UPDATED April 20th, 2018
You’ve probably seen those mysterious looking rooms hidden in the back corner of your gym locker room or the hotel spa—but have you ever really wondered about the benefits of a sauna or steam room? Have you ever actually ventured in, or are you missing out on one of the most relaxing and good-for-you perks of your gym membership? Sure, the idea of sweating voluntarily without the perks of a good tan or a good workout seems kind of silly. But saunas and steam rooms offer a ton of health perks and they shouldn’t be overlooked.
As Self magazine reports, according to exercise physiologist Tom Holland, both a sauna and steam room “eliminate toxins through sweat, ease joint pain, improve circulation and strengthen the immune system.” So what makes them different? He explains that “the sauna is Arizona and the steam room is Florida. A sauna is a dry heat while the steam room gives off wet, humid heat.” So basically you’re subjecting yourself to extreme temperatures, causing your body to sweat buckets while you sit in a puddle of your own perspiration. Remind us why we should be doing this again?
Well, since you asked…here are 10 reasons that saunas and steam rooms rock:
