Whether you’re a weekend warrior that just finished a half-marathon or a nationally-ranked pickleball pro, a steam shower can help ease muscle soreness and promote recovery. Additionally, a steam shower has been shown to improve sleep.
Adding a steam shower to your bathroom can transform it into a spa-like retreat. Here’s why it’s a must-have for your home:
Improves Skin Health
A steam shower offers a long-term solution to bags under the eyes and wrinkles. Anti-wrinkle creams may smooth creased skin, but they have a limited effect because the toxins and waste products locked in the pores remain on the surface. A steam shower’s high heat and humidity flush the pores, removing pollutants and promoting skin health.
Aside from clearing the complexion, a steam shower stimulates sweating, one of the body’s natural detoxification processes. Sweating helps remove toxins and dead skin cells and loosen blackheads to extract them easier.
According to Medical News Today, steam showers also induce vasodilation by expanding the blood vessels. This helps regulate blood pressure and reduces heart strain. It also increases the elasticity of muscles and joints, relieving stiffness after a workout. The warm vapors also help ease sinus congestion, decreasing symptoms of colds and allergies. Adding aromatherapy oils such as eucalyptus can help soothe respiratory issues.
Relieves Muscle Pain
The warm environment of a steam shower opens pores and causes profuse sweating. This helps remove toxins that have settled beneath the skin. It also helps to relieve achy joints and muscles.
Professional athletes have long known that a hot bath or shower post-workout helps speed muscle recovery by pushing out metabolic waste (such as lactic acid) through the skin’s pores. As a result, the pain and aches fatigue that plague your muscles after a workout can be quickly alleviated by using a steam shower regularly. Aside from a steam shower, you can incorporate a sauna room in your house and attain all the health benefits. The moist heat of a steam shower also improves circulation, which lowers blood pressure naturally and helps your heart stay healthy. Additionally, the steam can break down mucus membranes, relieving nasal and chest congestion. And it can help promote the release of melatonin, a chemical that regulates sleep patterns. This leads to deeper sleep, which is vital to overall health and wellness. The warm steam and soothing aromatherapy also relax the mind, which aids in stress relief.
Reduces Stress
A steam shower can offer mental health benefits like stress reduction and headache relief using aromatherapy. The heat from the water also increases blood flow, which can help you sleep better and get rid of toxins in your body. Besides lowering your blood pressure, a steam shower can help you breathe easier by loosening up mucus and phlegm in your sinuses. This can be particularly helpful during allergy season or a cold. Moreover, it’s a great way to recover from a strenuous workout and reduce muscle soreness. Professional athletes swear by this practice to improve their performance and recovery. Adding a steam shower to your home can boost its value, as potential buyers will view it as a luxury.
Increases Home Value
A home steam shower might seem like an indulgence, but it’s a luxury that can make your home more valuable. It’s becoming a country-wide housing trend and is often included in buyers’ wish lists as they prioritize personal wellness features that allow them to relax and unwind at home.
The steam generator, about the size of a file box, takes water from your home’s plumbing system and heats it to 212 degrees Fahrenheit before releasing it into the shower stall. It’s recommended to install the unit where it will stay cool and exposed to humidity, such as behind a vanity cabinet, closet, or above the stall in an attic.
A prefabricated kit is also available that can be installed without a complete bathroom remodel. However, it’s best to consult a professional when installing a custom steam shower so that the vapor barrier and backer board are properly installed to prevent mold growth, the steam nozzles are positioned correctly, and all safety features are in place.