saunas and steam rooms.

Can anyone tell me?

Will

If there were any health risks one can only assume they wouldn't be widely available? o.0

LD 50

AFAIK, They make your skin clearer by opening up your pores, and allowing the sweat to clean them out.

They also help in the recovery process of your muscles, or something like that.

But don't forget to give your body 10-15mins rest before you go in.

There are health risks, to the young, old, and pregnant and overweight. That why you should only go in for around 10 mins without a break. The extreme heat puts a strain on your heart I think, which can lead to cardiac problems, inc cardiac arrest.

L31mr0d

Note of advice, do not pour beer on a sauna if you run out of water :rolleyes:

They do these all the time in Canada, they build their own, you sit in until you feel like you are going to pass out then drag you kicking and screaming over to the hole they've cut in a frozen lake and dunk you in it.

I'm sure it took 10 years off my heart every time they did it, although supposedly they claim it improves circulation.

Here's a question, why is there saunas and steam rooms? Is there any difference between them?

Giselle

L31mr0d wrote: »

Here's a question, why is there saunas and steam rooms? Is there any difference between them?

Sauna's are dry heat, steam room wet.

Most people use the terms interchangeably though.

LD 50

Giselle wrote: »

Sauna's are dry heat, steam room wet.

Most people use the terms interchangeably though.

Do they both do the same thing though? Does it just comes down to preference?

Giselle

LD 50 wrote: »

Do they both do the same thing though? Does it just comes down to preference?

I'm not really sure if there are any different benefits, but obviously you leave in a drier state from the dry heat of the sauna than you do from the steam room which leads me to believe your pores would get a more thorough cleaning in the steam room.

I personally prefer the sauna.

Gillo

The steam room is better for your lungs and if I remember correctly will increase your heart rate more than a sauna.

PrettyBoy

LD 50 wrote: »

AFAIK, They make your skin clearer by opening up your pores, and allowing the sweat to clean them out.

Is this true? My skin could do with a bit of TLC at the moment.

Giselle

PrettyBoy wrote: »

Is this true? My skin could do with a bit of TLC at the moment.

Extreme heat can cause broken veins too, so if you have that tendency I'd avoid it.

L31mr0d

Giselle wrote: »

Sauna's are dry heat, steam room wet.

Ah yeah I remember now. I can't use Steam Rooms, they always make me feel really claustrophobic like I can't catch my breath. I never last more than a minute or two in a steam room, but I can last for ages in the sauna.

Here's a thing, anyone noticed a certain level of machismo amongst males in saunas? Like who can last the longest in the hottest heat?

shapez

Sauna = Las Vegas heat.
Steam Room = anywhere hot with 100% humidity.

Saunas bring relief to people with asthma and also helps joint pain. Steam rooms help with muscle repair & joints.

Here is a good article to help.

http://www.steam-sauna-benefits.com/saunavssteamroom.html

PhilipMarlowe

I find the Steam Room good if I have a head cold... breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Not much of a fan of the baked potato room (Sauna).

cruizer101

I prefer the Sauna the steam room seems kinda chemically to me, maybe its just the one I go to. That said the sauna in my gym isn't great either, to small and doesn't get as hot as you'd like.

It definitly helps ease any muscle pain whilst I haven't noticed much of a difference I'm sure its helping my skin. Be in it now in about an hour

Jordan Berbatov

PrettyBoy wrote: »

Is this true? My skin could do with a bit of TLC at the moment.

i swear by it, 20 odd minutes in the steam room is as good as any clearasil

LD 50

Yea whenever I get in one I always feel a whole lot cleaner afterwards, your skin feels really soft and smooth. And if you shave imediately after it better too because your skin and your beard is softer, so you can get a closer, smoother shave.

Snowie

my parents have one in our old fammily home.... and there is nothing better then going layaking climbing playing foot ball walking into a sauna my god its hevavenly takes the ache of your mussel opens your poors getting rid of a lot of gunk... theres no health risks theyve been around for many years and one of the best things ever invented and nothing beats the cold shower after words....you feel cleen after a shower you feel polished after a sauna and i love them.....

the reason you take a cold shower after wards is to close your paws which stop you getting spots....

its also worth noeing that if you have a lot of mussel ache its well worth the 20 minites as it take it away.....

shapez

Also, after a night out on the beer. Go to a steam room and sweat it all out. Make sure you a drinking plenty of water afterwards though!!!

PrettyBoy

Well I've used the steam room once a day for the last three days, for around 20-30 minutes at a time, and there is already a very noticeable difference in my skin. It wasn't too bad to start with, just have been working a lot for the last couple of weeks and haven't been sleeping as much as I should have been, but I look and feel brand new after I use the steam room.

Thanks for the advice guys.

Lana80

both sexually arousing places to me anyway,

congo_90

Is there places where you can just use the sauna/steam room facilities? My skin could do with some of this clearing up!