what is the purpose of a steam room and a sauna?

Saunas and steam rooms are types of heat baths, just like a hot tub or jacuzzi. Heat bathing has been a quest for mankind throughout our history as a species. Last summer archaeologists unearthed the remains of a 3500-4000 year-old heat bath in Scotland!

Many cultures in the modern world still value heat baths as part of their culture, especially the Finns and other Scandinavians, the Germans, the Russians and eastern Europeans, the Koreans, the Japanese, the Muslims, and the Native Americans. Anglo-dominated cultures, especially Americans, seem to have forgotten the heat bath.

Heat bathing has been shown to give specific benefits:

+ Regular users are less anxious and have a general feeling of well-being after taking a heat bath.

+ It exercises your skin, your body's largest organ, giving you a healthy glow.

+ It is a unique form of cardio exercise, where your heart rate increases while your other muscles are at rest.

+ It has a cleansing affect on your body, as sweat is a very efficient means for your body to expel waste products, especially metabolic wastes.

+ Heat bathing can help your body expel other environmental toxins that get stored in your fatty tissues.

+ When used in a heating / cooling cycle, it can exercise your blood vessels, helping to lower your blood pressure.

+ Humid atmospheres can help alleviate upper respiratory congestion.

+ It boosts your immune system: Regular sauna users are half as likely to catch a cold according to a recent Austrian study.

it is for relaxation. It also loosens/relaxes muscles after a workout. It makes you sweat which helps your skin release oils from your pores.

Boxers and fighters sometimes go to sauna to lose 1-5lbs of water weight (through evaporation) off of them to make weight for a fight.

it burns ur calories w/o doing anything

to burn calories i think...