How Steamy is your Future?by Gareth Daniel
"Health" has become an increasingly used buzz word within the public eye - both that of our intricately balanced planet to our very own. Many fast food restaurants are fighting to keep a tight hold on public loyalty while levels of British obesity have quadrupled in the last 25 years. A recent £6m poll by Sport England, released in December 2006, found that half of the English nation do no exercise or active recreation.
Whilst there is no substitute for healthy eating and regular exercise, steam shower enclosures are becoming increasingly popular as the bathrooms of the future try to cater towards better physical, mental and emotional health. A steam shower enclosure aims to do just that by bringing the benefits of a steam room into your own home. So what are the main benefits of upgrading to a steam shower enclosure?
Physical Health
The optimum temperature for a steam shower session is 43-46C. At these temperatures the bodies metabolism increases to regulate its core temperature. This process results in the consumption of energy, which can have the net result of burning many hundred kilocalories, similar to a long run. Whilst rehydration will replenish most of the bodies lost weight with water, the energy lost can help weight control.
To regulate an increased body temperature, blood vessels near to the skins surface dilate to allow the escape of heat. To cope with the bodies additional demand for blood at these extremities the heart increases its rate of blood flow. This process helps to flush out impurities that build up within the body whilst aiding in detoxification, metal excretion, cleansing and hydration of the skin. It has also been mentioned that this process can boost your immune system, promote antibody production whilst relieving inflammation and congestion. The body has a greater capacity to withstand the high temperatures associated with a steam room or sauna whilst other viruses may be suppressed or reduced at these temperatures.
| 
