Can Sauna Help With Weight Loss?
Yes, sauna may help you lose weight. Read on to know how.
Acts As A Detoxifier
The heat of the sauna makes you sweat more, which helps you get rid of toxins easily (3). This is healthy, especially if you do not workout regularly (or at all!) or stay indoors all day long in low temperature conditioned air. Sweating will also help flush out heavy metals like nickel, mercury, copper, and zinc that are absorbed via the foods you eat. (4). As a result, you will start losing weight by burning the fat effectively.
Helps Lose Water Weight
Water weight can contribute up to 5 pounds of your total weight. And it takes about seven days to lose the water weight with restricted diet and a mixed workout routine. Sauna, on the other hand, will help expel the excess water by inducing heavy sweating. It is extremely helpful in dropping a few pounds in just a day or two.
Reduces Stress
A sauna can be described as the most relaxing bath. It helps reduce stress and lowers the cortisol levels in the body (5). When you relax by taking a bath in the sauna, the cortisol levels drop, and so do inflammation and the harmful free oxygen levels. This reduces the chances of inflammation-induced weight gain.
Aids Muscle Recovery
Many athletes rely on sauna to help their muscles recover from a strenuous workout or exertion. A study confirms that sauna before exercise helps improve muscle function and reduces sensory impairment (6).
Improves Stamina
Ever felt out of breath too soon while working out or even climbing up the stairs? Well, the sauna can help tackle that problem. It improves your breathing capacity, increases respiratory function and production of the vasodilator nitric oxide, and reduces respiratory problems. A study found that sauna bathing helped runners improve running time (endurance or stamina) by 32% (7).
Boosts Metabolic Rate
Reduced stress, inflammation, and toxins help improve your metabolic rate (8), (9). After a couple of hours out of the bath, your metabolism will be up and running at a higher rate. This is how you can lose weight in a sauna.
Improves Heart Function And Circulation
The high temperatures in the sauna allow your heart rate to increase. This, in turn, improves blood circulation, skin health, sleep, and immunity (5).
Lowers Blood Pressure
Sauna also helps lower hypertension or high blood pressure (10). But people with low BP and arrhythmia should avoid sauna bathing. Now, the main question is, how many calories can you really expect to burn? Find out in the next section.
How Many Calories Can You Burn In A Sauna?
The number of calories you can burn is calculated using this formula: Calories burned in a sauna = Number of calories burned in 30 min of sitting or resting * 1.5 (and 2) Say, you are 132 pounds and burn 30 calories in 30 minutes of sitting or resting. Multiply it by 1.5 and 2. So, you may burn somewhere around 45 – 90 calories. Just by sitting in the sauna! But, does this mean you can be in the sauna for 24 hours and come out slimmed down? Before your imagination runs wild, let me tell you how to make it work for you.
How To Make Sauna Work For Weight Loss?
Sauna is an effective weight loss method. However, it’s not magic. You must schedule your sauna visits depending on your current body weight and target weight. Typically, getting a sauna bath two-three times a week for two weeks will help kick-start your weight loss. After two weeks, you will start to feel energetic and refreshed. Then, you must include light exercise in your daily routine. For the next three weeks, take a sauna bath twice a week. After that, include strength training and cardio in your workout routine and take a sauna bath to relax and rejuvenate your muscles. Before you book your appointment, you must know that there are different types of saunas. Here’s what they are called, how they appear, and how they work.
Common Types Of Sauna For Weight Loss
Steam Rooms – Also known as Turkish baths, these rooms are steamy (no pun intended!) and humid. Infrared – Not the conventional sauna, but the acting principle is the same. Light waves are used to heat your body directly and produce sweat. Wood Burning – Sauna rocks are heated by lighting up wood. This is a typical traditional Finnish sauna, and the room temperature is high and is humid. Electrical Sauna – Instead of wood, the room is heated up using electricity.
Saunas may sound fun and a great way to lose weight, but here’s what you must keep in mind while using sauna for weight loss.
Precautions
Sauna helps you burn fat but does nothing about the muscles. To tone the muscles and prevent sagging, you must gradually incorporate strength training into your workout routine. Since sauna will help improve your stamina, cardio or strength training will not cause as much exertion as it would have without the sauna.
You must keep yourself hydrated. Sauna causes too much dehydration, which may inhibit weight loss. Add a pinch of salt to your drinking water before or after your sauna bath to rebalance the electrolytes (11).
How much weight do you lose in a sauna? You can lose anywhere between 2-5 pounds, depending on your age, height, weight, sauna duration, etc. How often should I use the sauna to lose weight? You may use it twice every week for 15-20 weeks to lose weight. How long to sit in sauna to lose weight? About 15-20 minutes in sauna will give you good results. How much water weight can you lose in a sauna? You can lose about 2 pounds of water weight in sauna. Is a sauna good for losing weight? Yes, it is good for weight loss, but you must eat healthily and exercise to make it work. Is it healthy to have a sauna every day? Avoid going to the sauna every day. You can go for it once in every two days initially and then reduce the visits to twice or once a week. How long is it safe to sit in a sauna? 15-20 minutes. How much weight can you lose in one day? You will not lose weight in a single day. Do saunas help you detox? Yes, sauna is a great way to detox and feel refreshed. Does a sauna help lose belly fat? Anecdotal evidence suggests that a sauna may help you lose water weight around the abdominal region. However, more research is warranted. It is only with regular exercise and a balanced diet that one can lose weight properly.
