Does the Sauna or Steam Room burn Calories

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2

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  • mark03264
    mark03264 Posts: 334 Member
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    No...
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    If sitting on our *kitten* was an effective way to lose weight, I doubt most people would be here :P
  • athensguy
    athensguy Posts: 550
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    Being warm may reduce calories burned for RMR vs. being cold.
  • channa007
    channa007 Posts: 419 Member
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    Yes sitting in a sauna does burn calories.


    The heat in dry saunas cause an increase in body temperature followed by an increase in metabolism. This, in turn results in more calories burned at rest which can result in weight loss. In a 20 to 30 minute sauna session, one can burn up to 600 calories.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/317216-calories-burned-while-in-a-dry-sauna/#ixzz1wrsSNy2n
  • bricktowngal
    bricktowngal Posts: 206
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    If it does then going thru hot flashes every half hour must burn more! hahaha... just saying:explode:
  • patranus
    patranus Posts: 61 Member
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    Yes.

    My resting heart rate is ~60BPM while in the sauna it is ~110BPM
  • morkiemama
    morkiemama Posts: 894 Member
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    I think I'm gonna have to take my heart rate monitor in the gym at some point to see what it says.

    Your HRM will not function correctly in the sauna. It will show an artificially high HR. They are not meant for extreme temperatures.
  • Contrarian
    Contrarian Posts: 8,138 Member
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    Yes sitting in a sauna does burn calories.


    The heat in dry saunas cause an increase in body temperature followed by an increase in metabolism. This, in turn results in more calories burned at rest which can result in weight loss. In a 20 to 30 minute sauna session, one can burn up to 600 calories.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/317216-calories-burned-while-in-a-dry-sauna/#ixzz1wrsSNy2n

    600 calories in 20-30 minutes, just for sitting in a hot place? I find that impossible to believe.
  • RobynDCrossman
    RobynDCrossman Posts: 252
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    No.
  • morkiemama
    morkiemama Posts: 894 Member
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    Yes sitting in a sauna does burn calories.


    The heat in dry saunas cause an increase in body temperature followed by an increase in metabolism. This, in turn results in more calories burned at rest which can result in weight loss. In a 20 to 30 minute sauna session, one can burn up to 600 calories.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/317216-calories-burned-while-in-a-dry-sauna/#ixzz1wrsSNy2n

    600 calories in 20-30 minutes, just for sitting in a hot place? I find that impossible to believe.

    Agreed. If that were the case, my gf in Florida (who loves to sit outside in the heat and has no AC) would not be obese. Just saying.
  • Loozin
    Loozin Posts: 91
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    Yes sitting in a sauna does burn calories.


    The heat in dry saunas cause an increase in body temperature followed by an increase in metabolism. This, in turn results in more calories burned at rest which can result in weight loss. In a 20 to 30 minute sauna session, one can burn up to 600 calories.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/317216-calories-burned-while-in-a-dry-sauna/#ixzz1wrsSNy2n

    I like the look of this...
    &
    Love Lance Armstrong - What an INSPIRATION.
    So wanted to buy some of his Running shoes, but was told they weren't designed for me and my size.

    Anyway, I'll keep going to the Sauna...
  • aoikirin
    aoikirin Posts: 143
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    It depends. Sometimes depending on what is done yes. I have seen some rather startling things occurring in them at gyms before that did involve physical activity.
    I don't really care if I took this the wrong way because the notion was hilarious. :laugh:

    You took it in the right way. ;0 Oh my eyes what I have seen :)
  • kknauss5
    kknauss5 Posts: 3 Member
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    Maybe 180 calories an hour? When your body heat rises it works to regulate the increase and normalize the temperature. Lance Armstrong was right about a lot of things (!) but not about burning 600 calories for 30 minutes in a sauna or steam room. The steam room has the benefits of opening your pores to sweat out toxins giving your skin a healthier glow, hydrating your skin (while dehydrating you from all of the sweating), dropping some water weight although you'll want to stay hydrated, relaxing your muscles and helping them recover, opening your capillaries and encouraging blood flow, and clearing the sinuses working as a decongestant, etc.
  • phjorg1
    phjorg1 Posts: 642 Member
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    Yes.

    My resting heart rate is ~60BPM while in the sauna it is ~110BPM
    heartrate is an indication of heartrate... it has no bearing on calorie burn. it can although be an indirect measure of oxygen uptake during cardio and you can guess calorie burn from it. but a sauna has nothing to do with this.
  • MrsSenecal
    MrsSenecal Posts: 312 Member
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    Also, the sweat helps release sodium your body is storing if you happen to go over on your sodium. It comes out in the sweat. I use it to help me with muscle pains after working out and to relax me. It is amazing for your pores and makes your skin super soft.

    Edited to add- Make sure you drink LOTS of water while using it though!
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
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    I wish burning calories was that easy...
  • suziramsdell
    suziramsdell Posts: 5
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    I have a Far Infared Sauna (dry) and "supposedly" you will lose weight because it is increases your metabolism, however, I have not noticed any weight loss whatsoever in using my sauna. I see other benefits, so I do continue to use it.
  • peap0d
    peap0d Posts: 1
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    Yes, it does burn calories, and it doesn't have to be unhealthy either. Think on it logically. Sauna makes you sweat, the act of sweating burns (WAY less than a workout) calories. IF you drink water while you are in the sauna, it keeps you from getting dehydrated and helps you burn a few extra calories (about 200 in an hour) but staying in the sauna for extended amounts of time is not healthy for you. Most public saunas have a 15 minute limit for this reason. Steam rooms work on the same concept and burn about as many calories. I think of it as my work out dessert...a couple extra calories burned as my treat for a good hard workout!
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    In the newspaper yesterday it some scientist believes that 15 minutes of being freezing cold burn the equivelant amount of calories as 1 hour of moderate cycling. Not sure if it's true or not.
  • KellyToronto
    KellyToronto Posts: 1
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    Yes, it does. The increase in heart rate raises your metabolism and burns calories the same way that raising your heart rate doing cardio does. You burn as much/minute as any activity that raises your heart rate the same amount. Saunas and steam rooms are very hot and the moisture prevents you from cooling as you would outside in the summer. So the short answer - yes. But don't rely on it as the only thing you do… it just supplements your efforts and feels great at the same time.

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