Do Saunas Help With Weight Loss
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Do Saunas Help with Weight Loss?

From ancient times, saunas have been one of the most popular forms of treatment in the globe. The first saunas were discovered in caverns under a pile of stones, with a fire burning within, about 2000 BC.

Modern saunas are equipped with advanced equipment that allows for controlled humidity and temperature. Sitting and letting your body perspire is all that is required in a sauna.

There are several health benefits to sauna use, ranging from heart health to skin health. A person’s pulse rate may increase, and they may even perspire almost a pint of perspiration. Interestingly, it can help you lose weight.

Before entering a sauna, it is crucial to follow the protocol precisely since failure to do so may pose health hazards.

Saunas come in a variety of forms, depending on how the space is heated. It can be accomplished by using electricity, steam, infrared radiation, or burning wood. The most obscene query, though, is: Is it sensible to lose weight in a sauna? Let’s inquire.

Table of Contents

An Overview of Saunas

Using a steam room or sauna might help you lose inches off your waist. The use of saunas to reduce weight is a growing trend.

Conventional baths of 150 to 195 degrees Fahrenheit have been shown in studies to promote weight reduction. Additionally, studies suggest that saunas are comparable to moderate-intensity workouts. You get the advantages of exercise without having to move.

Continue reading to learn about the benefits of saunas for weight reduction, how many calories they may burn in a session, and precautions to consider.

The amount of calories you can burn is using this formula: The amount of calories expended in a sauna is equivalent to the amount burned when sitting or sleeping for thirty minutes.

For instance, if you weigh 132 pounds and sit or rest for 30 minutes, you will burn 30 calories. Multiply it by 1.5 and 2. Therefore, you can burn between 45 and 90 calories. Does this, however, mean that you may spend twenty-four hours in a sauna and emerge feeling smaller? You must understand how to make your imagination work for you before it becomes unmanageable.

Saunas are a good way to lose weight. But it is not magic. The weight you wish to reach and your present body weight must be taken into consideration when scheduling your sauna sessions. You may usually start losing weight by taking a sauna bath two to three times a week for two weeks.

You will start to feel rejuvenated and full of energy after two weeks. It is thus necessary to incorporate moderate-intensity exercise into your daily regimen.

Take a sauna bath twice a week for the next three weeks. After that, incorporate aerobic and weight training into your routine, and then unwind and repair your muscles by taking a sauna bath.

You need to know the differences between the various types of saunas before you make an appointment. The kinds, their appearance, and their functions are as follows.

What is a sauna bath?

The Finnish word for bath is the source of the phrase sauna. This healing technique cleans the body by using heat, perspiration, and steam. Saunas were traditionally made with campfires, stones, and heated pits buried in the earth. The word “sauna” is therefore associated with “sauna,” which means “in smoke.”

Can saunas help you lose weight?

The answer is a little nuanced when it comes to whether sauna sessions may aid in weight loss.

Saunas have the potential to aid in weight loss, however this effect is often transient. This might result in a brief decrease in body weight as you’re shedding water weight while you sweat it out in the sauna.

This loss of water, which is promptly restored as soon as you rehydrate, is what causes this weight loss, not fat loss.

The sauna can burn calories (more on that in a moment) and can provide other health advantages that can help you lose weight, so it’s not entirely pointless to use it for weight reduction.

That being said, unless you’re also eating a healthy, nutrient-rich diet and exercising frequently, utilizing a sauna to lose weight is unlikely to result in any noticeable weight reduction.

Different Types of Saunas

Steam Rooms

They are also known as Turkish baths and are hot and humid spaces. Steam rooms that use steam generators warm up by being extremely hot and humid. Its advantages for the cardiovascular system are also supported by studies.

Infrared

Here, light waves cause your body to heat up quickly and perspire. There is no warming of the chamber in these types of saunas. An individual’s body is instead heated by special infrared LEDs. The temperature is often lower than in other saunas as a result. Nevertheless, the individual perspires equally, becoming hot instead of cold.

Wood Burning

It works similarly to a typical Finnish sauna, and the temperature in the room is high and humid. Generally speaking, they have little humidity and high temperatures. Wood is used in these saunas to heat the rocks and sauna area.

Electrical Sauna

Electricity, rather than wood, is used to warm the space. Wood-burning saunas are the same as electrically heated saunas. These saunas are hotter, though, and have lower humidity. An electrical heater that is often attached to the floor also heats the space.

Saunas and Weight Loss: The Relationship

It is not possible to lose extra fat by just sitting in a sauna. Saunas temporarily remove the body’s rapidly replenishable water supply, but they don’t help you lose weight. Additionally, too much heat causes your body to perspire, which can result in the loss of water.

In other words, sitting in a sauna or steam room causes your body to get dehydrated. Thus, by sitting in the heated chamber, you are neither burning fat nor building muscle. It may appear as though you are losing weight if you do not drink enough water after leaving a sauna. However, although staying hydrated is crucial for weight loss, it may have an impact on your health.

You perspire when it’s hot. Sweating causes you to lose water. You may experience thirst if your body loses more water than it is absorbing. Consequently, experiencing dehydration while in a sauna poses a risk. Harvard Medical School estimates that a brief sauna session causes the typical individual to shed around one pint of fluid.

A serious medical emergency is severe dehydration. When using a sauna, it is important to pay attention to your body and drink enough water. Keep an eye out for these signs of mild to moderate thirst:

  • Dryness in the mouth
  • Extreme thirst
  • Headache
  • Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
  • Not urinating as often as normal

Individuals with long-term health issues including renal or heart disease, as well as those with diabetes or pregnancy, are more susceptible to dehydration.

Summary

Although some do lose weight when using saunas, this weight loss is primarily water weight, which may return fast if the body has had enough water. Additionally, there are many concerns involved with sauna weight loss since it can result in dehydration and serious health problems. Therefore, it is strongly advised to consume adequate water both before and following a sauna session. Remembering that saunas are not a quick fix for weight reduction is crucial. Nonetheless, they might be a component of a person’s weight loss process.

For what length of time is a sauna recommended for weight loss?

Although using a sauna is not believed to result in noticeable or long-lasting weight reduction since the weight lost is mostly water weight from perspiration, it does offer various health advantages that can support other weight loss initiatives, such as regular exercise.

Sauna sessions should last 15 to 20 minutes for post-exercise recuperation and other general health advantages.

Starting cautiously is crucial whether you choose to utilize a sauna to lose weight or as part of your healthy lifestyle. As your body becomes used to taking dry sauna baths regularly, extend the length of your sessions.

Dehydration may also be avoided by drinking lots of water before, during, and after your sauna therapy session.

Finally, but just as importantly, listen to your body. If you experience lightheadedness, dizziness, or any other symptoms of illness, get out of the sauna and get help if needed.

Can saunas help burn fat?

Fat is not immediately burned in saunas. The main cause of the weight loss that occurs after a sauna session is the transient water loss from perspiration, which is restored when you rehydrate.

Having said that, there are a few ways saunas might indirectly help in body mass decrease or weight loss.

Sauna treatment primarily helps your body burn fat by promoting recovery after exercise.

This is because sauna therapy might aid in post-exercise muscle relaxation and recuperation, perhaps making your exercise regimen more sustainable. You could find it simpler to lose weight if you continue to exercise consistently.

The heat from the sauna can also raise your heart rate in a manner that is comparable to that of mild exercise. This may enhance your ability to exercise and assist regulate high blood pressure, both of which may have some cardiovascular advantages.

Last but not least, saunas are an excellent method to lower stress and enhance sleep quality. Rest and recuperation are essential to a healthy lifestyle, which may help you control your weight, just as exercise is beneficial for weight loss.

Sauna Weight Loss Benefits

Although it shouldn’t be your sole weight loss strategy, sauna use can support a healthy way of living. It does help with weight reduction to some extent, but it works best when combined with other habits, such as regular exercise and a nutritious diet. Do saunas aid in weight loss, then? This is how it functions.

1. Water Weight Loss

Since saunas are so hot, you end up perspiring a lot. The scale will probably drop after a decent sauna session because losing this extra water might lead to a few pounds of weight loss. However, losing water weight is temporary; you will regain most, if not all, of the weight after you drink water to rehydrate.

However, you might take advantage of this. Saunas can be helpful if you need to lose weight rapidly for a short-term objective. Perhaps you need to reach a specific weight for a sports weigh-in, or you have an outfit you need to wear to an event this evening.

2. Detoxification

The lymphatic fluid that makes up our perspiration aids in the body’s detoxification. Sweating, then, is the body’s way of releasing undesirable substances. Unfortunately, most people don’t perspire enough to use this method of detoxification.

However, you sweat a lot in a sauna, which means you’re sweating away a lot of pollutants. Additionally, it aids in the removal of heavy metals such as nickel, copper, zinc, lead, and mercury from your body.

Your body can burn fat more effectively and you receive a pleasant energy boost when you cleanse and clear up your lymphatic system.

3. Boosted Metabolism

When you expose your body to extreme heat or cold, it has to work much more to operate. This can cause your heart rate to rise by as much as 30%, which can raise your metabolism and help you burn more calories.

Even before entering the sauna, you can sip on some cool water. Your body will have to put in a bit more effort to control your body temperature, which will increase caloric expenditure.

Your body must emit heat to burn calories, which is why this works. You burn more calories when you force your body to work harder to cool down in a sauna because it releases more heat.

4. Reduced Stress

Stress has its uses; it may spur you on to achieve your objectives and deadlines. However, too much stress might keep you in a fight-or-flight state continuously. The goal of this reaction is to get you away from whatever threat your body detects before you relax again. It should be over in a couple of minutes.

However, we are constantly in this condition due to our stressful society, which means that stress hormones like cortisol are also being released in large quantities. Weight gain is connected to these hormones. In other words, stress causes your body to store fat because it perceives danger. Furthermore, chronic stress might set off an inflammatory reaction.

Saunas are a place to unwind and relieve tension. By forcing you to take deep breaths and let go of stress, they can assist you in escaping the fight-or-flight response. You cease generating as much cortisol when you relax. Each of these elements may contribute to weight reduction.

5. Supported Endocrine System

Your thyroid, parathyroid, pituitary, and adrenal glands are all part of the endocrine system, which also plays a significant role in regulating your metabolism. Even with a good diet and regular exercise, it might be difficult to lose weight when your endocrine system is out of balance because you tend to retain extra fat around your stomach.

There may be a solution in infrared saunas. Their infrared rays enter your body and strengthen your mitochondria, which are the cells’ energy source. This causes your body to produce more ATP, which boosts your metabolism and gives you more energy. Your endocrine system can repair as the sauna promotes relaxation, which enables you to start stepping out of your stress reaction mode.

6. Increased Exercise Ability

You must use your whole breathing range when exercising. Regretfully, respiratory issues can interfere with breathing, which can affect how well you function.

Spending time in a sauna helps improve respiratory function and lessen the impact of respiratory issues. By producing more nitric oxide, a vasodilator that may widen blood vessels, it can help improve blood flow, which will ultimately result in more effective exercises.

7. A Better Night’s Sleep

Lack of sleep or poor sleep quality can make you feel anxious, raise your hunger hormones, and lead you to make bad eating choices. You also have less energy to work out when you’re weary.

Saunas are a great way to unwind and put yourself in a relaxed condition. These effects can help you sleep better at night and last throughout the day.

8. Muscle and Joint Pain Relief

Exercise regularly is likely to yield the finest benefits whether you are losing weight or are on a weight reduction journey. However, exercising might cause severe muscular soreness, especially in the beginning, which may prevent you from going to the gym.

Limiting these pains can be achieved by using a sauna after working out. The sauna’s heat causes your body to produce more white blood cells, which can help mend and relieve stress by reducing inflammation in your muscles.

The same is true for discomfort in the joints. Wear and tear may be the cause of joint discomfort, but exercise may also be the cause. Whatever the case, the sauna’s heat can aid your body’s natural process of reducing inflammation, which in turn eases discomfort and makes it easier for you to carry out your everyday tasks.

Safe Weight Loss Advice for Sauna Users

Does using a sauna aid in weight loss? The response is now known to be yes. Nevertheless, when utilized improperly, they may also pose a safety risk. To guarantee that you safely lose weight, make sure to follow these guidelines.

1. Get Hydrated

You can drop some weight right away by sweating in a sauna, but you also lose electrolytes. To stay hydrated, you must drink those fluids. Thus, before, during, and after a sauna session, make sure you are well-rehydrated.

Before your sauna session, it’s usually advised that you have a glass of water. To assist restore the electrolytes you lose via perspiration, you may also choose to consume a sports drink, such as Gatorade, either during or after.

2. Start Slow

Stay out of the sauna for as little time as possible when you initially start using it. You may feel dizzy or even faint from the intense heat since your body isn’t used to it.

Your workouts should begin with five minutes and be gradually extended from there. You will be able to assess your body’s heat sensitivity during the first session. You may then incorporate two 15-minute sessions every week. You’ll discover that those daily sauna sessions become more manageable and pleasurable as your tolerance grows.

Avoid spending more than twenty or thirty minutes in the sauna at once, even if you are an experienced user. Don’t push yourself too hard because everyone has a different tolerance level.

3. Make Appropriate Use of the Sauna

Sauna use should be restricted to the time after an exercise. When you work out in a sauna, you may become dehydrated, which can make you feel lightheaded or faint. You could even get heatstroke if you use the sauna before working out.

Before exercising exercise, using a sauna can potentially strain muscles, increasing the risk of injury. It’s also important to note that saunas cause your body to relax greatly. This can make it tough to work out right away and possibly make you decide not to work out at all. After working out, it’s ideal to use the sauna since it may enhance the benefits of your workout and improve your outcomes.

Some additional tips

Avoid saunas if you’re unwell: If you are sick in general or have a fever or illness, avoid using a sauna.

Sauna attire: Depending on the sauna’s regulations and cultural customs, you may choose to go nude or wear a swimsuit. Sit on a towel at all times if you’re naked.

Is It Possible to Lose Weight Through Sweating?

Can perspiration in a sauna help you lose weight? Although the answer is technically yes, it’s crucial to emphasize that weight reduction is just temporary. The water weight will come back once you have restored your fluid levels and water storage.

Of course, the intense heat of a sauna also gives you the extra advantage of a faster metabolism. You burn more calories as a result of your heart rate rising. However, this can only support your other weight-loss efforts; it cannot take the place of exercise or leading a healthy lifestyle.

Potential dangers of using saunas to lose weight

Dehydration is one of the biggest hazards associated with sauna bathing. Often, when taking a sauna bath, people need to drink additional water to restore their fluid intake.

Below are the symptoms of dehydration:

  • thirst
  • lightheadedness
  • tiredness
  • dark, strong-smelling urine
  • passing less urine

Any of the following symptoms might indicate that a person needs to call their doctor:

  • extreme thirst
  • fast heart rate
  • extreme tiredness
  • no urination for 8 hours
  • dizziness when standing up

Dangers of Dehydration

Saunas may be risky, despite their amazing health advantages and ability to promote relaxation. Remembering that dehydration is a major problem is crucial. You lose fluids and perspire due to the sauna’s intense heat. You may become dehydrated if you lose more fluid than you are consuming.

Sauna use increases the risk of dehydration, as you might expect. Even though you just spend a brief amount of time in the sauna, you should anticipate losing around a pint of fluid.

Signs of Dehydration

Even while you may replenish lost fluids by drinking water before, during, and after your sauna session, it’s still critical to recognize the symptoms of dehydration. Knowing these symptoms will enable you to leave and rehydrate as soon as possible to avoid major problems. Failure to do so may result in severe dehydration and a medical emergency.

The following are signs of dehydration:

  • Feeling extremely thirsty
  • Headaches
  • Dry mouth
  • A lack of normal urination
  • Feeling lightheaded and dizzy
  • Heart Health and Saunas

The condition of your heart should also be taken into account when utilizing a sauna. As we previously said, saunas increase blood flow by widening your blood vessels, which brings them closer to the skin’s surface. Your blood pressure may drop as a result of improved circulation.

These effects may help the normal person’s heart health. However, it is probably advisable to avoid the sauna if you have cardiac problems, such as an irregular pulse or a more serious condition.

Consult your physician before using a sauna if you are on cardiac medication or have high blood pressure. Your blood pressure might rise as you move between hot and cold areas, which could be problematic.

Saunas and heart health

Your blood vessels expand up and travel closer to the skin’s surface as a result of the high temperatures you encounter in a sauna. Your circulation grows better and your blood pressure drops as your blood vessels widen.

Regular sauna usage has been linked in several recent research to better heart health. Saunas are often advised to be avoided by those with cardiac conditions, such as those who have recently experienced a heart attack or an irregular heartbeat.

Saunas are safe for those with high blood pressure, but going back and forth between extremely hot and freezing temperatures might cause blood pressure to rise, according to the American Heart Association (AHA). Additionally, anybody taking cardiac medication should see their doctor before utilizing a sauna.

In a sauna, how many calories are burned?

Do saunas aid in weight loss? We know the answer. However, what is the maximum amount of weight you can lose? We must examine calorie burn to respond to that question.

While some studies place the number of calories burned in a 30-minute session at 25, others place it as high as 300. Furthermore, according to most experts, sitting in a sauna would burn 1.5–2 times as many calories as sitting at room temperature.

A single pound has about 3,500 calories. It would take 140 days to lose one pound if you regularly spent 30 minutes in the sauna and only burnt an extra 25 calories. It isn’t very effective, but it could help you lose weight in other ways.

Let’s assume, however, that your calorie burn is on the upper end. It will only take 12 days to drop a pound if your body burns 300 calories each day during your sauna sessions. As you can see, utilizing a sauna to lose weight is a quite erratic strategy with inconsistent outcomes. Saunas are more effective for their various health advantages than for helping people lose weight.

Precautions

Although saunas may seem like an exciting and enjoyable method to lose weight, there are a few things to consider before utilizing a sauna or steam room to lose weight.

Although a sauna helps you burn fat, it has little effect on your muscles. Strength exercises must be gradually added to your routine to tone your muscles and prevent them from sagging. Strength training or aerobic exercise won’t need as much effort as it would have without a sauna or steam room since they will assist you increase your stamina.

Staying hydrated is crucial for losing weight. Drinking plenty of water would help. Dehydration from the sauna, however, might make it more difficult to lose weight. To restore electrolyte balance, add a pinch of salt to your drinking water either before or after your sauna or steam bath.

Suggestion

Before you begin your sauna adventure, make sure you are properly hydrated. Both before and after your sessions, sip water. Additionally, keep in mind that saunas are not the only way to lose weight. For your sauna sessions to be successful, do a fair bit of strength training.

Conclusion

You can also profit from weight reduction if you currently own a sauna or want to get one. Sauna use on its own won’t result in noticeable weight loss. However, the effects of food and exercise can be enhanced as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Without a doubt, saunas provide several health benefits. However, they shouldn’t be used in place of a consistent exercise regimen. In addition, if you have high blood pressure and heart illness, you should visit a sauna without first seeing your doctor. Sauna usage is also prohibited for pregnant women and children under the age of sixteen.

An amazing option if you are just starting to reduce weight is a sauna. Along with aiding in weight loss, it will also provide other health benefits. However, it would be beneficial to eat a healthy diet and gradually expose your body to cardio and strength training to seem toned and powerful.

FAQs

Is it possible to reduce abdominal fat in a sauna?

There is no truth to the idea that saunas might help you lose extra body fat. But it’s not legitimate. Although a sauna momentarily removes the body’s rapidly replenishable water supply, it does not help you lose weight. High temperatures can cause your body to perspire, which can temporarily reduce water weight and give you the appearance of weight reduction. 

Which is more effective for weight loss: steam rooms or saunas?

The health benefits of steam rooms are identical to those of saunas since heat, whether it be dry or moist, has the same effects. It suggests that you’ll still have some cardiovascular advantages as well as reduced pain and stiffness.

Are saunas useful for skin health?

Collagen production is boosted by the heat of saunas and steam rooms, which revitalizes and fortifies the skin. In addition to promoting the formation of fresh, healthier skin cells, the heat helps the skin eliminate dead skin cells.

Can you burn calories in a sauna?

Although using a sauna might help you burn more calories, sweating programs are not the only way to lose weight. For real weight loss, it is not a useful tool. However, you will burn calories throughout your sauna session since your body is working to produce perspiration.

Can I use a sauna after working out?

The benefits of a sauna are available to you at any moment. However, other people like to warm their muscles in a sauna before working out. Although it aids in relaxation, it shouldn’t be used in place of your usual warm-up. Using the sauna after working out, however, might have a negative effect and result in dehydration if you are still a bit dehydrated. As a result, after working out, you should have a drink that balances electrolytes and relishes the sensation of your muscles relaxing and the discomfort that comes with it going away.

For what length of time must you sit in a sauna to detox?

The length of time you spend in a sauna detox may vary depending on your body type and level of daily activity. Start with ten to fifteen-minute sessions once or twice a week to acquaint your body with infrared treatment. then gradually rises to 15-minute sessions within the ideal temperature range. However, end the practice right away if, even after five minutes, you still don’t feel comfortable.

Is your hair healthy after a sauna session?

Saunas encourage blood flow to the scalp and hair follicles, according to Harvard Health. The more blood flow there is, the more hair that will grow. Furthermore, blood efficiently delivers all of the nutrients and oxygen required by our body to every area. In terms of hair growth, the results are rather obvious.

After a sauna, is it necessary to moisturize?

It’s crucial to properly care for your skin after utilizing a sauna, especially if you just had a shower and your skin is still wet. Moisturizing as the last step will allow you to hydrate your skin, regardless of whether it is oily or dry.

Is it okay to bring my phone to the sauna?

Because steam rooms and saunas frequently exceed the permitted maximum operating temperature of 113°F or 45°C, you should avoid using a phone in one of these environments. It could suffer irreversible harm in certain circumstances.

Does using a sauna help you lose weight?

In addition to its many health advantages, a sauna may be used as an adjunct to weight loss plans.

Are infrared saunas more effective in helping people lose weight?

Yes, compared to typical saunas, infrared saunas offer greater heat penetration, increasing calorie burn; however, other lifestyle adjustments are still necessary for long-term effects.

Which sauna type is ideal for weight reduction among the several types?

Saunas come in a variety of forms, including traditional (dry and wet), infrared, and steam rooms. The ideal option will depend on personal preference and any health concerns, even if infrared saunas could burn a few more calories.

Does daily usage of a sauna pose any risks?

Saunas provide a lot of health advantages, but it’s usually not advised to use them every day. It’s best to start with two or three sessions each week. Keep an eye on how your body reacts and make sure you’re getting enough water.

Is it possible for someone with a medical condition to use a sauna?

See your doctor before using a sauna if you are pregnant or have any underlying medical disorders, such as high blood pressure or heart difficulties.

Reference

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Goldman, R. (2019, February 27). Do Saunas Help with Weight Loss? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/sauna-weight-loss-miracle#weight-loss

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