A steam room is a great place to relax as you sweat away your worries…and calories. But, how you use a steam room can greatly impact your enjoyment of the steam session and its effectiveness. So, to ensure that you get the most out of every steam session, here is the right way to use a steam room.
What is a steam room?
A steam room is a designated room, like a sauna, that is pumped full of steam, heating the room and creating a humid and moist environment. This allows individuals to sweat. The steam is also known to help relax muscles, open the airways, and detoxify the skin. As a bonus, it also helps you feel relaxed and refreshed afterwards.Â
How to use a steam room the right way
To be honest, you could use a steam room in a wet suit if you liked, but the chances are that you’ll feel pretty uncomfortable if you do. So, while you can enter a steam room in any way, there is a right way to do it that will optimise your enjoyment of the steam session and make it more effective. Here’s how to use a steam room the right way;
1. Avoid dehydration
As you can imagine, using a steam room for 20 to 30 minutes will make you sweat quite a lot. Considering the temperatures in a steam room reach between 45°C and 50°C, we recommend drinking a reasonable amount of water before you go in and taking water with you into the room, too. Yes, the water might get warm, but it would be better to hydrate with warm water than dehydrate without, right?Â
In addition to staying hydrated, try to avoid foods and other beverages that assist in dehydrating you. For example, avoid alcohol before going into a steam room and try not to eat at least an hour before you have a session. This is because your body might struggle to digest a large meal when using a steam room directly after eating.Â
2. Wear the right clothing
As we said earlier, you can use a steam room in a wet suit, but is that a good idea? No it isn’t. When you use a steam room, you should dress appropriately. While some steam rooms allow nudity, others don’t, so you would need to respect that.Â
If you use a steam room that requires you to cover up, we recommend wearing a towel with a bathing suit underneath. Avoid wearing clothes like t-shirts, loose-fitting cotton shorts, or bras that absorb the heat and hinder the skin’s ability to breathe underneath. Also, never enter a steam room wearing your everyday shoes. Rather, use a pair of sandals or pluggers.Â
3. Shower before
You might think that because you’re going to sweat profusely in the steam room, you can already go in the sweaty room. However, as a matter of hygiene, it is recommended that you shower before entering a steam room. The theory behind this is that when you are already sweaty, the sweat can hinder the steam from your skin and make you feel extremely uncomfortable immediately as you enter the room.Â
4. Watch the clock
Sitting in a steam room is going to be uncomfortable, regardless. So, if you struggle in these conditions, try to shorten the periods in which you use the steam room. For example, instead of sitting in there for a full 20 minutes, start with a 10-minute session and wait for your body to work up a sweat. When you feel uncomfortable, leave. Do this until you’ve built up the tolerance to sit in there for a longer time. Remember, the max is between 20 to 30 minutes, so don’t exceed that.Â
5. Cool down properly
Finally, follow the right cool-down method. Once you’ve sweated a bit in a steam room, you need to cool down properly. Here are some methods that can help you:
- Drink some water to rehydrate
- Take a shower to get all the sweat off your body
- Make sure you moisturise to rehydrate your skin
- Stretch your muscles
Find a steam room in Brisbane
Worried about having to use the cramped steam rooms in your local gym? Consider checking out the steam room at TH7 Body Labs. There, not only will you have access to a more spacious steam room, but you’ll also have access to professionals who care for your health with every session.Â
Final thoughts
Steam rooms create the perfect place for you to go and relax. However, if you use them the wrong way, they can be more uncomfortable than anything else. So, make sure that you hydrate well before and while in the steam room, wear the right clothes that are appropriate and functional, go into the steam room clean, avoid staying in there for too long, and follow a good cool-down routine. This will help you get the most out of steam rooms.
Author Bio
Christie WreyÂ
Christie is an avid writer who works for SEOPartners. She is passionate about writing content on all things health, fitness and lifestyle, and when she is not writing, she’ll be out exploring nature.
