Calories burned in a Saunas

Mr_Bad_Example

How many calories do you burn in a sauna???????

A lot less than you would if you exercised.

knightreader

Bikram (hot) yoga burns a ton of calories, but the poses themselves are less challenging compared to regular yoga, which hardly burns any. So sitting in a sauna must burn a significant amount.

I've heard this too but maybe someone should wear an HRM to really find out.

i burn 1160 calories in my 90 minute hot yoga class...according to my polar ft4. and i skip two of the poses.

cwolfman13

How many calories do you burn in a sauna???????Different sources (mainly, sauna retailers and manufacturers) make a vast range of claims as to the calorie-burning effectiveness of sauna use, ranging from 50 to 900 calories burned in a half-hour-long session.I love setting in the sauna after working out and would love to know if you do burn calories and if so how many?If anyone knows please tell me.

If you burned 900 calories in a sauna, I'd be rail thin and would have never gotten obese to begin with...I could see maybe 50-100 possibly. I love a good session in a sauna, but I've never found it to be of much benefit to my weight loss en-devours. However, it is outstanding for riding the body of toxins and keeping water retention under control...I've also found it helps a bit with my hypertension. I have a difficult time working up a good sweat, even when I'm working out vigorously...I use the sauna to get my sweat on.

Blueleaf1

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alseed8

I agree with you. As my mom says, If you don't have anything nice to say then don't say anything at all!

bswithrebecca

Not true-depending on how much you weigh, just plain sitting burns 91 calories for someone weighing near 200# in an hour on the low end. I am searching for the exact answer myself

Markguns

Zero. It's just sitting.

That's just not accurate... You defiantly burn more that just sitting in ambient air... However it's not "exercise".
1 You are sweating it takes energy to do that
2 Your heart rate is elevated trying to keep your body cool, the blood vessels near the skin dilate and "cardiac output" increases.
3 My guess would be you burn what you would walking at a slow pace, like 2.0 mph

Summation: My HR is about 100 when I go in and slowly raises to about 120-130 in 30 mins.(depending on how much exertion I did prior to going into the sauna, I usually go after workout). I figure I burn at lest 100-200 cal but I do not count it. Saunas are for cleaning out your skin, flushing toxins, relieving stress, and relaxing your muscles. Take the few calories burned as a benefit but I wouldn't try to log any.

pannellkat

Some of the ignorance on this post is killen me slowly!

ninerbuff

Bikram (hot) yoga burns a ton of calories, but the poses themselves are less challenging compared to regular yoga, which hardly burns any. So sitting in a sauna must burn a significant amount.

Bikram yoga burns no more calories than room temp yoga. Sweating from hot external temperature doesn't equate to higher calorie burns. Yoga on average burns about 350-400 calories an hour.

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lizziebeth1028

How many calories do you burn in a sauna???????Different sources (mainly, sauna retailers and manufacturers) make a vast range of claims as to the calorie-burning effectiveness of sauna use, ranging from 50 to 900 calories burned in a half-hour-long session.I love setting in the sauna after working out and would love to know if you do burn calories and if so how many?If anyone knows please tell me.

I love saunas. But It's not exercise and it's not something I would ever log as a calorie burn. In my book it falls into the same category as 'light cleaning', knitting, food preparation and shopping. Not a significant enough calorie burn to count towards my fitness goal.

ninerbuff

3. I don't own a HRM but my heart rate DEFINITELY gets up there when I do bikram. In that respect it's probably equivalent to aerobics or running.

I don't do bikram, but I do wear my heart rate monitor while I do yoga (ashtanga/vinyasa, so similar pose styles as bikram minus the oppressive heat). The problem is that yes, your heart rate does go up when you do a pose, but it will immediately come back down as soon as you exit the pose. So during the class my maximum heart rate will get up to about 150-155, but my average heart rate over the entire class is only about 105-110. I burn about 250-300 cals in a 75 minute class - which is certainly nothing to sneeze at, but if I ran for 75 minutes I'd be burning about 700 cals because I would be *sustaining* that heart rate throughout the entire workout.

That's my point-- when you're doing it in heat your heart rate is consistently much higher. Also, I don't know how you do it but we don't have any breaks between poses.

Scary movies keep heart rates up too.:laugh:

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johnmn12

Maybe someone should sit in one wearing a heart rate monitor. I'm saying there are better ways to burn calories than sweating them out. I do enjoy relaxing in one for 10 to 15 minutes or so after a workout, but I don't expect to burn any more calories than if I were sitting on the couch.

viajera99

One more time: A HRM is NOT an energy expenditure measuring device, it is a HRM.

HR is an analog for energy expenditure only during steady state aerobic exercise. Wearing a HRM in a sauna (or sitting at a desk, for that matter) and expecting it to tell you how much energy you expended is a classic example of GIGO (garbage in, garbage out.)

Just because your HR has increased does not mean your caloric expenditure has increased. Sure thermal stress probably means you expended a couple more, but if your sitting around rate is 90 kcal/hr, you probably burned 100 kcal/hr in the sauna. Big woop.

TL;DR: DO NOT USE HRMs TO ESTIMATE CALORIES BURNED EXCEPT DURING STEADY STATE AEROBIC EXERCISE

ninerbuff

I just went to Bikram Yoga yesterday and wore my heart rate monitor. I burned on 571 calories in the 90 minute session. I have been doing bikram for about two months and trust me when I say that its one hell of a workout. I don't do it by itself for weight loss, but it has helped to tone my muscles and increase my flexibility.

HRM's aren't accurate at reading non cardio exercise routines. In retrospect, if you wore an HRM to a scary movie, you'd be shocked at how many calories it says you burned.

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Sycoholic

It's ridiculous the denial and justification that lazy people will utilize to continue being lazy. I would have to RUN 7-8 miles to burn 900 calories. You REALLY think you could burn that SITTING in a sauna? C'mon...get real. You could maybe burn that much if you sat in a sauna for a full day and didn't ingest ANY calories. Have fun with that.

I love this post!!!! Next we'll be looking at calories burned taking a bath vs. a shower and sleeping on your back vs sleeping on your side.

brucekoblinski

Hi,
I know I'm a little late on this topic, however, what drew me to reply was the amount of negativity that is thrown about on this thread. I don't think people that use this tool to calculate their diet and caloric expenditure are actually lazy. Perhaps she wanted to be sure she wasn't burning too many calories. And there IS a boost to your metabolism when you force your body to adapt to different temperatures. You think your body doesn't have to work to dilate or constrict your blood vessels or carry out the functions it takes to cause the body to sweat?! Now, that being said, the calories burned isn't significant, but the calories burned by a leisurely walk seem to add up and be out into people's daily logs. I don't consider that exercise for myself, but others may. In sum, stop attacking each other for simple questions and curiosities. Everyone, at some point, asked a question that someone already knew the answer to, and I hope they didn't lash out, criticize, or make you feel silly for asking in the first place.

AdriannaGetsfit

To all of you who felt it necessary to put people down or disrespect them based on their questions or answers, YOU SUCK. Be nice, we should all be here to help on another. It was a fair question that deserved fair answers. If you have nothing nice to say, shut up.

dbmata

Aw, stupid necro thread. I hate that.

People who resurrect threads like this suck.

BelleVegan77

I tried the sauna thing. It did totally improve my skin and helped me to drink more water. I found it as relaxing as a day at the beach. I curled up with a good book sweat like a pig showered and felt like a whole new girl...but I didn't lose a darn thing and I did this every single day for way over the health and safety time limits and heat suggestions posted on the door.

sunman00

well, that was an entertaining 10 minutes reading, thanks everyone,

time for bed here now, hopefully any snoring I do will burn back one of the beers I had earlier,

night night :yawn:

kateperspicacious

Wow, look at all the ignorant people here! I like how you comment like you have a medical degree and actually know something. The facts are these: Sitting in a sauna DOES BURN MORE CALORIES than being out of a sauna. The amount of calories depends on your age, weight and heart rate. A 200lb person burns between 150 - 300 per 1/2 hour. You people don't get it. Everything does not have to be exercise. There are many factors that go into calorie computations. Ever hear of diet? To say people have to move to burn calories is stupid beyond all belief. What about disabled people or very obese people? You think they are walking around to burn calories? No.

The same can be said for sitting out in extreme cold situations. The calorie burn rate is very, very fast.

ninerbuff

Wow, look at all the ignorant people here! I like how you comment like you have a medical degree and actually know something. The facts are these: Sitting in a sauna DOES BURN MORE CALORIES than being out of a sauna. The amount of calories depends on your age, weight and heart rate. A 200lb person burns between 150 - 300 per 1/2 hour. You people don't get it. Everything does not have to be exercise. There are many factors that go into calorie computations. Ever hear of diet? To say people have to move to burn calories is stupid beyond all belief. What about disabled people or very obese people? You think they are walking around to burn calories? No.

The same can be said for sitting out in extreme cold situations. The calorie burn rate is very, very fast.

Where's your source for the calorie burn for the 200lb person sitting in a sauna for 30 minutes. A 200lb person jogging for 30 minutes burns about 300 calories. How can you say that this same person sitting in a sauna burns the same?
We burn calories (BMR) daily with no exercise or movement, but BMR wouldn't change significantly just by sitting in a sauna. You lose more water weight, but that's not same as losing fat weight.

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dandur

Wow, look at all the ignorant people here! I like how you comment like you have a medical degree and actually know something. The facts are these: Sitting in a sauna DOES BURN MORE CALORIES than being out of a sauna. The amount of calories depends on your age, weight and heart rate. A 200lb person burns between 150 - 300 per 1/2 hour. You people don't get it. Everything does not have to be exercise. There are many factors that go into calorie computations. Ever hear of diet? To say people have to move to burn calories is stupid beyond all belief. What about disabled people or very obese people? You think they are walking around to burn calories? No.

The same can be said for sitting out in extreme cold situations. The calorie burn rate is very, very fast.

Sigh. And your first post, too. Well done.

*headdesk

cameronwheeler

Approximately 30 calories. You really don't burn anything at all, its mostly just sweating out water weight.

JJHernandez78

So many trolls lol.

Rawfoodsho

I heard that is just your sweat/body water and you are not really losing anything

Patrik_J

Energy expenditure is not just about movement. Exposure body low or high temperatures causes the must expend energy to maintain body temperature. For example, to stay in cold water at a temperature of 1 ° C for 6.5 minutes burn 230 kcalories. Sauna is likely principes, but give lower values​​. After the sauna followed by rapid cooling in cold water. These temperature changes are for the body to high-energy-consuming.

ninerbuff

Energy expenditure is not just about movement. Exposure body low or high temperatures causes the must expend energy to maintain body temperature. For example, to stay in cold water at a temperature of 1 ° C for 6.5 minutes burn 230 kcalories. Sauna is likely principes, but give lower values​​. After the sauna followed by rapid cooling in cold water. These temperature changes are for the body to high-energy-consuming.

Of course you burn energy at rest, it's just not the BS 300 calories in 30 minutes that some are stating. You burn calories sleeping. And over 95% of that energy is from body fat.

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holisticvibrancy

Sweating for a minimum of 30 minutes help keep your metabolism up (even just sitting in a sauna). According to Henele Eale' ND, sweating for 30 minutes with no more than 48 hours between sessions increases mitochondrial production and calorie burn. That being said, sitting in a sauna alone is not an acceptable substitute for exercise and a healthy diet but on days when you can't fit in your work out sitting in a sauna for 35 minutes can help prevent you from losing the momentum you've gained working out.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/energetichealthradio/2013/11/17/thyroid-and-your-weight

__Di__

A sauna heats the body, forcing it to work to cool itself. This engages the metabolism, increasing heart rate and circulation in much the same way as physical exercise.That much I know. I does burn calories just setting there,I just don't know how much.That info came from my doctor.

It is a negligible amount and definitely not worth recording, ESPECIALLY if you are using those calories as an excuse to eat more.

How many calories would you burn just sitting watching TV and would you count those? No, of course you wouldn't therefore why count any other calories that involved just sitting there.

As for burning hundreds for 30 minutes sitting in a sauna, that is just ludicrous and you would be fooling yourself if you counted those.