How Long Should I Stay in a Steam Room?

Whether you just need to unwind or had a tiring day at work, the home sauna is always a great way to cap off your day.

Known for health benefits such as detoxifying your body, lowering stress, and improving blood circulation, both dry and wet sauna are better for both mind and body.

However, before you try them, you should know how long should you sit in a steam room. Make sure to follow these tips to enjoy your sauna session safely.

Steam Session General Rule

Experts recommend staying in a steam room for 12 up to 20 minutes. After doing so, let your body cool down for another 20 minutes. You can dunk yourself in a pool or just sit at room temperature.

If you think your body can still handle another sauna session, you can go back to the steam room and enjoy another 12 to 20 minutes of steam session.

For Beginners

If it’s your first time to do a steam session, your body might be overwhelmed if you follow the general rule of 12 to 20 minutes. It’s always important to be conscious of your body while sitting in the steam room.

It would be safe for beginners to have a sauna session for less than 5 minutes. Anything more than that might be harmful to your body.

For Daily or Weekly Steam Sauna Users

If you do the sauna session more often, you can follow the general rule. But don’t use the sauna for more than 15 or 20 minutes at a time. The longer you stay in a steam session, the more you will be dehydrated.

Steam Session After a Workout

If you just ended your workout routine, going to the sauna right away may not be a great idea. Although most people do it, the thing is, a sauna after a workout is harmful to your body.

After you exercise, wait for another 10 minutes before you go to a steam room. In this way, you are getting your body ready for another sweat session.

After the Steam Session: What You Should Know

Steam sessions make you thirsty or dehydrated. If you feel dizzy, nauseous, uncomfortable, or tired in any way, leave the steam room immediately. Staying in just because you did not reach the general rule is unhealthy to your overall health and body.

Stay in a place with fresh air and drink as much water as possible to hydrate your body. You can also have a nice cold shower to help yourself back to your normal condition.

The Bottom Line

Hopefully, this answers your question, “how long should I stay in a steam room?” While the 12 to 20 minutes steam session is safe, everybody is different, and the general rule might not apply to you.

Always be mindful of what your body says to you. Take note that the steam room is not meant to make you uncomfortable but to give you that soothing experience.