‘The best temperature’. Ah, yes. Something that we all chase after in a steam shower or our saunas.
For each person, the temperature they prefer may be a little different but statistically speaking, there are scientifically defined temperature ranges considered to be the safest and which produce the most benefit.
Unless your steam shower, steam room, or infrared sauna is at a gym or hotel, where you have pretty much no control over the temperature, you hopefully have some way in how hot it gets. Before you go to your temperature dial to set up the climate you want inside, here are a few handy tips on how to achieve the best experience with the most health benefits and as not to waste your time inside.
How long you should stay in a steam shower for
The optimal length of time to stay in a steam shower, steam room, or infrared sauna for is 20 minutes. This does not change according to temperature or heat therapy room. Almost every study analyzing these rooms and their benefits suggests to stay in for 15-20 minutes. That said, experienced users can stay for as long as they wish or first-time sauna goers can jump in for 10 minutes or less. It’s all according to how you feel and what you’re looking to achieve. Do remember there are limits to staying in a steam shower or sauna and to approach it with the highest priority.
What is the best temperature for a steam shower?
The best temperature for a steam shower is between 110 degrees Fahrenheit or 115 degrees Fahrenheit. At these temperatures, the body’s metabolism rises to the extent where core temperature begins to be regulated. This causes more energy consumption, an increase in circulation, and an increase in heart rate. When you take a steam bath or steam shower under this temperature, health benefits are maximized. Use a steam shower in this way to augment exercise and health, or use it on its own to relax after a long, stressful day. Regardless of your shower goals – i.e. burn calories, flush toxins, cleanse the skin, or hydrate – this is the temperature to stick with.
What is the best temperature for a steam room?
A steam room is similar to a steam shower, requiring a constant mist with a humidity above 100 percent. The best temperature for a steam room is between 110 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Steam room sessions should be limited to no more than 20 minutes. If you do take up a steam multiple times throughout the day, take a break between steams and hydrate. This will help regulate body temperature and keep you healthy during this process. An alternating hot-cold therapy like this can stimulate circulation. Due to the high temperatures of 110-110 degrees, embark on a steam room regimen with exposure limited to only 5 minutes and build up from there.
What is the best temperature for a traditional sauna?
A traditional sauna stands as one of the hottest rooms you can be in. For some, this will mean intolerable temperatures. For those that can handle it, it can be an addictive activity. The best temperature for a traditional Finnish style sauna is 150 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Some more experienced users will even go so far as to turn their saunas up to 212 degrees Fahrenheit. When one goes above this temperature, the benefits start to level off. Depending on the user though, one should definitely adjust the temperature as they deem is comfortable for them. Also, time spent in a sauna should be closely monitored. At such high temperatures, safety is definitely a concern.
What is the best temperature for an infrared sauna?
Infrared saunas are used by athletes to recover from muscle soreness, chronic pain sufferers seeking a way to calm inflammation and pain, and by a range of people looking to get healthy. The best temperature for an infrared sauna is between 110 degrees and 130 degrees. For passionate, excited users of infrared saunas, it’s worth keeping in mind that it is the infrared rays which provide the benefits, not the sweating. For this reason, you don’t need to wait before entering. In a steam room or traditional sauna, you will want to wait to enter while the room’s temperature elevates. In an infrared sauna, the moment you turn on those infrared rays, you can get started.
Why a lower temperature equates to more detoxification
Sweat cools the body and removes waste products, through two types of sweat glands. The Apocrine glands underneath the armpits and on the scalp secrete sweat with high levels of fats and organic compounds. Then, there’s the Eccrine glands which exist in the amount of 2 million and which are located all over the body. At higher temperatures, these glands produce more sweat but what they give away is higher in electrolytes than it would be at lower numbers.
An infrared sauna set at 110 to 125 degrees produces a sweat heavier in fat and with less electrolyte loss. Some studies examining infrared saunas suggest low temperatures can produce sweat comprising of as much as 20 percent toxins, compared to high temperature heat environments which leave sweat only 3 percent toxins. For this reason, if the aim is skin detoxification, there’s no need to take the temperature in an infrared sauna any higher than that.
What is the best temperature for a beginner?
The best temperature for a beginner in a sauna or steam room is to start low. Whether you’re in great health or not, in an infrared sauna, start at 100 degrees or less. See how you feel after a session. The benefits of an infrared sauna come from how the body adapts to high heat environments. Set the control panel appropriately, ensure you’re well hydrated, and gradually increase the temperature over time. After a few weeks, you should be able to get your temperature up there to where it needs to be. The same sort of ‘go slow’ approach should be applied in a steam room, steam shower, steam bath, or traditional sauna setting as well.
Why to shower after a sauna or steam room
Sweating can be very cathartic and beneficial. If you’re sweating for detoxification or for skin benefits, you absolutely will want to have a shower after your steam room or sauna. When you detoxify, all of that is coming to the surface. Toxins are left sitting on the outside of the skin. They need to be washed off. Subsequently, any sort of dead skin cells, pore clogging substances, or anything else are all sitting in top of the skin. When you wash it off in a shower, you restore your skin back to normal. This clears away all that gook, bringing new cells to the forefront!
How often to use a sauna at these temperatures
Assuming you are in between the correct temperature ranges and you are using your infrared sauna 20-25 minutes per session, 4-7 times a week is an ideal range to aim for. Studies show after 7 times a week, the benefits begin to taper off. Comparatively, under 4 times a week, there are still some benefits however they increase in intensity between 4-7 times a week. Regardless of frequency of use, any time in a sauna under the correct conditions is a good investment. Even once per week is better than nothing.
Are you looking for a steam sauna in Canada? Contact Steam Sauna. There are amazing advantages to using a sauna, numbering in the dozens. They can help alleviate symptoms of discomfort and pain, improve certain health conditions, and provide relaxation after a long day’s work. Set it to the right temperature, get ready to sweat, and put your body in healing mode!