Sauna as exercise

suediebee
suediebee Posts: 17 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I exercise regularly, but I also sit in the sauna after my workout for about 15 min. I want to know does that count as exercise? Because I don't see it in the panel of different exercises, so does it really make a difference? It certainly feels like it when I'm in there.
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Replies

  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    No it doesn't.
  • fit4itall
    fit4itall Posts: 101 Member
    I believe you need to get your heart rate up to consider it exercise.
  • suediebee
    suediebee Posts: 17 Member
    Well I'm sweating that has to count for something.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Uhhhh...no...you're just sitting there. It's very pleasant and all, but yeah...you're just sitting there...how could that be considered exercise?
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    suediebee wrote: »
    Well I'm sweating that has to count for something.

    It counts as fluid loss, exercise that raises your heart rate is what burns the calories for you.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    suediebee wrote: »
    Well I'm sweating that has to count for something.

    It's 80 degrees here today...I'm sitting on my patio and enjoying my Sunday and I'm sweating a little bit because I'm in the sun. I'm still just sitting here...I'm not exercising.

    Sweating is just or body's way of regulating temperature...sweating =/= exercise. Exercise is something that is done that is going to functionally improve upon your fitness.
  • suediebee
    suediebee Posts: 17 Member
    Well I certainly feel my heart rate go up, but that could just be because it's already up from working out. Well boo I thought it would count for something.
  • SiegaPlays
    SiegaPlays Posts: 13 Member
    Sweating just means you are loosing water in your body, that you need to regain again by drinking liquids or eating foods with a high value of water in it (cucumbers and tomatoes comes to mind). That part of the your program is is not weight loss. The exercise part is.
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  • JulesLWM
    JulesLWM Posts: 6 Member
    I wish it could count as exercise! It can help sweat out toxins and make skin clearer. You could burn slightly more calories in a sauna than sitting on your couch, because your body has to work a little harder to control your body temperature in very hot or very cold conditions. Stress relief is good for you, so it doesn't count for nothing, but it's not exercise. :)
  • suediebee
    suediebee Posts: 17 Member
    As I said before I go in after a vigorous workout so my heart rate is already up, so maybe it just feels like like it's tougher than it is. Come on haven't you guys ever done hot yoga? That feels completely different than regular yoga.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    JulesLWM wrote: »
    It can help sweat out toxins and make skin clearer.
    If you're sweating out toxins, you need a hospital, not a sauna. :)

    And to the OP, sorry, the only thing you're losing in a sauna is water weight. You need to guard against dehydration just as you would on a hot summer's day.

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    suediebee wrote: »
    As I said before I go in after a vigorous workout so my heart rate is already up, so maybe it just feels like like it's tougher than it is. Come on haven't you guys ever done hot yoga? That feels completely different than regular yoga.

    It's still not "exercise"...you're not doing anything sitting in a sauna to functionally improve upon your fitness...that is what "exercise" is. You'll burn a few more calories than you would sitting on the couch...but that's still not "exercise"...c'mon...you burn calories just existing...a *kitten* ton of them...existing isn't "exercise"
  • Shells918
    Shells918 Posts: 1,070 Member
    In hot yoga you are moving around. It's very hard. In a hot sauna, you're just sitting, or sometimes lying there. Does this mean if I'm lying in s tanning bed and sweating right after a workout that I'm still exercising?
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    Just because you are sweating doesn't mean its exercise.
    I've saw people here log pushing a grocery cart, sex, walking to the mailbox as exercise. This is just another one of those things.
    If you burn a few extra calories by sitting in a sauna then consider it a bonus but that's about it.
    If you want something, you'll have to work for it.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    edited April 2016
    suediebee wrote: »
    As I said before I go in after a vigorous workout so my heart rate is already up, so maybe it just feels like like it's tougher than it is. Come on haven't you guys ever done hot yoga? That feels completely different than regular yoga.

    Then go ahead and count it, you obviously know better. Good luck on your journey.
  • pomegranatecloud
    pomegranatecloud Posts: 812 Member
    Do you also count laying on the beach as exercise?
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    pomegranatecloud wrote: »
    Do you also count laying on the beach as exercise?

    All that walking in the hot sand to get there is exhausting! As is trying to discretely dislodge the sand outta your privates. <nods>
  • Yivs_87
    Yivs_87 Posts: 246 Member
    Krisstastic_ wrote: »
    if your heart rate goes up in the sauna, you should probably leave and go to the dr.

    ^
    This.
  • Larissa_NY
    Larissa_NY Posts: 495 Member
    Come on, now. No reasonable person can actually think that sitting in the sauna counts as exercise. Or that there's anything "tough" about literally sitting on a bench and not moving.

    Here's a good rule of thumb: if you have to ask "Does this count as exercise?" then it's not exercise and you know it. You're just asking people to enable you in your quest to eat more. I have to give you credit, though - attempting to get people to agree with you that sitting in a sauna is a tough workout is one of the more ambitious goals I've seen in posts like this.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    Krisstastic_ wrote: »
    LOL they will add it after they add sitting on the couch watching tv

    The Compendium of Activities that Metabolic Equivalents are taken from does actually include sitting, it also has a category for religious activities, sitting in church which apparently has a slightly higher MET than just sitting, which does strike me as bizarre.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    suediebee wrote: »
    As I said before I go in after a vigorous workout so my heart rate is already up, so maybe it just feels like like it's tougher than it is.

    You're stationary, not doing any work.

    How do you think you're burning calories if you're not doing any work?
    Come on haven't you guys ever done hot yoga? That feels completely different than regular yoga.

    Doesn't mean that it's burning more energy than other forms of yoga
  • faidwen
    faidwen Posts: 131 Member
    It does NOT count as exercise, but it will help in reducing water weight from water retention due to the sweating.

    So you MAY see some weight loss due to dehydration. :)
  • suediebee
    suediebee Posts: 17 Member
    faidwen wrote: »
    It does NOT count as exercise, but it will help in reducing water weight from water retention due to the sweating.

    So you MAY see some weight loss due to dehydration. :)

    I'll take it! Jk, I knew it didn't count as much, but I thought it might do something.
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