At one time, if your health and fitness routine included a session in a steam room, then you had to take a trip to the fitness club or gym. However, due to modern technology you can now enjoy the benefits of a steam bath in your own home. The latest trend in bathroom designs shows how you can actually install one in your home and reap the benefits without ever stepping out the front door.

The cost of installing one of the many designs in home saunas could run as high as $10,000. Over time features have been improved and costs have gone down. The free standing steam shower introduced about 4 or 5 years ago is responsible for making these products available to homeowners at a much lower cost, which of course, increases their popularity.

Of course, it is not only private residences that are getting into the act, as many condos and hotels have installed them in their more luxurious suites. Hotel owners are realizing that these steam showers, or the steam room, have become more of a household amenity and people prefer this particular type of spa/bathroom when they are away from home.

A modular steam shower is popular for many reasons, including how easy they are to install. A typical shower takes approximately four to five hours to be installed. They use existing drainage and water lines making them perfect for installing in pretty much any type of application. Another trait that makes steam rooms so attractive to people is the fact that there are several different models, types and sizes from which to choose, from the traditional white acrylic to a more modern glass unit, for example.

There are also several different features offered so you are sure to find one that meets all of your requirements and expectations. If you were to build a custom steam shower room with body jets, therapy lighting, sound system and ozone sterilization, then it would probably cost well over $15,000.

Perhaps the only downfall to installing a steam powered room is if you only have one full bathroom. Having a half-bath or three quarter bath as the only other bathroom may decrease the property value. Some manufacturers have solved that problem by designing a steam shower and whirlpool bathtub combination, allowing the homeowner to keep at least one full bathroom.

Health benefits may include profuse sweating that allows harmful toxins to be carried out of your body, as well as burning up to 600 calories in a single session. Time spent in the steam room will also increase your heart rate anywhere from 50 to 75%, thus giving you a feeling similar to having just completed a high energy cardiovascular workout. Also, the dry heat from saunas or steam rooms that produce the high level of sweating will not result in any type of undue stress on your body.