The newest social club? Saunas. Spending time in dry heat is a win-win—you can reap health benefits while hanging out with your friends (which seems like a trend everyone is doing now at wellness clubs ). But steam rooms aren’t getting the same treatment—is there a reason why? Are they as helpful for your health?

In short, both saunas and steam rooms use heat to increase the body’s core temperature and sweat rate, says exercise physiologist Rachelle Reed, PhD, ACSM-EP. The main difference between the two is climate; the sauna is hotter, but steam rooms are more humid.

Meet the experts: Rachelle Reed , PhD, ACSM-EP, is an exercise physiologist and the Director of Health and Science at Perspire Sauna Studio in Athens, Georgia. Lance Dalleck , PhD, is a professor of exercise and sport science at Western Colorado University. Reuben Chen, MD, is a board-certified physician specializing in sports medicine and pain management and the Chief Medical Advisor at Sunrider International.

When your body is exposed to heat, it tries to re-regulate your temperature, which increases your heart rate, says Reed. So, if you use a sauna or steam room after a workout, it will somewhat prolong the cardiovascular workout while you’re just sitting relaxing, she adds.

When you work hard to sweat, your systolic blood pressure can also increase, improving your circulation, Reed adds. Sweating in sauna or steam rooms may even lower your risk of heart disease, says Lance Dalleck, PhD, a professor of exercise and sport science at Western Colorado University.

So, which form of heat therapy should you make part of your post-workout practice? Ahead, experts dive into the benefits of both—and which one is more effective for your health.

Sauna Benefits

It may help lower blood pressure. The heat causes the blood vessels to widen, which decreases blood pressure, Dalleck says.

The heat causes the blood vessels to widen, which decreases blood pressure, Dalleck says. It can have cardiovascular benefits. Spending time in a sauna can be similar to the cardiovascular benefits of exercise, Reed says. “A lot of these long-term changes in the body systems that we see with heat therapy are really similar to what we see in somebody who’s a regular exerciser for their whole lives,” she says. A 2022 study in the American Journal of Physiology found that regular sauna usage combined with frequent exercise can enhance cardiovascular health by decreasing cholesterol levels and blood pressure. While using the sauna doesn’t count as marathon training, it does raise your heart rate more than it would if you were sedentary.

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It can improve your physical health. A person’s healthspan can increase from sauna usage, according to a 2021 review of several large studies published in Experimental Gerontology . The authors found that cardiovascular, muscular, and cognitive benefits from sauna usage can stall aging and extend lifespan.

A person’s healthspan can increase from sauna usage, according to a 2021 review of several large studies published in . The authors found that cardiovascular, muscular, and cognitive benefits from sauna usage can stall aging and extend lifespan. It may help with muscle soreness after a workout. A 2022 study in Biology of Sport looked at 16 male basketball players who spent a week doing resistance training followed by a 20-minute sauna session, and the next week, doing passive recovery after training. Their muscle soreness was less severe and they recovered better after the sauna sessions.

A 2022 study in looked at 16 male basketball players who spent a week doing resistance training followed by a 20-minute sauna session, and the next week, doing passive recovery after training. Their muscle soreness was less severe and they recovered better after the sauna sessions. It may improve your mental health. Regular sauna users have a reduced risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, Dalleck says. A 2021 review of several studies in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reveals sauna usage can manage the pressure on individuals in high-stress professions, such as firefighters, police officers, military personnel, and first responders, potentially reducing their risk of cardiometabolic diseases.

Steam Room Benefits

It may improve breathing. The moisture in the air can add moisture to the throat, says Reuben Chen, MD, a board-certified physician specializing in sports medicine and pain management. Steam can soothe the respiratory system, helping to loosen mucus, and improve congestion, which can also be beneficial for those with mild respiratory issues, he says. (If you have a respiratory virus, you should stay home until your symptoms improve, per the CDC —but you can still breathe in steam from a hot shower or a bowl of hot water, according to the CDC .)

The moisture in the air can add moisture to the throat, says Reuben Chen, MD, a board-certified physician specializing in sports medicine and pain management. Steam can soothe the respiratory system, helping to loosen mucus, and improve congestion, which can also be beneficial for those with mild respiratory issues, he says. (If you have a respiratory virus, you should stay home until your symptoms improve, per the —but you can still breathe in steam from a hot shower or a bowl of hot water, according to the .) It can improve skin hydration and appearance. Using steam for facials opens pores, which leads to deeper cleansing and better removal of dirt and oil, potentially reducing acne, Chen says. This can reduce acne. The hydration from steam can also boost skin elasticity, he adds. However, more research is needed to confirm these benefits.

It may be more efficient than saunas. Your body cools itself off through sweating, then that sweat evaporates, which it can’t technically do in a steam room because of the humid environment. Reed says. So your core body temperature rises faster than it would in a sauna, meaning you can spend less time in a steam room while achieving those same benefits.

Your body cools itself off through sweating, then that sweat evaporates, which it can’t technically do in a steam room because of the humid environment. Reed says. So your core body temperature rises faster than it would in a sauna, meaning you can spend less time in a steam room while achieving those same benefits. It might improve cardiovascular health. Regular use of steam rooms has the potential to improve circulation by dilating blood vessels, potentially lowering blood pressure and supporting heart health, says Chen. A 2021 study in Advances in Integrative Medicine had 80 healthy volunteers either take a steam bath followed by a shower, or just take a shower. The group that took the steam bath and shower experienced decreased blood pressure, improving their cardiovascular function.

Regular use of steam rooms has the potential to improve circulation by dilating blood vessels, potentially lowering blood pressure and supporting heart health, says Chen. A 2021 study in had 80 healthy volunteers either take a steam bath followed by a shower, or just take a shower. The group that took the steam bath and shower experienced decreased blood pressure, improving their cardiovascular function. It can help you recover after a workout. The heat in steam rooms can support muscle recovery by relaxing tight muscles and increasing blood flow, Chen says. This can help to reduce soreness after intense exercise.

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Is the sauna or steam room better for your health?

Saunas are, but that’s probably just because there’s been more research: “There’s a whole slew of papers that have shown that regular sauna use, so multiple times a week over the course of a lifetime, reduces the risk of developing heart disease, developing diabetes, (and) it improves longevity,” Dalleck says. In Finland, saunas are an integral part of daily life and their culture, and most households have them—this is likely why there is much more research on sauna usage.

But this doesn’t mean that steam rooms aren’t still good for your health—they’re a great choice if you don’t have access to a sauna, Dalleck and Reed say. “Using that a couple times a week is going to be better than nothing at all,” Dalleck adds.

If you have access to both, choose the type of heat therapy that you are more likely to stick with in order to see long-term benefits, Reed says. If you want to add a sauna or steam room practice into your routine, try it out for two to three minutes for the first time, then evaluate how your body feels. “You want to feel relaxed and calmed down, not like you’re going to pass out,” she says.

Then, if you’re feeling good, slowly increase your time spent in the heat, as well as your frequency. There’s no definitive prescription yet, but she recommends spending 20 to 30 minutes in heat therapy two to three times per week to reap the benefits, however, more or less than that can also be beneficial.

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Feel free to take a friend or two, too—if you have people in your corner when you start a new health habit, “you’re more likely to stick to it over time because you have that social support built in,” Reed says. So the next time you’re planning to catch up with a friend, or looking for a new date spot, try a sauna or steam room.