Steam Room or Sauna

thinkz
thinkz Posts: 11
edited September 23 in Fitness and Exercise
By sitting in either of these rooms, Does it help in any way to slim down?

Replies

  • lisamt83
    lisamt83 Posts: 119
    I've wondered that too....
  • I don't know the right answer but I would think it would do something since you sweat your butt off sitting in there! :) Let me know if you get an answer... :) good Luck on your journey!
  • bbygrl5
    bbygrl5 Posts: 964 Member
    I don't know if it helps lose "real weight" meaning fat percentage, I can't personally believe that it does, but what I do know is that if you've experienced high levels of sodium intake, sweating it out in the steamroom really helps. Over Christmas, I seriously lost 3lbs with a 2 hour off and on steamroom session. It was all sodium bloat and water weight. Just make sure you hydrate with a LOT of water. It will assist with the sweating and you will be really dehydrated otherwise.
  • I don't know if it helps with weight loss but it sure does make me feel good afterward. I like the steam room more than the dry sauna though.
  • LMac423
    LMac423 Posts: 82
    It only helps you lose water weight, which, if you drink water when your done pretty much goes right back on. That's why I personally don't believe in people who wear those crazy looking plastic bag suits to do cardio in.
  • jdelisle
    jdelisle Posts: 1,050 Member
    Yep, you burn 11 calories per minute.

    It's in the MFP Exercise database under "steam room"
  • thinkz
    thinkz Posts: 11
    Thank you all for your reply's. What i do know is that it releases toxins and water weight.
  • amycal
    amycal Posts: 646 Member
    Yep, you burn 11 calories per minute.

    It's in the MFP Exercise database under "steam room"

    Seriously? I am lucky if I burn 10 calories a minute on the elliptical.
  • goron59
    goron59 Posts: 890 Member
    Steam room: I think it's mostly good for the skin, making you sweat out toxins, probably. You'll probably lose water weight because of it, but I generally drink water too.

    Maybe it boosts the metabolism too?

    Dunno, really, but I find it helps me relax after a workout, and that's the main reason for me.
  • check on internet, sauna is proven to burn calories (the weight loss doesn't just come from water lost), have a look.
  • bbygrl5
    bbygrl5 Posts: 964 Member
    It only helps you lose water weight, which, if you drink water when your done pretty much goes right back on. That's why I personally don't believe in people who wear those crazy looking plastic bag suits to do cardio in.

    People are sometimes confused by this. Drinking water does not add water weight, it actually assists in getting rid of it. Weird, I know, but water weight it caused when your body has too high of a sodium inbalance and your body retains water to balance out the salt. When you drink water, it flushes the sodium from your body and along with it the water that was being retained. It's a balancing system. So drinking lots of water as you detox in the steamroom is EXTREMELY important.
  • Jo_Bird
    Jo_Bird Posts: 38 Member
    Sitting in the sauna helps sweat out extra salt. Salt is good for the body but too much salt helps retain water. So, the sauna will help with weight loss. Just sitting watching tv a man burns around 80 cals. a woman around 60. If you add reading you burn abour an extra 20 calories an hour. My advice: Sit in the Sauna, read while drinking plenty of water and sweat some excess salt your body has stored. Sauna companies claim (which it's debatable) that for every 30 minutes an average size person sits in the sauna they can burn up to 300 cals. Plus, there are many health perks. :)

    Not sure of the steam room (never personally been in one) but, I would imagine it would have some of the same results with an extra benefit of helping the complexion fully exfoliate. I would love to try a steam room.
  • TaraMaria
    TaraMaria Posts: 1,975
    Dude this is interesting stuff! I've never been in the steam room at my gym but I've always looked over towards it...warily...lol! A lot of times its filled with really skinny teenagers so I tend to avoid it anyways. But in the afternoons its empty so I might have to try it! :o)
  • BrownEyedG1rl
    BrownEyedG1rl Posts: 625 Member
    I dont' know but my friend sits in the sauna for an HOUR every time she goes to the gym!!! I don't have time for that, LOL! She has GREAT skin though!
  • thinkz
    thinkz Posts: 11
    Thank you all for your input ! This is good reading and good point of views !
  • Simply going to a sauna by itself, won't help you lose weight. You have to balance it out with either strength training or cardio. True you will burn calories and you will lose water weight. Sauna was not designed for losing weight, rather for it was designed for relaxation and destressing.
  • menchi
    menchi Posts: 297 Member
    Found this link from another sauna thread, looks like a good list of things to start exploring.

    http://www.buzzle.com/articles/sauna-benefits-after-workout.html

    (Remember, internet info: take with grain of salt!)
  • jlmnk1313
    jlmnk1313 Posts: 207 Member
    My mom owns a Day Spa and she has an infrared sauna and I know for a fact the it helps you lose weight and cellulite. I don't know about any other kinds of sauna's but this one is amazing! We have had great results!
  • jlmnk1313
    jlmnk1313 Posts: 207 Member
    Oh and i forgot is is a GREAT detoxifier so you can get all of that crap we have been eating out of our bodies :)
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