Shedding water weight has become easier with a steam bath! Moreover, there are many benefits of a steam bath for weight loss.
But no, a steam bath is not a sauna. Sauna is a dry session while a steam bath is wet. But both can aid inch loss and make you feel relaxed and pampered (1).
How good is a steam bath for weight loss? How does it aid weight loss? How long should the session last? Get all your questions answered in this post. Continue reading.
In This Article
Sauna Vs. Steam Room
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Steam rooms are similar to saunas. They both involve using heat therapy in a small, closed room to lose water weight. The only difference is that a sauna uses dry heat from heated stones, wood, or gas stoves while a steam room uses wet heat from boiling water.
A sauna uses 180° to 195° F heat with low humidity while a steam room uses 100° to 120° F heat with 100% humidity. Both steam and sauna are claimed to help increase circulation and release toxins from the body to aid weight loss (1).
Stylecraze Trivia The concept of a sauna originated in Finland approximately 2000 years ago. It was traditionally used as a bathhouse to cleanse the body of toxins and dirt.
But, the question remains – how does it work? Find out more in the next section.
How Do Sauna And Steam Room Help You Lose Weight?
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Steam room therapy is considered to be a great detoxifier (1). Steam opens up your pores and enhances your body’s potential to eliminate toxins through sweat (2), (3). The more you sweat, the more water weight you lose (3).
1 liter of water lost through sweat leads to about 1 kg of weight loss (4).
A study published in the Scientific World Journal found that body mass loss (BML) as a result of sauna use is greater in overweight individuals than underweight and normal individuals (5).
Another study found that exercise along with sauna helps reduce body weight in obese individuals (6).
However, it is important to note that a one-time sauna or steam session is not effective for losing weight. Following a balanced diet with an exercise regimen and 10-12 sessions of sauna help improve your overall body composition (4).
A 1-hour sauna session twice a week for 7 days not only reduces body weight but also increases the metabolic rate by 25%-33% (7).
Still confused about which one to use, sauna or steam room? Read the next section to figure it out.
Steam Room Vs. Sauna For Weight Loss – Which One To Use?
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Both steam rooms and saunas use heat therapy to relax the body, mind, and soul.
Using a steam room after exercise helps you sweat a lot, thus releasing more toxins. On the other hand, sitting in a sauna is like walking on a treadmill. The dry heat makes your heart pump harder to circulate more blood, thus creating a cardio effect.
You can choose between a steam room and sauna therapy for weight loss, depending on your comfort and accessibility. Start slowly and spend 10-15 minutes in either one to lose some weight.
StyleCraze Says You can wear loose-fitting clothes or wrap a cotton towel to absorb sweat and help your skin breathe properly without causing any discomfort.
Now, let’s check out the other health benefits of steam room and sauna besides body weight.
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