There is an old Finnish Proverb that says essentially "the Sauna is the poor mans pharmacy".
This is true!
The best exercise is the one you do... The best diet is the one that becomes your lifestyle... The best home spa is the one you'll use.
Statistically, if you own a sauna or steam room, you use it more frequently than if you own a hot tub.
A spa is a location for the practice of Balneotherapy (Latin: balneum "bath"), the use of water for healing and wellness.
The belief is the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. The word comes to us from the town of Spa, in Liege Belgium (where the famous waffles come from), which since the 14th century has become eponymous with any place having a natural water source that is believed to possess special health-giving properties.
Depending upon where you'd like to do your relaxing, a sauna can go in a basement, garage, bathroom, attic, area under a staircase, pool house, or a spot in the yard. Because the idea behind a sauna is to perspire,it's best to have a shower nearby; a small dressing area is helpful, too!
The origins of the steam bath come from the Romans. Ancient Roman baths served many community and social functions. Many citizens in Rome used Roman public baths, regardless of socioeconomic status, supplied by natural hot springs from beneath the ground.
Residential steam rooms can be stand-alone units, but are typically added to showers.
One of the reasons behind the growing popularity of home saunas is the fact that it doesn't take a carpenter to build one. Thanks to pre-cut or modular, prefabricated kits, all you need is the place to put a sauna or steam room, and an easily-cleaned, waterproof floor (ceramic tile, concrete, or heavy vinyl will do).
Happy sweating!