Sauna...

ChuckgM3

This is a question for the experts but anyone who thinks they know should chime in.

I've searched the Internet for an answer to this question but can't seem to find one... Nearly every answer to "does sauna aid weight loss" assumes that you are attempting to lose weight by sitting in the sauna rather than working out but that's not what I'm interested in.

After my workout (usually 60-75 minutes), I love to go directly into the sauna for 20 mins where I do my post-workout stretch and generally just unwind. I love it, it's like the dessert to the meal that is my workout...

I wear a heart rate monitor and I've noticed that if I ramp up my work out towards the end and I enter the sauna with my HR above 150, it takes much longer to return to normal than if I was sitting in the locker room...in fact it never drops below 130 until I leave the room, even when I am relaxed. Of course my hr monitor also reports how many cals I burn, but it's only input is my HR, and of course it tells me I've burned more in there than sitting in the locker room too...

So my question is, am I actually burning more cals by sustaining a higher HR post work out by hitting the sauna, thus aiding in weight loss? Or is the HR monitor simply reporting false calorie burn since it assumes I must be working out in order to sustain that higher HR?

missyhse

based on my research and interactions with coaches etc. it does help you burn more calories and stretch more efficiently. the benefit is similar to short session hot yoga in that it aids muscle recovery

stella77

Great question. I was wondering about that too....

ChuckgM3

Thanks Missy, anyone else with information on this?