Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Table of contents
- What is an Infrared Sauna?
- Does Infrared Sauna Work for Weight Loss?
- How Does an Infrared Sauna Help You Lose Weight?
- Which One Is Better for Weight Loss? Infrared Sauna or Traditional Saunas?
- How to Make the Most Out of Your Sauna Session for Weight Loss?
- FAQs
- Best Infrared Saunas for Weight Loss
- Need Some Help to Choose Your Best Option?
- Infrared Saunas are a Great Way to Lose Weight and Improve Your Overall Health
This article dives deep into how infrared sauna therapy helps with weight loss. You will learn what an infrared sauna is and how it operates, how infrared sauna sessions lead to weight loss, the advantage of infrared saunas over traditional saunas in weight loss, and how you can get the most out of a sauna session for weight loss.
What is an Infrared Sauna?
An infrared sauna is a type of sauna that emits infrared light. The infrared light penetrates the skin and increases internal temperature, releasing sweat from the pores. The heat is not as intense as in a traditional sauna, but it lasts longer, making it more beneficial for detoxification. Infrared saunas are typically enclosed and heated with infrared bulbs. It is primarily used for relaxation and health benefits. These health benefits range from blood circulation, detoxification, pain alleviation, skin rejuvenation, and, of course, weight loss.
Does Infrared Sauna Work for Weight Loss?
The desire to be fit and healthy is a new trend in today’s world. If you are one of those individuals who has tried many exercise plans and diets but did not receive the results you aimed at achieving, then infrared saunas can be an excellent fit for you!
A study at Binghamton University in New York exposed participants to a regimen of infrared heat waves for four months while keeping their diet and exercise constant. Compared to the control group, they lost about 4 percent of their body fat.
Another study in Finland exposed ten healthy men to sauna heat for one hour twice a day for seven days, and the results were colorful. After each exposure, each participant’s core body temperature went up by 1.4-2 degrees Fahrenheit and his weight dropped by 1.5-2 lbs on average. In addition, researchers recorded a statistically meaningful increase in Oxygen consumption and Carbon Dioxide production rate.
Even though there are few studies done on the long-term effects of infrared saunas on weight loss, the biological processes that happen when exposed to heat waves are adequate evidence for this claim. Losing weight while relaxing in a sauna sounds like an unrealistic dream, but it is possible, so keep reading!
How Does an Infrared Sauna Help You Lose Weight?
There are five ways in which infrared sauna therapy can help you shed weight:
- Calorie Burning
A calorie is a unit of energy intake in our bodies. When input energy is not entirely used, the excess amount is stored as fat cells. A study published in the Journal of the College of Cardiology proves that infrared sauna therapy can help individuals burn twice the calories they usually burn for 30 minutes of cardio exercise.
Exposure to infrared heat waves influences the production of mitochondria, the energy currency in cells, which increases ATP production. ATP production leads to nitric acid synthesis, which oxygenates the hemoglobin and, therefore, the blood. This process assists in maintaining the increased heart rate, all while you relax during a sauna session! This cardiovascular process can have a similar effect to intense exercise, and your body is tricked into burning calories without any physical activity!
- Autonomic Nervous System Relaxation
Today’s world fills our lives with stress, and scientific research shows that stress disrupts weight loss. Being in fight or flight situations constantly keeps your body in survival mode, which negatively influences the process of gaining energy out of food, in a way that the required energy for rejuvenation and regeneration of cells is stored as fat for survival purposes.
A relaxing sauna session relieves stress from your body, bringing it out of survival mode and giving it a chance to dedicate the needed energy to improve cells instead of storing that energy as fat.
- Endocrine System Improvement
Among the numerous adverse health benefits of excessive stress, we could also mention endocrine system failure. The endocrine system is a set of glands that directly regulate metabolism and is susceptible to stress. If you have tried exercising and dieting many times without seeing any positive results, your endocrine system might be the reason. Having a Zen infrared sauna therapy session could remove the stress out of your body and bring your endocrine system back to healthy functioning.
- Human Growth Hormones Release
Exposure to infrared sauna rays increases the core body temperature, and this stimulates Human Growth Hormones release. The main job of these hormones is to transform fat into muscle. As a result, you can relax during a sauna session, build muscles, and lose extra fat at the same time!
- Detoxification
Infrared heat waves stimulate sweat glands to release water and excessive minerals and ions out of skin pores. Besides sweating burning calories, getting rid of the toxins and pollutants in the body improves the state of the kidneys and liver, the endocrine system, and consequently the metabolism. Active sweating during a relaxing infrared sauna session will assist you to have a healthier body on top of shedding the extra weight!
Which One Is Better for Weight Loss? Infrared Sauna or Traditional Saunas?
The most significant distinction between infrared and traditional saunas is in the amount of heat they generate and how the body receives that heat. Traditional saunas heat the air in the sauna space up to 200 degrees Fahrenheit, which may result in body dehydration and fatigue.
On the other hand, infrared saunas deliver less intense heat, around 140 degrees Fahrenheit, directly to your skin and raise your core body temperature. This process will not lead to severe dehydration and directly stimulates sweat glands to help get rid of toxins.
The critical advantage of infrared saunas compared to traditional ones regarding weight loss is that infrared heat waves target the fat cells, where the body usually stores toxins. Once the detoxification occurs on fat cells, they start to come off much easier, leading to lower body fat percentage and muscle production due to human growth hormone secretion.
How to Make the Most Out of Your Sauna Session for Weight Loss?
It is no secret that to have a healthy body, one cannot focus on only one health approach. To get the most out of your sauna sessions, you must pair them with adequate exercise and a nutritious diet. Try to exercise regularly and eat less processed food with saturated fat. Avoiding too much caffeine and alcohol is also necessary as they dehydrate your body further.
Drink as much water as possible before, during, and after your sauna session to avoid dehydration and facilitate detoxification. Additionally, just like exercising and maintaining a healthy diet, it is essential to have a routine of infrared sauna sessions. Infrared sauna sessions should be 15-20 minutes long for beginners and 20-30 minutes for those with more experience. A sauna session should not be longer than an hour since it could pose health threats. The ideal frequency of sessions for getting the best health benefits is two to three times a week.
FAQs
According to the research conducted at Binghamton University in New York, participants lost about 4% of their body fat over four months, which is like 7 pounds for a 175-pound man.
The best temperature for losing the most weight and receiving the best health advantages is 110-130 degrees Fahrenheit.
The studies that have demonstrated positive weight loss results have maintained a regimen of three 45-minute sessions per week, even though we recommend a higher frequency of sessions, desirably 4-7 sessions a week.
Best Infrared Saunas for Weight Loss
The best sauna for weight loss must have the minimum amount of EMF (Electromagnetic Field) to be the safest for prolonged use. It is essential that the wood used in the construction of the infrared sauna be high-quality, non-toxic wood, like Canadian Hemlock and Red Cedar.
The chroma therapy system is another crucial infrared sauna feature that assists with stress relief and weight loss by opening chakras and aligning body aura with the universe’s vibration. Control panels are another must-have feature that allows you to set the temperature as you like to make the heat more tolerable. All four infrared saunas listed below have the features mentioned above, making them the best weight loss options among similar models with the same capacity.
Need Some Help to Choose Your Best Option?
Many infrared sauna models from many brands might confuse customers looking for the right fit. At AnySauna, our friendly customer support team is always available to assist you in finding your dream infrared sauna. You can contact us via chat, email, or by calling us toll-free at (844) 217-9954.
Infrared Saunas are a Great Way to Lose Weight and Improve Your Overall Health
Getting in shape is one of the best things you can do for your health, and the health benefits of weight loss are undeniable. An infrared sauna will help you shed extra weight through calorie burning, increasing perspiration, removing stress, improving the organs regulating metabolism, stimulating Human Growth Hormones secretion, and finally, detoxification. Investing in an infrared sauna is one of the best decisions you could make for your overall health!
Ask an Expert
Any questions? Fill out the form, and we’ll get back to you very soon!