We all know that there are plenty of sauna benefits for both your physical and mental health, but is it possible to lose weight in a sauna? The answer is YES! 

If you have a sauna or you are planning to buy one this new year, you can enjoy the benefits of weight loss in addition to the overall health benefits of heating. Spending time in the infrared sauna can improve overall health, and can help with specific fitness goals, such as reducing body fat or building muscle.

Using an infrared sauna alone will not only produce significant weight loss effects but as part of a healthy lifestyle, it can enhance the impact of diet and exercise.

An infrared sauna can improve cardiovascular function. It also can help flush toxins and reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia by 65%. An infrared sauna can also help fight infection and cleanse the skin.

A regular sauna session also hastens blood circulation. Increased circulation helps reduce muscle soreness, improves joint movements, relieves arthritis pain, and reduces stress levels. Since the heat in the sauna enhances blood circulation, it also promotes relaxation and can improve cardiovascular health. It also addresses skin problems, asthma, and can reduce the risk of a heart attack.

So now since you’ve already known some of the sauna benefits, let’s explore the five ways how saunas can help you lose weight!

1. Sauna weight loss through water

The most direct benefit of a sauna is weight loss. Because high temperatures make you sweat, you lose excess water from your body. You can lose up to five pounds at a time, but most of your weight will be recovered when you rehydrate yourself.

You can use the sauna if you need to lose a few pounds quickly. For example, if you need to lose a few pounds for work, insurance, or sports weighing, or if you need to wear a comfortable dress for an activity, the sauna offers you a quick fix.

2. Detox

Most people’s daily activities do not produce enough sweat to remove these unhealthy and harmless contaminants. However, during a sauna session, sweating helps remove toxins and impurities from the body. 

Sweating washes away heavy metals, such as lead, zinc, copper, nickel, and mercury that are absorbed in human bodies via food or environmental factors. Detoxification can clear the lymphatic system, help your body burn fat more efficiently, and provides more energy.

3. Increased metabolism

When you are prone to a hot or cold environment, your body works harder, and your heart rate can increase by 30%. This increased heart rate increases your body metabolism – the speed at which you burn calories. As a result, the sauna does help lose weight.

Experts estimate that the high temperature of the sauna (about 150 degrees) will increase your metabolism by about 20%. This effect will last for several hours while you are in the sauna. To maintain the effect of burning fat, try a 30-minute sauna every day.

4. Reduced stress

One of the significant barriers to weight loss is stress. Chronic stress not only encourages you to eat more but also increases cortisol production, which can make your body crave calories and make it harder to lose weight.

Sunbathing in the sauna can help you enter a meditation state, reduce stress, and release endorphins, the joy hormones that counteract cortisol. People with lower stress levels are less likely to overeat and more likely to engage in healthy activities.

5. Improves exercise capacity

One of the obstacles to effective exercise is breathing. Time spent in the sauna can help reduce breathing problems, enhance respiratory function, and increase the production of the vasodilator nitric oxide.

Vasodilators dilate blood vessels, thereby increasing blood flow. It improves your athleticism, which means you can work harder or work out longer, which naturally leads to weight loss.

To take full advantage of the weight loss benefits of a sauna, you should do it several times a week, 15-20 minutes each time, and then gradually increase to once a day. The easiest way is to invest in a personal sauna for your home. This way, you can bask in the sun after a stressful day and remove toxins in the morning before you start a new day or at any time when you want to work away sweat, recharge your battery, and improve your health and mood.