Can Infrared Saunas Help Me Lose Weight?

It’s no secret that weight loss scams are a dime a dozen. If you’re on your own weight loss journey, it can be very tempting to invest in some of the “helpers” out there. But how do you know which strategies are healthy, and which are ineffective or potentially dangerous? A good test is whether people use the strategy even when they don’t need to lose weight. Check out infrared saunas, for example. They’re beloved by people for a lot of reasons, only one of which is weight loss. Here’s how it works.

How Saunas Work

Traditional or steam-based saunas are what most people picture when they imagine “sweating the weight off”. Indeed, wrestlers, jockeys, and other weight-based competitors have long used saunas as a strategy for temporary weight loss.

Unfortunately, the emphasis there is on the word “temporary”. Weight lost over the course of a few marathon sauna sessions is usually due to dehydration, not to any sort of permanent change in body composition.

So how can infrared sauna work to help you with real weight loss? Infrared saunas, unlike traditional saunas, don’t heat the air around your body. Rather, they heat the body directly, increasing the internal body temperature. This has several benefits that can aid weight loss:

1. Decrease Stress

We know now that how much you eat is only one component of a healthy lifestyle. One of the most common factors linked to gaining weight is stress. Carrying too much chronic stress can cause the body to release abnormal amounts of the hormone cortisol. Over time cortisol can cause all kinds of havoc, but today we’re interested in thinking about the weight gain that it can bring. (Have you ever noticed that you get the munchies when you’ve been up all night? That’s the cortisol talking.) Regular sauna use can help you to de-stress, reduce your cortisol, and reduce your cravings.

2. Exercise Better

Although some people think that the increased heart rate you enjoy while using an infrared sauna is a substitute for a workout, the truth is that it’s more like a workout-enhancer. If you’d like to get your heart pumping while you sit and relax, the sauna is a perfect choice. But sauna use also has another benefit that can help you to enjoy your exercise more: enhanced recovery status. Users who enjoy a sauna session before or after their workout report less pain, faster recovery, and better sleep. This can be a great motivator for people.

The weight loss journey can be a long and treacherous one, and you deserve all the support you can get. Why put up with being cold and sore, when you could be relaxing in your own home sauna? It’ll feel so good you just might forget that it’s supposed to be good for you. And that’s the real skinny on saunas.

Sources:

Sauna: A Simple Proven Performance Enhancer - www.amrapnutrition.com

8 Unexpected Benefits Of The Sauna - www.lifehack.org