Blow Off Some Steam

I just stepped out of paradise. Who knew paradise could be found in Flanders in the dead of winter? But it is precisely the fact that it is so cold, so unforgiving in the frosty night, that my paradise was attained. I sat, cloaked in hot mist, bikini donned, smile fixed upon my face. I stretched out under a warm glow and basked in a dry heat rivaled by any equatorial locale. Where, you ask, does one encounter this Mecca in Flanders? No, it’s not nestled in the roomy bosom of the big duck. Neither is it tucked between the shadows of the Tanger outlets. Rather, it is in an unassuming shower in a white tile bathroom. Steam shoots out of pure white walls, giving me a throwback to the hot springs in Thailand. It’s a slice of heaven that will fit cozily in any shower.

Steam rooms are more than just a vacation from the cold weather to decompress your senses, though. By kicking your feet up in the billowing plumes of steam, you are doing your body quite a few favors. The health benefits of steam rooms are manifold.

The process of heating your body is called hyperthermia, or “heat stress detoxification.” It can be beneficial to various systems in the body, including the cardiovascular, endocrine, neurological, neuromuscular, bronchopulmonary (lungs), blood, skin, and immune systems. It is one of the most detoxifying things you can do for your body.

When your body undergoes hyperthermia, you are basically inducing an artificial fever. Fevers are one of the best defenses your body has against disease. When your body feels like it has a fever, the circulation speeds up and the cells metabolize faster, causing toxic waste to be expelled through the skin. This manifests itself in sweating. As you sweat out the toxins, your pores clear and your skin will thank you.

Heat stress therapy can also remove calcium deposits from blood vessels and break down scar tissues from their walls. This means that if you soak yourself in the steam room with some regularity, you may find your scars fading fast. The steam of a steam room is also great for respiratory conditions. One of the greatest causes of illness and depression is stress. Especially in our culture, we seem to place some sort of value on feeling stressed out, like it must mean we’re getting things done. But the fact is that when we stress our minds, we are beating up our bodies. By giving yourself ten minutes in a steam room every day, you can decompress your nerves to the extent that you will notice rejuvenation of your spirit and a decrease in stress.

So how can you attain this healthy, delicious paradise for yourself? If you are already thinking of refurbishing your bathroom, this is the time to look into getting a steam room. Talk to your contractor about getting it installed with the bathroom. The entire shower must be sealed with tile to prevent mold. A system is installed (usually in the basement) which takes the water and condenses it into steam through a pressurized valve. The steam comes out of a little nozzle at the foot of the shower.

I asked the owner of one of these fully furbished steam rooms how it feels to be able to indulge in this respite at his every whim. “It’s given me a sanctuary where I am able to relax with myself, and get in touch with who I really am,” says Winston Prescott II of Flanders.

If you are not thinking about redoing your bathroom right now, but steam rooms sound pretty sweet to you, there are other options. There are actual units that you can purchase that stand on their own. They are like little pods that you step into and bask. One example is from Scandia Health Systems. It’s called the Evolution Steam Shower series. It is cased in by curved glass and has a large, roomy seat inside. It also features massage jets, an aromatherapy system, and an adjustable, tri-jet showerhead. It can be installed in any bathroom, and starts at about $4,300.

If you’ve been feeling frenzied and unable to relax, you feel like you need something that will help your breathing and circulation improve, or just want to indulge, look into home steam rooms. All the natural benefits of a bubbling hot spring can be yours, even as sheets of ice form across the surface of the bay.

– Emily J Weitz