An ongoing feature of steam room magazine is an interview with various individuals about why they steam.

I asked Stacy, a 29 year old woman who works out at my gym, why she steams.

“Stress relief.” she said first - “it helps me detox from Ambien and Xanax.  When I was anxious and depressed I steamed every day.  It made me feel more normal.  Balanced.  Rejuvinated.”

Next, I asked Jon, another gym member.  “Allergy relief and skin,” he said, “I feel a sense of renewal and feel cleansed after 15 minutes.

Albert is a person I have known for a few years who actually goes to the gym to steam more often than he goes to work out.  “I steam because it’s a stress relief, it opens the pores, and it helps me lose weight.  Especially immediately before I weigh myself.”  said Al. 

Angelina was the 4th person I asked about steam.  I saw her headed into the steam room area of the gym, so I assumed that she did steam.  But she said that she doesn’t steam because “I don’t like to sweat.”

Next, I asked Lance, a friend who talks about steam at least once a day, why he steams.  “I haven’t had a cold or been sick since I started steaming.  It’s been years.  I guess you’d call that detoxification.  Destress.  Increased cardio activity.  My skin looks much better (to me, anyway).”  He said.

I found it interesting that people who don’t steam are a bit skeptical about the activity, but people who do it on a regular basis love it and legitimately believe that it helps them with one problem or another.