Saunas have been around for a long time, but many don’t know that they can be an effective weight loss tool. Saunas help us cleanse our bodies and relax, but they can also dehydrate us if we sit in them to long. Studies show that you can lose up to a pint of fluid if you stay in a sauna long enough, so it’s important to drink enough water before, during and after your session. This will replace the fluids you lose when you sweat.
Do Saunas Really Help with Weight Loss?
It is indisputable that sauna can burn calories, but they don’t help us build muscle. Most of the weight you lose when you sit in the sauna is water weight, but not all of it. This is why you should add a steam to your workout regimen.
The Advantages of Saunas for Weight Loss
Saunas heat up our core temperature, which make our bodies try to cool us down. This constant energy makes our body’s work harder, thus burning more calories. Saunas also increase our circulation and make us sweat, which makes us shed water weight and excess salt. This speeds up the metabolism. A single 30-minute sauna session can burn between 300-500 calories.
One of the best benefits offered by saunas is their ability to help detoxify our bodies. While we sweat, our lymphatic system pushes out toxins. This process helps us burn fat more effectively.
Types of Saunas
- Electric Saunas use electricity to heat the room.
- Wood burning saunas light up wood to heat the sauna rocks. This is like the traditional Finnish sauna.
- Infrared saunas are not like conventional saunas, instead using infrared heat to make us sweat.
- Steam rooms, also known as Turkish baths, are especially humid and steamy.
The Health Benefits of Saunas
A sauna can help you lose water weight, which is at least five pounds of your total weight. Normally, excess water weight can take up to a week to lose, but by sweating in a sauna, we can speed this up to a 2-day process.
Saunas can help us reduce stress or relax while we bathe. This is because saunas lower our cortisol levels, cortisol being the worry hormone released when we are under physical or mental stress.
Additionally, saunas can improve our stamina and increase respiratory functions. This means it boosts our ability to breathe and lowers the risk of respiratory diseases. While we sit in saunas to increase our stamina, we can also exercise and workout to simultaneously burn fat.
Finally, saunas help relieve muscle pain. Everyone from athletes to the average person can find them to be a great tool for recovery. They help us relax and relieve pain caused by overexertion.
The Best Way to Use Saunas for Weight Loss
If you want to go to the sauna to lose weight, you should incorporate it into your workout regime. To to follow a weights sessions with a 30-minute sauna session. This can help heal our muscle post-workout. Remember, be sure to drink lots of water!
The Most Frequently Asked Questions About Saunas
- How much weight can you lose by going to the sauna?
People can lose up to 5 pounds, but this varies with age, weight, height or length of time spent in the sauna.
- How often should you go to the sauna?
Go twice a day for five months to see results.
- How long do you have to sit in the sauna?
A twenty-minute session will drive results.
- Are saunas really good for weight loss?
Yes, they are great for weight loss, but remember that you must supplement any weight loss strategy with a healthy diet and good exercise programme.
- How much weight can you lose in one day?
Remember, weight loss journeys take time, especially if you are using a sustainable method. Any weight you lose in a single day is probably just water weight. Try not to weight yourself more than once per week.
