Saunas provide people with all sorts of benefits. One of the best things about a sauna is its ability to help people to lose weight. Most people really don’t consider the sauna a weight loss method – but it is. You can shed pounds over time with the use of a sauna.
In some cases, it can be used as a quick way shed pounds. How much weight can you lose in a sauna? The answer to that question will depend on different factors. The main thing that you should remember is that saunas cannot be used a permanent weight loss system.
How Much Weight Can You Lose in a Sauna?
The human body contains between 50% – 60% water. This means that the human body is mainly made up of water. When the body is exposed to a heated sauna room, a person can quickly lose between 3 – 5 pounds of water weight per session.
This is an important point for you to understand. Saunas can quickly take some of your water weight away, but it will be put back on once you rehydrate.
A sauna room is normally between 150 – 190 degrees Fahrenheit or 65 – 88 degrees Celsius. This amount of heat is designed to make a person sweat.
Once a person starts to sweat, their body will drop water weight after a certain amount of time. The excessive amount of sweat being released from your body is important for keeping your body cool as well.
This one good reason for not wearing any clothing (other than a loose-fitting towel) once you get into a sauna. Just don’t forget that loss of water weight is the primary way that you will shed pounds with a sauna room.
How a Sauna Can Increase your Metabolism?
The human body is a true scientific wonder. One thing that the body does is constantly regulates itself to maintain the proper temperature. This process can be called thermoregulation or homeostasis.
Have you ever noticed how your body reacts to intense cold or heat? When it’s cold, your body has to work harder to stay heated. Also, when it’s really hot outside, it has to work harder to maintain a cooler temperature.
When your body undergoes thermoregulation, your heart rate will naturally increase. Other functions in your body will also increase as well. When this happens, your body will burn more calories and work harder. This is because your metabolic rate has improved.
Some experts say that extreme temperatures will cause your metabolism will improve by up to 30%. They also inform us that an elevated metabolism will last for many hours after your body has readjusted itself to its normal temperature. This is one reason why people are able to build up tolerances to heat and cold over time.
Ultimately, if your metabolism burns faster, it will burn more calories. As a result, you will lose more weight over time.
However, you must be careful about using extreme heat to boost your metabolism. Remember, the body is always trying to regulate itself and constantly stay within a given temperature range.
You can trick it into improving your metabolism to burn more calories in the short run, but over time it will naturally adjust itself to the extreme heat of a sauna.
Once the body makes this adjustment, your metabolism will simply operate at a normal function within extreme heat. In other words, you will eventually reach a point where extreme heat is not raising your metabolism. This is one reason why using a sauna to lose weight is not the best long-term weight loss solution.
Also, this process will happen in extreme cold as well. At first, a person’s body will build up a tolerance to the cold and their metabolism will work overtime to make sure this happens.
Over time, a person’s body will reach a certain point where it can withstand colder temperatures and their metabolism will function normally. This is how people are able to withstand cold cryotherapy applications.
How a Sauna Helps You Increase Your Breathing and Exercise Capacity?
Breathing and exercise are two important factors for losing weight. Most people do not think that losing weight has anything to do with breathing and exercise.
However, exercise is considered a proven weight loss method and knowing how to properly breathe is crucial to completing an effective exercise routine.
Both these factors go hand in hand when you want to slim down. So, what does a sauna mean to these 2 weight loss processes?
Saunas are known to help people with their cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
One of the side benefits of a sauna is its ability to create vasodilator nitric oxide. This substance is naturally made by the body to improve blood flow. When a person’s blood flows at a better rate it will give them the greater ability to workout more intensely.
Improved blood flow will also help your respiratory system and you will breathe better. These two factors will allow you to work out more effectively and lose weight over the long run.
When you combine these two factors with increased metabolism, you will then be able to burn more calories and shed more pounds for a longer time.
Important Points about Saunas and Weight Loss
Saunas cannot be used as a stand-alone weight loss plan. They’re not designed for that purpose. Saunas are primarily designed for cardiovascular health benefits.
While losing weight is a benefit from saunas, you cannot just focus on this benefit when using one.
You should exercise and eat a healthy diet to control your weight. A sauna should be used as an extra method for losing weight. You can effectively lose more weight over time if you take this approach.
A Final Word about Weight Loss and Saunas
Weight loss can be accomplished with a sauna. Make sure you are taking a realistic approach by using this method. You don’t want to solely rely on saunas to shed pounds. They are beneficial to the body and they do provide other great body perks as well.
Still, sauna weight loss applications should be included in a standard weight loss regimen. No one should ever rely solely on a sauna room to get rid of fat or slim down their body.
