Two of the more familiar sights in fitness centers and pool locker rooms are the sauna and steam rooms. While saunas and steam rooms both achieve a therapeutic effect through high temperatures, they have different approaches. By recognizing the differences between the two facilities you can decide which one best fits your needs.
History
Heat is one of the oldest-known forms of rejuvenating therapy. Cultures have used saunas and steam rooms for health, stress relief and even religious ceremonies. The Roman Empire used both saunas and steam rooms in their intricate bath houses, the remains of which can still viewed in Bath, England. To this day, American Indians use the sweat lodge as a method of physical and spiritual cleansing. Elaborate bath houses, with both steam and sauna facilities, remain an important part of Russian and Turkish cultures.
Atmosphere
Although the steam room and sauna share heat as their primary feature, their atmospheres are in stark contrast to each other. The steam room relies on 100 percent humidity, often to the point of little or no visibility. The sauna, while also hot, is a dry, arid heat. Both rooms tend to be small and well sealed to prevent heat from escaping.
Mechanism
Steam rooms are heated by piping hot water vapor into the room. The entire room is covered in tile to prevent water damage from the constant humidity. The slick tile also makes frequent cleanings easy. The hot temperatures of the sauna are attained with the use of a space heater, normally electric, which heats the air inside the room. Saunas are lined in wood, which is a poor heat conductor and remains cool despite the high temperature of the air.
Temperature
The temperatures of the steam room and sauna often feel identical. In actuality, a 50 degree variance usually exists between the two. Steam rooms, because of their extreme humidity, feel much hotter than their actual temperature. Steam rooms typically do not exceed 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Saunas are generally much hotter than steam rooms, with temperatures sometimes in excess of 175 degrees Fahrenheit. The dry heat of the sauna does not feel nearly as hot as the steam room, and will often feel cooler, despite a significantly higher temperature.
Effects
The steam room has a stress-relieving effect by increasing circulation and relaxing muscles. The high concentration of water vapor is often soothing to sufferers of pulmonary conditions such as asthma, and can relieve sinus pain and pressure. The sauna also improves circulation and relieves stress, but causes more perspiration than the steam room. The dry heat allows the body to sweat freely, making the sauna popular with athletes such as wrestlers, weightlifters and boxers, who use it for temporary weight reduction.
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