Calories burned in a Saunas

barnesbekah

Here is the information I found on this subject...

There is a ton of misinformation out there on the world wide web that would like people to believe that you can lose weight in a sauna. Some claim that there are anywhere from 300-1000 calories burned in a sauna session of 30 minutes.

Doesn’t that sound nice? You get to kick back on your bum in a hot room for 30 minutes and use an average of 10 to 33.3 calories per minute? You wish!

If you have ever watched the readout on a treadmill, you’ll know that burning a rate of even 14 cals per minute is extremely high and hard to maintain. So what makes people think that you burn such a high rate of calories in a sauna?

They claim that your body has to struggle to maintain it’s preferred temperature, which causes the metabolism to kick into overdrive, thus using calories. There is truth to that but in no way would that ever cause you to use any more than double the rate of calories for doing exactly what it is that you do in a sauna or steam room; sitting.


How many calories are burned in a sauna?
Here’s an equation you can use to estimate out how many you’re burning:
Number of calories burned in 30 minutes of sitting (specific to your bodyweight) x 1.5 (possibly x 2) = calories burned

For example, a healthy male of 185 pounds burns 42 calories in 30 minutes of sitting. To find the number that this same individual burns while sitting in a sauna, multiply those calories by 1.5 and 2 in order to get an estimate. In this case, the individual would burn roughly 63 to 84 calories. That’s a huge difference from the 300 to 1000 estimate!


Can You Lose Weight in a Sauna or Steam Room?
Yes. But you’re not building muscle, you aren’t burning a significantly raised rate of calories, and you’re really only losing water weight. In addition, not replacing the water you are sweating out can actually make it harder for your body to lose weight.

The weight that you lose while you sit in a sweltering room is purely water, water that you should be replacing as fast as you are losing, otherwise you are just severely dehydrating your body. Not practicing proper hydration while you’re in one of these hotboxes is unhealthy and actually makes it tougher for your body to lose pounds permanently, as hydration is an essential component in shedding extra weight.

Really, you wouldn’t even want to use a sauna for weight loss even in the most temporary instances. For example, if you were trying to lose weight very quickly for an event or to squeeze into a particular dress, you would feel (and maybe even look) terrible if you had used a sauna to drop those last few pounds before the event without rehydrating your body after the sweat session.


The truth is…
You’re much better off with real exercise. You create a true temperature regulation/metabolic boost effect on your body while exercising; when you push your body into strenuous physical activity, your metabolism is stoked as it tries to regulate body temperature, AND all of your muscles are called upon to function in unison, and your heart rate is elevated. That burns calories! Far more than sitting in a hot steam room or sauna.

There’s no problem with joining the leagues of people who make sitting in a hot box a fundamental part of their regular workout regime, in fact, there are debatably some health benefits to be gained from it. Just make sure that your main objective is not solely to lose weight; the calories burned in those sitting sessions are not substantial, you aren’t burning fat, and you are not building muscle.

In closing, enjoying a sauna or steam room in moderation (and with approval from your doctor) is not a bad addition to a fitness routine and it can be very enjoyable and serve as a bit of a treat after a particularly demanding workout. Just don’t erroneously believe that it’s attributing a noteworthy amount of calories burned to your total or that it’s going to help you lose any weight that you wont re-drink in the next hour or two.

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TinaLynn3

http://www.livestrong.com/article/242883-sauna-benefits-calories-burned/

According to Mayo for someone that weighs 160 and sits for 30 min., you can burn up to 300cal. The reason is that it raises your heart rate from the heat.

Smirnoff65

To be honest I would never count any time I spend in the sauna however I always end my gym sessions with about 20 minutes in the sauna, not because I want to sweat more, I simply enjoy the experience and the heat seems to help my muscles recover quicker or that could be just in my head lol, either way I like the feeling before I have a shower.

ninerbuff

http://www.livestrong.com/article/242883-sauna-benefits-calories-burned/

According to Mayo for someone that weighs 160 and sits for 30 min., you can burn up to 300cal. The reason is that it raises your heart rate from the heat.

Then one could watch scary movies for 2 hours a day and be skinny right? Sorry, but the article doesn't refer to any peer reviewed clinical studies basing actual calories burned vs BMR. Sitting on a couch burns calories. In fact, more fat calories than actually doing exercise since physical activity will first rely on glycogen for energy use, whereas "at rest" calorie burns are from fat.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

TinaLynn3

This is the only article I can find. I think with exercise and healthy eating, it couldn't hurt. If your heart rate elevates than more calories are being burn than just sitting on the couch. You can't just sit in the sauna and expect to loose weight, but it could add to it. I don't know….

Here is the article. I'm not a health fitness expert so what do I know? LOL.

http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=249779&sr=HLEAD(Hot+stuff+gets+even+hotter+Infrared+saunas+soothe+achy+joints,+detoxify+and+burn+calories)+and+date+is+2010

chinos450

Your only losing water weight..in which you will need to drink back from rehydration.If your not moving then your not losing any calories.

Lisaclasson

It is water weight that you are losing. And yes some calories burned from increase in heart rate but not a lot. It is good for ridding your body of toxins.

ninerbuff

It is water weight that you are losing. And yes some calories burned from increase in heart rate but not a lot. It is good for ridding your body of toxins.

Nope. No toxins are "sweated" out nor lost by sitting in a sauna.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

christelwebb

did you research that or is this just what you belief?

threnjen

did you research that or is this just what you belief?

Who are you talking to?

adilbutt

The correlation between watching TV and sitting in a Sauna is absurd. In a sauna you are sweating and losing sweat. The mere physics suggests that sitting in a sauna you will be losing weight more than watching TV. How much and for how long is a different story.

Secondly, does it help you lose or burn fat? That's a big fat no.

Finally, the only certain benefit that is backed by science is that it relaxes the muscles and works well as a post workout effort. But that too is not a measured and quantifiable activity.

BrianSharpe

Asher_Ethan

It burns 1 calorie.

lorrpb

my head hurts...

StaceyNDoss0114

Here’s an equation you can use to estimate out how many you’re burning:
Number of calories burned in 30 minutes of sitting (specific to your bodyweight) x 1.5 (possibly x 2) = calories burned

For example, a healthy male of 185 pounds burns 42 calories in 30 minutes of sitting. To find the number that this same individual burns while sitting in a sauna, multiply those calories by 1.5 and 2 in order to get an estimate. In this case, the individual would burn roughly 63 to 84 calories. That’s a huge difference from the 300 to 1000 estimate!


Also to all of those who said seating doesn't burn calories please take a lesson in how your body works. Because we are constantly burning calories in every action we take or don't take. Smh go educate yourself please before being negative