Here is your complete guide to vapor bath.
Introdcuion to vapor bath
Steam baths are enclosed spaces heated by steam. Temperatures vary, but generally steam baths are maintained at a temperature of 110°F. You’ve probably seen a steam room at your gym or spa. So what are the benefits of a vapor bath? What is vapor bath meaning?What you should know about vapor bath? Here is your complete guide about vapor bath.
Steam Baths and Saunas.
Steam baths are similar to saunas. Both invite you to sit in a small heated room, and both promise health benefits. The main difference is the type of heat they provide. Saunas use dry heat, usually generated by hot stones or a closed hearth. Steam baths are heated by a generator filled with boiling water.
While a sauna can help relax and loosen muscles, it does not have the same health benefits as a steam bath. The key to the unique benefits of a steam bath is humidity.
Health Benefits
A steam bath can improve health in several ways.
Improved circulation
A steam bath can significantly improve cardiovascular health. A study of elderly people has shown that moist heat improves circulation, especially in the extremities. Improved circulation can lead to lower blood pressure and a healthier heart. It can also promote healing of damaged skin tissue.
Lowering Blood Pressure
Trusted Source research has found that when some people take a steam bath, their bodies release hormones that alter heart rhythm. One of these hormones, aldosterone, regulates blood pressure. The aldosterone released in a steam bath can help lower high blood pressure. This is one of the reasons why we feel relaxed in the steam bath.
Stress relief
Spending time in the steam room can also reduce the body’s production of cortisol. Cortisol is the hormone that regulates stress levels. When cortisol levels drop, you feel more in control and relaxed. Spending a few minutes in a relaxed state not only improves health, but also helps heal the mind and improve concentration.
Decongest
Steam baths create an environment that warms the mucous membranes and promotes deep breathing. Therefore, their use can help decongest sinuses and lungs.
Steam therapy for treating colds and sinusitis at home is controversial because of the risk of burns if used improperly. But steam baths are relatively safe as long as you don’t stay in them too long. A previous Trusted Source study of a group of children showed that children with respiratory infections recovered faster after steam therapy than children who did not use it.
Do not use the steam bath if you have a fever.
Promotes skin health
Due to environmental factors, all kinds of toxins can get trapped under the skin. Steam baths help to solve this problem by opening the pores through heat. The hot condensed water removes dirt and dead skin that can cause rashes. The result is clearer skin with a more even skin tone.
Supports recovery after exercise
The muscle soreness that occurs after a workout is known as DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Professional athletes have known for decades that heat therapy can help them recover from workouts. Heat can penetrate deep into muscle tissue and help relieve DOMS. A recent study conducted by Trusted Source showed that moist heat is just as effective and faster than dry heat in helping muscles recover.
Soothes stiff joints
Warming up before exercise is important to prevent injury. A steam bath as part of a warm-up program can help achieve maximum mobility during activities such as running, Pilates and yoga. A study by Trusted Source examined its effects. Before activity, the knee joint was warmed and found to be much more mobile and relaxed. The results showed that heat can help prevent injury before a workout. It was also found that women particularly benefit from heat therapy on the knee joint to prevent injury.
Burn calories
When you take a steam bath or sauna, your heart rate increases. If you take a steam bath after an aerobic workout, your heart rate is already high, and the steam bath can prolong it. When used properly, saunas and steam baths stimulate the body in ways that traditional exercise does not, experts say.
Sweating in a steam room is not a means of rapid weight loss. Weight lost in a steam bath is water weight and must be replaced with water to avoid dehydration. But using the steam room regularly to burn more calories at the gym can help make your diet and exercise program more effective.
Strengthening the immune system
Various forms of hydrotherapy are known to boost the immune system, and steam baths are no exception. Exposure to hot water stimulates the body’s white blood cells, which are responsible for fighting infections. When you have a cold, the first thing you should do is not sit in a steam bath, because steam has not been proven to eliminate infection. However, regular use of a steam bath strengthens the immune system, so you may get sick less often.
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Limitations and risks of steam bath use
Steam baths have many potential health benefits, but they can also be dangerous if abused. Spending more than 15 minutes in a steam bath can lead to dehydration.
Steam baths can also harbor germs from other people. Steam is not hot enough to kill some types of bacteria, and the heat may actually increase their numbers.
Steam baths alone cannot cure serious illnesses. Although steam baths can increase heart rate and make exercise more effective, they are not a substitute for exercise. If you are pregnant, have a weakened immune system, or are recovering from surgery, you should avoid steam baths and saunas until your doctor gives the go-ahead.
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