Can an Infrared Sauna Help You Lose Weight?
Previously, I shared my love for using an infrared sauna to detox the body. But as I research more and more, I am finding that there are so many great benefits to an infrared sauna. Today I want to provide information on how you can use an infrared sauna to lose weight.
If you just got excited because weight loss is one of your New Year’s resolutions, then stay put because there is a study that shows that just 30 minutes in an infrared sauna can burn up to 600 calories (from the Journal of the American Medical Association).
What is an Infrared Sauna?
Infrared saunas differ from traditional saunas in that they use light, as well as heat, to make you sweat. The infrared light heats your body from the inside out, making it more tolerable than other saunas or even steam rooms. The light from an infrared sauna actually mimics the sun, but without the harmful UV Rays.
Inside an infrared sauna you will experience your body temperature going up quickly, but the air around you won’t feel warm. The infrared light doesn’t have an effect on anything surrounding you, which is why you can use one in your home.
How Will I Lose Weight?
Your core temperature increases rapidly during an infrared sauna session, while your body works hard to cool itself. This increases your heart rate, as well as your cardiac output and metabolic rate. All of this “work” burns calories.
Dr. Richard Beever, a clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia, found “that infrared sauna use may be beneficial for lowering blood pressure and decreasing waist circumference.” The study was intended to show whether infrared saunas are beneficial for those with type II Diabetes (they are!), and since they were taking weight and waist measurements as part of the study, they found this bonus.
Many say that using an infrared sauna is actually equivalent to moderate exercise. So if medical conditions prohibit you from any type of strenuous exercise, then this is a perfect weight loss option. If not, you can still use one to lose weight in conjunction with your traditional exercise regimen. All while sitting or laying still!
My Recommendation
I love my Sunlighten Sauna, which has low EMF (electromagnetic fields), Why should you care? Because EMFs can affect your health. Here are health conditions that have been linked to EMFs:
- Nervous system disorder
- Depression
- Aches and pains
- Infertility
- Cancer
Sunlighten meets strict safety standards and their “heater design has a 95-99% emission rating and cancels out EMF to levels that are virtually undetectable. This is not the case with many other infrared saunas on the market!
In my research I have not found any serious adverse side effects from using an infrared sauna, but as always speak with your health care practitioner before starting any treatment.
Want to purchase an infrared Sauna? Check out the Sunlighten Sauna website here.
Looking for other ways to lose weight? Catch last week’s post, Essential Oils and Weight Loss.
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links.