Steam Bath

What is a Steam Bath?

Steam bath as the name itself says, is a bath that is taken with the help of a steam. Steam bath is a very ancient type of bath, which was very popular among ancient Romans and Greeks. Along with relaxing your body and mind, steam bath also increases your energy and promotes your health and beauty.

Steam baths are becoming more and more popular these days and are seen at many places. The advanced steam generating technologies have made it possible to install steam baths anywhere. They also come at affordable rates.

Even if steam bath is similar to sauna, it’s not the same. Steam baths takes place in a sealed cabin having an optimum temperature ranging between 110F(43C) and 116F(46C). This temperature is most appropriate for humans as it increases the body temperature but without causing overheating.

During a steam bath, continuous steam is generated with the help of a steam generator. As steam bath requires a permanent steam, all the possible precautions are taken to prevent the steam from escaping the cabin.

How to take a Steam Bath?

You don’t have to do anything on your part. If it’s your first session, remember to take a shower before having a steam bath. If you are comfortable, remove all your clothes otherwise you can wear a loose cotton wrap. Don’t wear tight fitting clothes as they can interfere with the body temperature.

Enter the sealed cabin. And now you are ready to experience the magic of a steam bath. Decide your time of stay in the steam bath according to your sensitivity. To avoid overheating don’t exceed the time over 15-20 minutes. Come out of the sealed cabin and cool off your body either with a cool air or cool water.

Additional Tips for Steam Bath

Remember these tips before or after having a steam bath.

• Don't have heavy meals before going for a steam bath.
• Drink lots of water before going for a steam bath in order to avoid dehydration.
• In order to recover from exertion, eat a salty meal and drink plenty of water after a steam bath.

Benefits of Steam Bath

Most of the people willing to enjoy a hot and wet health bath often go for steam bath. There are numerous health benefits associated with the use of steam bath. Here are mentioned a few of them.

• Steam Bath is very popular among the women because of the beneficial effect it has on the skin. It helps in skin cleansing. It opens the pores, removes the dead skin and soothes the skin.
• It improves blood circulation
• Soothes sore muscles
• Increases energy
• Relaxes stiff muscles
• Releases toxins

Steam bath is also beneficial in treating variety of health conditions like:

• Asthma
• Bronchitis
• Chest congestion
• Sinus problems
• Coughs
• Poor blood circulation
• Hoarseness
• Sleeping disorders
• Dry skin
• Muscular pains
• Joint pains

Steam Bath Using Steam Showers

Using a steam shower is as good as having a steam bath. Steam shower is nothing but a regular shower having a steam generator for producing steam. Steam showers are fixed in a sealed cabin to avoid the possibility of water vapor escaping out and damaging the nearby fabrics.

In the beginning, steam showers were found only at health spas or fitness centers. But now the picture has changed so much that many people either install them at their bathrooms or convert their existing showers into steam showers due to their falling rates.

Benefits of Steam Showers

Like steam baths, steam showers also have many beneficial effects on health. Some of them are stated below.

• Improves skin tone.
• Kills off the pathogens in your body.
• Helps in cleansing the body by removing the toxins.
• Expands blood vessels
• By opening the pores, it leaves behind a glowing skin.
• Boosts immune system.
• Improves flexibility.
• Relaxes muscles.
• Improves blood circulation.
• Helps in treating the conditions like asthma, bronchitis, sinus, cold, viral infections, headaches and migraines.