Both saunas and steam rooms have become incredibly popular over the last 10 years. They are no longer just a place to unwind and relax after a stressful day, science has now proven that both can have considerable health benefits. But as they both have some amazing health benefits it does lead people to think, which has the most benefits? 

While we are aware that both are incredibly beneficial to the body, we know that people want the very best. In this article, we will take a closer look at both saunas and steam rooms and compare the benefits of both to see which comes out on top.

What Is The Difference Between A Sauna And A Steam Room?

While the concepts of steam rooms and saunas may seem very similar, they are actually vastly different. The most notable difference between saunas and steam rooms is the fact that one provides moist heat and the other provides dry heat. This dry heat of a sauna can typically reach much higher temperatures than a steam room can. A sauna will traditionally reach around 90°C, whereas a steam room will typically reach around 43°C but with 100% humidity. 

The purposes and physical effects of both seam rooms and saunas are actually the complete opposite. The dry heat of the sauna is meant to stimulate the emission of sweat. Whereas the moist heat of a steam room actually reduces our body’s ability to sweat. While you may feel like you are sweating in a steam room, however, the droplets that you may confuse for sweat are actually condensation from the humid air. 

Sauna Benefits

Science over the last decade has shown just how many phenomenal health benefits that saunas can have. They have become not only a place to relax and unwind but also an integral part of a healthy lifestyle. The countless benefits of saunas include, but are not limited to:

Improve Cardiovascular Health - Many scientific studies have shown that consistent sauna use can have a hugely positive impact on cardiovascular health. This is because a sauna session very much mimics cardiovascular exercise. 

When sitting in a sauna, your blood will start to flow to your muscles and your heart rate will elevate to an aerobic level. This will therefore give the body the feeling of cardiovascular exercise and will therefore strengthen and improve your cardiovascular health. This improvement in cardiovascular health can help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart diseases, heart attacks and even stroke. 

Reduce Inflammation Within The Body - Inflammation is unfortunately all too common amongst a huge number of individuals. Sauna usage can actually have an extremely positive effect on inflammation within the body by helping to stimulate oxygen-rich blood circulation in the body which can significantly reduce swelling or inflammation. 

In addition to this, inflammation within the body can be a side effect of stress. A sauna's ability to reduce stress by stimulating the production of stress-fighting hormones can also help reduce inflammation within the body. 

Helps Relax Muscles And Joints - Consistent sauna use has for a while has now been linked with muscle and joint relaxation. As the sauna heat helps to improve the flow of blood to muscles within the body, it also helps to flush out all of the toxins within the muscles and the joints helping to leave them relaxed. 

Reduce Stress - Everyone has something in life that can cause them a great amount of stress. That is why it is incredibly important to find natural remedies that can help you to destress and soothe the mind. Saunas are an incredible tool to both help relax and reduce stress. 

Saunas are incredible for helping to reduce stress thanks to a number of reasons. The main reason is that the increased blood flow from the sauna heat stimulates the production of mood-boosting endorphins. These endorphins help to reduce pain, reduce stress and improve your overall health and well-being. 

Improves Sleep - Sleep is one of the single most important factors that determine how an individual feels on a day-to-day basis. Therefore, getting sufficient deep sleep is incredibly important for maintaining overall good health and well-being. Saunas can hugely benefit your sleep and therefore benefit your health. 

When sitting in a sauna you are boosting the melatonin hormone. Melatonin is an incredible sleep-inducing hormone that can help an individual have a much deeper and much more restorative night's sleep. Consistent sauna usage will lead to much higher levels of melatonin which will therefore lead to higher quality sleep. 

Steam Room Benefits

Clears Up Congestion - It is extremely common to experience congestion at different points of the year and it can leave you feeling very groggy and unwell. Steam rooms are a phenomenal way of clearing up unwanted congestion as they help to open up mucus membranes around the body which will allow for much easier and deeper breaths. 

This, therefore, means that steam rooms can be incredibly effective for fighting off different diseases which affect the respiratory systems as well as common colds. A single steam room session can leave you feeling far less congested and can dramatically improve your ability to take deep breaths. 

Lowers Blood Pressure - Steam rooms are also incredibly effective for helping to lower blood pressure. This is because the heat of the steam can help to both dilate and enlarge blood vessels. This means that blood can travel far easier from the core to your skin which can in turn help to lower your blood pressure. 

Improves Circulation - Similarly to how it helps to lower blood pressure it can also help to improve circulation. As the blood vessels enlarge and dilate, they are able to carry oxygen around the body far easier. 

This means that the increased blood circulation can help to flush out toxins within the body and help the body to recover feeling much fresher. This is a phenomenal benefit for people who struggle with circulation problems or individuals who play a lot of high-level sports and are in need of constant recovery. 

Which Is Better?

While this may be slightly anticlimactic, the answer truly is that decision is very much a personal preference. You can rest assured that you cannot go wrong with either. While they are hugely dissimilar in some ways, they are incredibly similar in the sense that they both offer a huge amount of amazing benefits to the human body and its functions. For this reason, both a sauna and a steam room would be a great addition to your life and help you to maintain a healthy lifestyle. 

High-Quality Saunas At UK Saunas

Here at UK Saunas, we are the UK's largest supplier of high-quality saunas. We stock a huge range of saunas such as infrared saunas, outdoor saunas, barrel saunas and portable saunas. So if you are looking to add a sauna into your routine and take your health and well being up a notch then get in touch with us today on 01302 630805, we will be more than happy to assist you.