Calories Burned in SaunaSaunas are gaining popularity these days due to a controversy going around lately that do saunas burn calories? Some people think that this is just a myth while some people will swear and provide you a list of experiences of how many calories burned in sauna. Many sauna manufacturing companies also claim that sauna will help burn calories. But what exactly is the truth?
Sauna is thought to boost your metabolism by approximately 20% and thus can help burn calories indirectly. However before starting any sauna sessions it is best to check with your specialist if you have any medical problem which prevents you to get in a steam room or sauna.
Do Saunas Burn Calories
Calories burnt in sauna depend on the time spent in the room, temperature at which the sauna is set, your weight and height.
On an average a person weighing 160 pounds will burn around 300 calories in 30 minutes of sauna. An infrared sauna claims to burn up to 1000 calories in just 30 minutes, but is this just a sale gimmick or a truth we shall find out. Besides burning calories sauna offers many other health benefits –
- Detoxification – reduces the toxin levels in the body
- Deep cleansing effect – makes the skin healthier, radiant and youthful
- Weight loss
- Pain relief
- Deep relaxation
- General feeling of well-being
- Improved cardio-respiratory capacity
- Stress relief, insomnia relief
- Reduction of health threatening bacteria and viruses
- Strengthening the immune system
However there are different theories, some believe that sitting in a sauna (for even a small time period) will make you sweat.
Sweating will cause fluid loss from the body, the longer you sit in a sauna the more will be the fluid loss. This fluid loss is the actual weight loss. Once you are done with sauna it is recommended to incorporate more fluids in order to compensate the fluid loss.
This will neutralize the weight loss in the sauna putting you back to square one. Also the main muscles working during a sauna are your heart muscles. Heart is an important muscle but you will burn calories by any other physical activity like swimming or walking.
These activities will make your muscle tissue burn energy not only when it is working but even few hours after the activity. Do saunas burn calories? Calories burnt in sauna depend on the time spent in the room, temperature at which the sauna is set, your weight and height. Other benefits of saunas are detoxification, weight loss, pain & stress relief, deep relaxation; etc Sauna is definitely an easier way to burn calories but definitely it is not an effective way. There are many other aerobic activities which will help you burn 300-1000 calories in an hour and lose weight. Sauna will not help to change your body composition and it will not burn your body fat or increase your muscle mass. On the other hand any other physical activity will help to tone your body muscles and decrease the fat stores from your body. Also, calories burned walking and running do a great job in burning excess fat from your body which helps to remain fit & healthy.
Saunas will help you in many other ways though like – it will help improve your complexion, detoxification and a general sense of well-being. But using sauna as a means to burn calories and in turn lose weight would not be a great idea. Calories Burnt in Sauna
Several people who visit the gym or fitness centers regularly for weight loss purposes can also be seen spending time in the sauna or the steam room. However, there is a lot of controversy about how many calories are burnt in sauna rooms. Some fitness experts state that calories burnt in sauna rooms are just a myth, while others claim that they have seen several people lose weight, because of the calories burnt in steam room. They also state that because the calories burnt in sauna are influenced by several factors, such as the time spent, the temperature of the environment as well as the height and the weight of the person, there is no definite way to measure how many calories are burnt in sauna. The claim, made by sauna companies, is that a person weighing 160 pounds can burn up to 300 calories after spending around 30 minutes in the sauna and up to 1000 calories by spending 30 minutes in an infrared sauna. However, this sounds too unrealistic to be true and is often written off as a sales gimmick, but most gym instructors and dieticians. The truth is that spending time in a hot tub or a sauna may not directly melt fat and burn the calories away. However, it is believed that the sauna can increase a person’s metabolism by up to 20%, which can help you burn more calories while working out. Therefore, while there may be several benefits of a sauna, apart from the calories burned in hot tub or steam rooms, it should not be regarded as a good means of workout for weight loss. Apart from boosting the metabolism, there are several other health benefits that can be derived by using the sauna regularly. Given below are some of the most common health benefits that can be associated with saunas: • The heated environment of a sauna room can help increase sweating, which opens up the pores of the skin. This further gets rid of the toxins and the impurities that may be present in the blood. Therefore, after a brief sauna session, most people claim that they feel fresher, as if their bodies have been cleansed internally.
• Several people soak in a hot tub or spend time in a sauna room for relaxation purposes. The steam releases the tension in the body, which can improve certain health problems, such as insomnia.
• Spending a moderate amount of time in the sauna room can also increase the immunity of the body. This is because the sauna heat causes the body heat to increase, thereby stimulating fever conditions. Several doctors also recommend steam treatments for conditions like sinuses, laryngitis and bronchitis.
• Steam can work wonders for the good health of the skin, adding a natural glow to a person’s face. Even though there are certain health benefits that are associated with saunas, it is important to get a doctor’s approval before using one. Moreover, pregnant women and other people suffering from heart problems or blood pressure problems should avoid using the sauna.
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