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Running Brewer
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Joined: 12 Oct 2004
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Location: Santa Poco
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 Posted: 03/25/04 - 09:39 Post subject: Dry Sauna vs. Steam room
I know we have a few people here that highly recommend using a sauna. I am in the process of switching to a new health club and they have both a dry sauna and a steam room. What is your preference? Is one better than the other? How long do you usually cook for?
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marathonrnr262
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Posted: 04/30/04 - 10:32 Post subject:
A suana is an injury waiting to happen. They are great if you are NOT an athlete and like to sit and sweat.
If you want to use a sauna, use it as a warm-up. Five minutes in the room and then stretch then do your exercise. Never use it post exerise. Jumping in an ice bath would be much better.
Just my 
Sheldon
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jrjo
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Location: Lake Wobegon, MN
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Posted: 04/30/04 - 10:56 Post subject:
Paul, Here's a link to another thread we had about the sauna.
With all due respect to Sheldon, I'll honestly disagree. With over 30-years of sauna experience and living with it as a cultural part of my life, that combined with 25-years of distance running, the injury implication just doesn't even crest the horizon in my opinion.
With the fitness center I'm using right now, more often than not, I use the sauna post-run. A couple things that I believe it does for me. One is to simply toast me up. Running in Minnesota means for the most part running in the cold. Running in the mornings or winter makes for some pretty cold knees, nose and toes. A ten-minute "melt" in the sauna will loosen up all the joints, get my skin back to normal temps and the full body sweat just feels good. The second thing about the sauna is I do believe the heat loosens up the occasional tight muscle ,whether it's a quad, a calf or a hammie. Again, that heat gives the definite feeling of tension draining out of the legs and the ache subsiding. And lastly, it is often just a nice way to end a run and be able to sit on your butt for awhile before jumping back on your feet, getting in the shower and then hiking off for the rest of the day. I catch my breath, let the dampness that my often cold running clothes have left on me turn into a warm sweat.
I suppose it's a personal comfort thing too. I know some unmentioned stick-in-the-mud  riff-raffers find it disgusting to sit on a damp bench oozing with sweat of other folks. For me, I've done it so long, it's no biggie. Besides, you gotta shower after a run anyway 
And as for steam versus dry.. my pref is the dry. I find the steam make me feel more like a cold drink on a humid day.. the steam of the room condensates on a guy's cooler body and it doesn't feel as deep warming as the dry saunas.
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marathonrnr262
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Posted: 04/30/04 - 12:16 Post subject:
| jrjo wrote: | With all due respect to Sheldon, I'll honestly disagree. With over 30-years of sauna experience and living with it as a cultural part of my life, that combined with 25-years of distance running, the injury implication just doesn't even crest the horizon in my opinion.
One is to simply toast me up. Running in Minnesota means for the most part running in the cold. Running in the mornings or winter makes for some pretty cold knees, nose and toes. A ten-minute "melt" in the sauna will loosen up all the joints, get my skin back to normal temps and the full body sweat just feels good.
The second thing about the sauna is I do believe the heat loosens up the occasional tight muscle ,whether it's a quad, a calf or a hammie. Again, that heat gives the definite feeling of tension draining out of the legs and the ache subsiding. |
Disagree... No disrespect taken.
Here is an article on why I say the sauna is not good. You can decide if it applies to you. Yes it is about hot tubs and whirlpools, but the sauna is the same thing.
http://www.multisports.com/archives/ask_the_coach_hot_tubs.shtml
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elkid
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Posted: 04/30/04 - 12:45 Post subject:
I use the sauna after my swims. I started after reading that article posted here to prepare for warm weather running where I usually succumb to heat and humidity. I found last night running in 80 degrees was not the painful, laborious experience it was last summer, so it must be working.
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jrjo
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Location: Lake Wobegon, MN
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Posted: 05/03/04 - 11:42 Post subject:
| marathonrnr262 wrote: | | Here is an article on why I say the sauna is not good. You can decide if it applies to you. Yes it is about hot tubs and whirlpools, but the sauna is the same thing. |
I dunno if that's a fair assumption. I can last sometimes as long as 30-minutes in a sauna, but typically it's a 10-15 minute stint. Whereas, 10-minutes in the hot-tub and I'm toast. Post-run hot-tubbing and the few times I've tried it have led me to the same conclusions that article points out. But I do believe the sauna is different enough to not hold true to those points. Just going on my own experience the two are quite a bit different. That hot-tub is such a total cooker, I can't handle it anytime close to a run.
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HYPERASHEL
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Location: The South's Sauna, Atlanta
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Posted: 05/06/04 - 13:40 Post subject:
I'm in for the sauna, personally i like to use them after a hard workout, but not regualry i'll admit. in the winter time i find it helpful to do my post activity stretching in there , if no one else is there, THEN go take the cold shower to reduce inflamation.
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