Saunas & steam rooms

[strudel]

What's the purpose of these and what is the best way to use them?

Steam room seems to consist of:

Ohh it's warm in in here.
Nice menthol smell.
Look around a bit.
Starting to sweat.
Twiddle thumbs.
Gets out due to boredom!

[Slagathore]

I have often wondered this.

I joined a new gym and wondered what the point in them was, and were they worth using.

After doing some work on Google, I came to the conclusion that I still don't know.

Loads of mixed opinions and whatnot, just confused me even more.

I tend not to bother with either now.

Hope that helps

[oldbanger]

British communal saunas tend to be rubbish, that's why. Done properly they are a very relaxing experience, and you'll be cleaner that you ever have been in your life. Unfortunately in the UK, gym/spa managers (or whoever decides these things) seem to think a 1 bar electric fire in the corner of a room with benches in constitues a sauna. Oh and then they ban water. Ideally you want to be in 80-100 degress centigrade in a fairly moist environment.

Oh and they're also great for asthmatics.

[Tiggsy]

sounds a crap sauna - my gyms is great. Steam room has 2" visability!

[M400 NBL]

I love saunas, but rarely at gyms.

Someone gets in, throws on gallons of water and then gets out because it's too hot.

I ended up buying an infra red one person sauna for home, which is never boring with Mariah Carey playing on the built in CD player. Sorry I meant The Progidy

I've burnt my foot too many times walking into a steam room, and you can't see much which makes it or the more boring.

[stifler]

A proper sauna will clear your skin. They open yopur pores and make you sweat, removing toxins from your skin. This leaves your skin free to breathe again. Although they work best if you scrape your skin afterwards, like the Romans did.

[croyde]

They are never boring in porn films.

Never happened to me yet tho'

[bazking69]

Well I think they are brilliant. We have a really good sauna and steam room at my local gym and I have both most days.

5 minutes in the sauna helps to relax me and loosens up my muscles and aches nicely before a swim. After I plunge straight into the pool for a swim.

Likewise, I usually spend about 10-15 minutes in there after my swim having a good sweat, followed by another plunge.

The steam room is my least favoured of the two but it does seem to do my breathing good, and as a smoker I find it clears my airways and chest nicely.

I genuinely feel very relaxed and good when I leave the gym, even when I haven't had a workout apart from a swim, and always sleep well (I ususally leave my gym about 10pm anyway opting for the late shift when I have the place to myself). Plus I feel really clean and invigorated.

Other benefits include very few blackheads or spots in general and good skin from regular use.

[Jer_1974]

bazking69 said:

5 minutes in the sauna helps to relax me and loosens up my muscles and aches nicely before a swim. After I plunge straight into the pool for a swim.

Likewise, I usually spend about 10-15 minutes in there after my swim having a good sweat, followed by another plunge.

I hope you have a shower first before jumping in the pool. I hate the dirty gits who sweat then jump in the pool or spa before having shower.