Steam rooms have grown in popularity in recent years as more people discover their many health and relaxation benefits. But can using a steam room also help you lose weight? Steam causes heavy sweating which burns calories. However, the impact of steam rooms on weight loss is more complex. This article will examine if and how steam rooms aid weight loss, along with tips for maximizing their effectiveness.
What is a Steam Room?
Before looking at their effects on weight loss, let’s first review what steam rooms are. A steam room, sometimes called a steam shower, is a small enclosed space filled with hot, moist air. The steam is produced by a steam generator that boils water and releases humid vapor into the room.
Steam rooms are typically lined with tile, glass, or sealed hardwood panels. The combination of heat and steam raises temperatures between 110-140°F. The warm humid conditions cause you to sweat profusely. As the steam surrounds your body, it simulates a tropical climate and provides relaxation.
Spending time in a steam room offers numerous health benefits like detoxification, pain relief, clearer skin, congestion relief, and improved circulation, in addition to aiding weight loss efforts.
Does Using a Steam Room Burn Calories?
Yes, using a steam room can burn calories in two main ways:
1. Sweating - The high heat and humidity in a steam room triggers heavy sweating, especially during longer sessions of 15-20 minutes or more. This sweat is coming from your body fat being broken down and released through sweat glands.
2. Increased Heart Rate - The sauna effect of a steam room slightly elevates your heart rate as your cardiovascular system works to cool you down through circulatory changes. This extra heart work burns additional calories.
Experts estimate that sitting in a steam room can burn 200-600 calories per session, depending on the temperature, humidity, and duration. The hotter the steam room and the longer you sit, the more sweat and calories are burned.
Sweating is primarily what makes steam rooms an effective heat therapy for losing weight through burning calories.
How Often to Use a Steam Room for Weight Loss
To see meaningful weight loss results, you'll need to use a steam room consistently:
- Beginners can start with sessions 2-3 times per week.
- Gradually build up to using the steam room 4-5 times a week as your body adapts.
- Limit sessions to 15-20 minutes max for safety and calorie burning.
- Take a break of 1-2 days between sessions to rehydrate and renew energy.
Additionally, consider doing shorter 10 minute steam room intervals back to back with brief cooling showers or rest in between cycles. This pushes your calorie burn even higher.
Consistency is key - to see weight loss from steam rooms, aim to incorporate sessions into your weekly fitness routine.
Tips to Maximize Weight Loss from Steam Rooms
Here are some tips to get the most calorie burning and weight loss benefits out of your steam room sessions:
- Hydrate well - Drink plenty of cool water before and after use to fuel sweating and prevent dehydration.
- Wear minimal clothing - Light swimwear allows your body to fully sweat and lose water weight.
- Increase duration - Work up to 20 minute sessions for maximum sweat and calorie burn.
- Do intervals - Follow short steam sessions with cold showers to boost calorie burn through temperature contrasts.
- Add exercise - Combine steam room use with cardio and strength training.
- Relax musculoskeletal tension using stretching movements while inside the steam room to boost circulation. Tensing and relaxing muscles aids calorie burn.
- Eat clean - Complement steam room sessions with a healthy diet high in lean protein, vegetables, and whole grains. Avoid heavy, salty meals before using the steam room.
Making adjustments like these to your steam room routine and lifestyle can amplify the weight loss benefits.
Additional Weight Loss Benefits of Steam Rooms
Along with burning calories through sweating, using steam rooms may also aid weight loss in indirect ways:
- The heat and flushing of toxins provides de-bloating effects to reduce water retention and look leaner.
- Sweating and an elevated heart rate during use boosts your metabolism.
- The relaxation response triggers release of serotonin and endorphins that reduce cravings and emotional eating.
- Sitting in the heat simulates a fever which may burn more calories through metabolic changes.
- As an alternative to high-calorie comfort foods and alcohol, steam rooms provide stress relief to minimize weight gain from stress-related changes.
Maximizing these secondary benefits can further enhance the direct calorie burning effects of steam rooms.
Other Weight Loss Tips to Pair with Steam Rooms
While steam rooms can support weight loss through sweating, they are most effective when combined with additional lifestyle changes like:
- Following a nutrition plan with a daily calorie deficit to lose weight.
- Doing regular strength training and cardio exercise.
- Getting adequate sleep for metabolic health.
- Managing stress through yoga, meditation, massage.
- Taking probiotic and fiber supplements to improve gut health.
- Drinking enough water daily to stay properly hydrated.
Making lifestyle upgrades along with consistent steam room use can amplify your weight loss results.
Precautions When Using Steam Rooms for Weight Loss
It’s important to keep the following precautions in mind when using steam rooms for weight loss:
- Avoid overusing steam rooms more than 20 minutes per session as this can be dangerous.
- Check with your doctor first if you have health conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, varicose veins, diabetes or pregnancy before using a steam room.
- Steam rooms can cause dizziness, nausea and fainting if you overheat. Stop immediately if feeling unwell.
- Monitor children closely the entire time they are in a steam room due to risk of burns or heat exhaustion.
- Dehydration is a real risk - drink plenty of cool water before, during and after use.
Using steam rooms can be a helpful addition to a weight loss plan, but take necessary safety precautions.
Results to Expect When Using Steam Rooms for Weight Loss
The amount of weight you’ll lose directly from using a steam room depends on several individual factors like:
- Your starting weight - People who weigh more tend to sweat more and lose more water weight through steaming.
- Genetics - How much you actually sweat is partly genetic so results can vary.
- The frequency and duration of use - More often and longer sessions produce higher sweat and calorie burn.
- Changes to your diet - Calorie intake affects how quickly you’ll lose weight.
Consistency is key. Using a steam room 4-5 times per week for 15-20 minutes in combination with diet changes can result in weight losses of 4-8 pounds per month on average. Be patient and keep at it. The indirect benefits of de-bloating, boosted metabolism, and lower stress levels also impact weight over time.
The Bottom Line on Steam Rooms for Weight Loss
In summary, using a steam room can aid weight loss efforts through heavy sweating that burns calories, de-bloating, increased metabolism, and reduced water retention. However, the direct calorie burn from sweating is moderate at 200-600 calories per session. Where steam rooms shine is providing complementary benefits to double down on weight loss when paired with proper exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle factors. Use steam rooms as one part of a multi-pronged weight loss program for optimal results. Be consistent, use proper precautions, and be patient with yourself in the process.
Professional sauna steam room construction companies properly design and build custom installations with generators, ventilation, waterproofing, lighting, and accessories for safe therapeutic moist heat sessions.
