Saunas are often associated with increasing weight loss results through regular use. While sauna use does stimulate a response in the body that can help you lose weight more effectively, it also brings many other benefits! Saunas are one of the most effective ways to naturally detoxify the body, relieve physical pain, relax the body, and act as a natural antidepressant.
If you are considering purchasing a sauna to help you lose weight, like many customers, you may have come to realize the other benefits that saunas offer that are not as widely discussed. Saunas are one of the best natural treatments on the market for a variety of health issues.
Make your sauna more effective by changing these lifestyle habits:
- Start a regular exercise program, even if it's just a daily walk!
- Change your eating habits, eat less fast food, and cook more meals at home.
- Maintain a consistent sleep schedule.
Saunas are more than just a great tool for removing fluid and toxins from your body. Regular sauna use can promote muscle recovery, relax your body, and even help you get a deeper sleep!
The relationship between sauna and weight loss
If you’re thinking of investing in a sauna specifically for weight loss, we hope this article will help you adjust your thinking a little, as the health benefits of saunas far outweigh the effects of losing water weight (and weight) through regular sauna use.
Traditional saunas are designed to provide high temperatures and humidity, increasing the amount of water your body loses with each use. While this does lead to weight loss, it is critical that you replace lost water and electrolytes after your sauna session. If you are installing a sauna to lose weight, then this may be your primary reason for purchasing one, but we can almost guarantee that you will love the other benefits of a sauna beyond just losing weight.
Remove fluid and toxins in a sauna
If you are new to sauna use, we strongly recommend that you start slow. Better yet, consider consulting a doctor before you begin using a sauna regularly. For us, we have been using saunas our entire lives and may have a stronger tolerance for heat than someone who is just starting out. There is no need to force yourself into a 30-minute sauna session right away!
Start slowly, gradually increase your time in the sauna, and remember to take frequent breaks. For beginners, we recommend 10 minutes in and 10 minutes out. When you first start using the sauna, you can do 1-2 sessions. Now you have a sauna, and you can use it anytime!
How much water can you lose in a sauna?
Everyone's body is different, but water loss in a sauna is very rapid. Depending on your body size, you may lose 1-2 pounds (or more) of water weight in a single sauna session. In some cases, up to 5 pounds (or more) of water weight may be lost in a single sauna session.
While losing water is a good thing, you need to replace lost fluids after leaving the sauna. Increase your intake of water and nutrients to ensure recovery while keeping your body healthy.
First, it is a fact that lost moisture does not last. It is moisture, and changes in moisture are a regular occurrence under normal circumstances. So, after a sauna session, moisture will inevitably be restored, and this is not necessarily a bad thing.
Detoxify in a sauna
When you are in a sauna, the body naturally excretes certain toxins, along with its natural sweating process. The amount of sweating in a traditional steam sauna far exceeds that of an infrared sauna, which is one of the best parts of using a sauna! The feeling of relaxation you get after a cold shower or bath after coming out of the sauna is unmatched. There is no substitute for traditional sauna use, they have been popular in Scandinavian countries for centuries.
Sauna weight loss time
We’ve discussed sauna use extensively in another guide, so the answer here will be relatively brief.
If you are new to sauna use, we recommend starting slow. Do a few rounds of 10 minutes in the sauna and 10 minutes rest. Saunas can help you lose weight long term with regular use, think of it as a marathon rather than a sprint. We do not recommend that new sauna users force themselves to stay in the sauna longer just to sweat out more water.
Body metabolism
We have to remember that everyone's body is different. The body reacts differently to the heat in a sauna. You may not be someone who sweats easily, so using a sauna for weight loss may not be as effective for you as it is for someone else. You may simply be overheated and end up not having the desired effects, and there may even be negative effects from sauna treatments.
On the other hand, your body may have a low tolerance for heat. Artificially induced heat or overheating presents many health risks for this body type. You may feel nauseous, dizzy, lose consciousness, pass out, or even die. Thousands of people die each year from heat stroke or heat-induced brain hemorrhages. Therefore, you need to consider your body's reaction to heat before deciding whether you want to lose weight in a sauna.
Electrolyte balance
Your body's electrolyte balance is closely tied to your body's hydration. The more salt, or electrolytes, you have in your body, the longer you stay hydrated. In parallel, the amount of electrolytes in your body is tied to muscle function. You don't want to lose too many electrolytes because that would cause you to lose function in everything from sensory perception to the ability to perform any moderately strenuous exercise.
Making sure you stay hydrated while in a sauna is vital. Your body naturally excretes a lot of water, and rehydrating after leaving the sauna is essential.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Before deciding whether to lose weight in a sauna, you should also consider that the effect of a sauna on your body will certainly be affected by factors such as weight and height, age, and even the way water is distributed in the body will affect your performance in a sauna. The best thing to do is to consult your doctor first to see if you are suitable for losing weight in a sauna.
Can I lose 2 pounds in a sauna?
While it is entirely possible to lose 2 pounds of water weight by sweating out in a sauna, it must be replaced afterwards. It's not true weight loss, but the improved metabolism from regular sauna use has been shown to improve the body's overall health.
Saunas do help burn more calories, which can promote greater weight loss. The research we linked to shows that regular sauna use triggers multiple physiological and neural mechanisms in the body that promote weight loss.
Sauna for fast weight loss
If you are planning to invest in a sauna for weight loss, we recommend that you adjust your mindset a bit and focus on the other more important benefits that come with regular sauna use.
These more important sauna benefits include:
- Improves cardiovascular health
- Prevent Alzheimer's disease (studies show it can reduce the incidence of Alzheimer's disease by 65%)
- Relieve pain
- Reduce stress
- Natural Antidepressant
- Burn more calories
Things to note after taking a sauna
- Drink water
- Relax and take a cool bath or shower
After leaving the sauna, in order to lose weight, you can towel dry your body, but do not shower immediately, no matter how uncomfortable you feel. Showering may cause your skin to reabsorb water through the pores, thus regaining lost water weight. The best method is to gradually place your body in an environment with gradually lower temperatures, slowly returning it to normal body temperature, as immediate exposure to cold air is harmful to the body. When you come out and dry yourself, you can weigh yourself and use your water weight loss to your advantage.
How to Regain Lost Water Weight
To regain lost water weight, you should drink water and continue to eat properly. A complete meal with plenty of carbohydrates, protein, and most importantly, minerals and salt is your best choice after rapid weight loss. This, combined with a good night's sleep, will allow your body to return to normal temperature quickly.
How to cope with heat-related difficulties
If you feel nauseous or dizzy during your sauna session to lose two pounds or more and do not feel like taking a break, you can place a bucket of cold water next to your face and breathe close to it. However, you must be able to resist the temptation to place cold water next to you in this environment. If the discomfort worsens and the nausea does not go away, you should take a break, step out of the sauna, and drink a glass of water. Then, when you feel better, you can reenter and continue your session.
If the condition does not improve and you continue to feel unwell, you should seek help from your doctor or other nearby medical professional immediately.
Don't have a sauna yet? Contact us now!
Hopefully, this article has given you an idea of the benefits of owning a sauna. If you weren't aware, you can install one of our plug-and-play saunas (whether a traditional sauna, infrared sauna, or a combination of both) in your home and power it with regular electricity. In fact, it's entirely possible, and our smallest unit is only 16 square feet and 72 inches tall, making it easy to place anywhere in your home.
If you’ve made it this far and decided that a sauna isn’t for you, that’s OK! We hope that you’ve read this article and understand the benefits of a sauna, and that you’ll consider purchasing one of our sauna products in the future!