Everybody and their mom knows that a good sweat is good for health. However, many people don’t know the difference between sauna benefits vs steam room.
The two terms are often used interchangeably. I’m guilty myself for calling a steam room a sauna and vice versa. While they both get hot, they are ultimately two different entities. Historically, both have been used for a very long time to support overall health.
If you’re unsure about the benefits of the two, don’t worry. I’ll explain the different benefits each offers so you can make the best decision for yourself.
Sauna Health Benefits
The term sauna really just means a traditional dry sauna. The type with hot rocks that heat the air, making it very dry and hot. It’s what is believed to have been used by the Finns for about 7,000 years and offers a multitude of incredible health benefits.
While it might require a bit more work if you’re using one with hot rocks, a classical Finnish sauna can offer a very natural, authentic sauna experience. That said, rocks aren’t necessary in every traditional sauna; electrical heating is often used in a calming wood structure.
Supported Immune System
The immune system has a busy job: detecting foreign invaders and stopping them in their tracks, allowing your organs and body to maintain homeostasis.
White blood cells produce antibodies that help destroy dangerous foreign invaders. Think of them as your own personal army that protects your biological nation.
The heat shock proteins that are triggered by the sauna support the immune system by boosting the body’s white blood cell count.
The result is a stronger immune system and potential to reduce the effects of viral infections (e.g., the common cold).
Mental Health
From a purely personal perspective, saunas (and steam rooms) have always worked wonders for my mental health. Having a regular relaxation practice in my life helps tremendously with destressing.
In a world filled with social media, clicks, and buzzes, the sauna is a great place to get away from it all. In a busy, fast-paced world, not enough of us take the time truly detach from it all for a little bit and step into stillness.
According to Dr. Zack, there’s evidence that saunas are effective for people dealing with work-related stress and tough personal situations.
Not that the sauna gets rid of every ounce of negativity in life, on the contrary, it can help one to deal with the stresses of life by taking time to relax.
I find that whenever I’m going through a difficult patch in life, daily relaxation helps me deal with it more effectively.
It’s difficult to solve life’s problems when the body is so tense. The sauna can help.
Cardiovascular Health
It turns out that the sauna may be very great for cardiovascular health. During a sauna session, the heart rate may increase to 100-150 beats per minute as the body tries to cool itself.
The sauna gives the cardiovascular system a workout comparable to exercise. What’s nice about that, though, is that all you have to do is sit back and relax! That’s a steal if you ask me.
Similar to low- to moderate-intensity exercise, the blood vessels dilate during a sauna session, increasing circulation throughout the body. The result is various cardiovascular benefits.
Here are some key cardiovascular benefits:
- Immediate positive effect on blood pressure.
- Raises healthy HDL cholesterol.
- Improved CRF (Cardiovascular respiratory fitness) levels.
- Lowers heart disease risk
I don’t know about you, but I want to do everything I can to keep my heart and cardiovascular system healthy.
In the United States alone, 1-in-3 people die from cardiovascular disease. What’s sad is how many of those deaths are preventable. In fact, 80% of heart disease is preventable.
When you work with a great doctor, eat a healthy diet, and incorporate healthy practices into your life, you can help prevent cardiovascular-related death.
Don’t be a statistic. Love your heart, love yourself, eat a healthy diet, and stay active.
Pain Relief
While more research will be needed to determine the extent of the pain-relief benefits saunas offer, the research thus far suggests potential benefits.
Research also shows that the sauna may be beneficial for lower back pain. Lower back pain relief is a must in a world with so much sitting.
Our bodies weren’t made for sitting. They were made to stay active throughout the day. Nevertheless, sitting is something even many healthy people do.
The sauna, along with increased physical activity, can help counteract the effects of prolonged sitting. Ah, speaking of sitting, there’s no rule that you have to sit in the sauna either.
Consider standing inside to reduce your daily sitting even more.
While a sauna alone may not be enough for more serious types of pain, it might help relieve aches and pains.
Nurtures Sore Muscles
Saunas have become a staple for many fitness centers and are touted for helping with muscle recovery after a workout.
While using the sauna after working out can be beneficial, you have to be very careful not to overheat. Be sure to listen to your body, stay well hydrated, and take a break in between your workout and sauna session.
A study found that a 30-minute sauna session after a workout can boost recovery and decrease post-workout muscle soreness.
For professional athletes and even the average gym shark, recovery is everything. The faster you recover, the sooner you can train to achieve the results you want. Those results could be faster running, improved martial arts agility, or lifting heavier weights.
Sauna sessions stimulate muscle recovery by increasing circulation, allowing nutrient-rich blood to reach the muscles and aid healing. Combine the sauna with a healthy diet and high-quality sleep, and it’s a recovery smorgasbord!
Speaking from personal experience, I find that I recover very quickly after a sauna session following long hikes or workouts. It feels like my recovery is getting into the acceleration lane.
May Reduce the Risk of Neurocognitive Diseases
Neurocognitive diseases, such as dementia, are horrifying diseases that can rob a person of their very identity, memories, and ability to function at their best.
While research on the relationship between saunas and neurocognitive diseases is currently inconclusive, studies suggest that saunas may help reduce risk.
A population-based study found that men and women in Finland support the hypothesis that sauna bathing may help ward off dementia.
The fact is that while a sauna isn’t a silver bullet for neurocognitive diseases, it does support better brain health. Having adequate blood flow to both the brain and the body is essential for overall health.
Similar to exercise, the sauna can support a healthier brain by providing a workout through increased blood flow.
Neurocognitive diseases are a big animal, though, and there are many factors that come into play, including genetics. Fortunately, there’s a lot that you can do in your daily life to improve brain health.
The sauna might be one of them, but we don’t yet know the full extent of its benefit for the brain.
May Support Respiratory Health
Respiratory health is essential for a healthy life and for functioning well each day. Problems with respiratory health are detrimental to health because oxygen is our life force. Less oxygen means less life force.
There’s evidence that regular sauna use is associated with a lower risk of respiratory conditions and lung infections. In research involving middle-aged Caucasians, it was found that sauna bathing may have reduced their risk of respiratory diseases.
More research will be needed to fully assess the effect the sauna has on lung/respiratory health, but so far, the association appears to be positive.
Steam Room Benefits
The steam room has a rich history across cultures worldwide, including the American Indian sweat lodge and the Russian banya.
As for the sauna vs. steam room, there’s a lot of overlap in benefits, but the steam room has some key benefits of its own. Both offer heat-shock protein benefits, so I’m going to highlight some unique benefits of steam rooms.
May Help Clear Congestion
One of the most touted anecdotal benefits of the steam room is that breathing in warm steam may help to clear mucus.
More research is needed to determine the full benefit of steam rooms in loosening mucus, as the effects may be only temporary. Some people complain that it causes discomfort in their nasal passageways, so it’s definitely not a silver bullet.
Research from 2015 showed that inhaling steam infused with essential oils may help clear congestion in the sinuses and lungs.
Personally, I love the smell of an essential oil in the steam room. The steam definitely seems to disperse the essential oil into the air more than a dry sauna does.
Supports Skin Health
While dry saunas are amazing, they may not be the best option for someone with dry skin issues. The steam room allows a person to benefit from heat shock proteins and sweating without drying out their skin.
The steam room air isn’t just dry hot air but rather warm condensation that gathers on the skin and cleans out the pores. It removes a lot of the gunk that can lead to breakouts.
You may find that your skin is much more even-toned and that you have a glowing complexion after using a steam room.
If your goal is to focus on anti-aging for your skin, consider trying an infrared sauna, which is essentially a more advanced version of a dry sauna. Research shows that using an infrared sauna may help reduce skin aging by boosting collagen production.
Collagen plays a very important role in skin and other aspects of health. If you want to look younger, you need to produce more collagen.
May Boost the Absorption of Topical Products
Research shows that steam may support the absorption of topical products – a great benefit. That’s great if you want to take your beauty and/or skin care routine to a whole new level.
When people expose their facial skin to gentle, safe steam, it warms their skin. The increased temperature boosts the circulation to the skin.
Improving circulation helps topical products to penetrate the skin more easily. The research is still unclear whether warm skin helps with the absorption of topical products, but steam does.
Which One Is Better to Buy?
Sauna benefits vs steam room: which one offers the most benefits? It all comes down to the individual, your unique needs, and whatever your doctor recommends.
The great news is that, as long as they’re hot enough, both offer the incredible benefits of heat shock proteins. That’s the big reason why sauna and steam rooms are recommended.
After that, it all comes down to what makes you feel best and offers the best benefits. Consider trying them both to see what you can stick to and enjoy.
You might find that the steam room air becomes too dense and uncomfortable to breathe. You may find that the dry sauna irritates and dries out your skin.
Work with your doctor to find the best solution for your health, and perhaps something you can stick to to maximize long-term benefits.
Comparing Relaxation Benefits
Let’s keep it real. Many of us aren’t hitting the sauna or steam room for the benefits of heat-shock proteins. It’s the relaxation benefits that we’re after.
Taking time to relax in a world that is bustling, hustling, and never stops is one of the key benefits of steam rooms and saunas. However, that begs the question: which one is most relaxing for you?
It depends on the individual and how they enjoy relaxing. If you enjoy reading in a sauna, a steam room isn’t the best option, as it can destroy your book or Kindle.
It’s worth mentioning a specific type of dry sauna: the infrared sauna.
Infrared saunas use wavelengths of light to penetrate the body and heat it from within. While that might sound intimidating, I find it the most comfortable of all the saunas, and it’s a much gentler heat.
If you find both traditional saunas and steam rooms to be uncomfortable but still want to get the benefits of heat, you may want to give the infrared sauna a try.
Determining which one helps you relax the most is definitely a factor in picking the best option.
Sauna Benefits vs Steam Room: The Final Verdict
Granted that you’re a healthy individual, a sauna or steam room is often doctor-approved; both are great ways to benefit from heat shock proteins.
If you’re a health nut like me and are ready to take things to the next level and reap the rewards of heat shock proteins, consider trying either one.
Sauna benefits vs. steam room depend on your personal health needs and which you enjoy the most.
Leave a comment below and let me know which one is your favorite and the reason why.