Saunas and Weight loss

For a long time, saunas were simply considered a way to relax and beat the cold weather. However, studies have shown that saunas can be used to induce weight loss. A typical sauna session lasts close to 30 minutes; this means that a person can loose up to 500 grams in sweat. Although the weight lost as sweat is put on once the body is re-hydrated, but the sweating also results in a loss of around 300 kcal. The loss in calories is permanent and is not put on during re-hydration (water has no calories).The effectiveness of saunas is based on a simple phenomenon, the body utilizes 0.586 kcal of energy to produce 1 gram of sweat, which means a person can loose the same amount of calories as 2-3 miles of jogging by spending half an hour in the sauna. The SNS (sympathetic nervous system) controls the sweat glands during exercise, since a person is sitting when he is in a sauna the PNS (parasympathetic nervous system) is in use, this means that instead of the usual energy sources, fat and carbohydrates are utilized to provide energy for sweating.

Since fat cells are utilized during a sauna session, people that are looking to get rid of difficult fat (like cellulite) prefer sauna therapy as a means to loose weight. Athletes have been using extensive sauna therapy as means to loose weight before major events, sometimes a few extra kilos can make the difference in weight categories; athletes have been known to utilize saunas to loose weight before they are weighed (they usually put the weight back after they are weighed). Since infrared saunas have a more direct application, they are by and large more effective in inducing weight loss. Also infrared saunas can induce sweating at lower temperatures; therefore it is possible to spend a longer time in an infrared sauna, thus loose more calories in the process.

If you are looking to use saunas to loose weight, here are few tips to help you make the most of your sauna sessions. The first thing to remember is that saunas should be utilized in sessions of 30 minutes maximum. You can probably use the sauna twice a day without severely dehydrating your body; however people have been known to spend up to an hour in a sauna. It is also important to replenishing the lost water and salts by drinking water regularly.

There is no point in drinking energy drinks after a sauna session (the calories lost will be made up by the energy drinks), water with salt will do just fine. It is important to settle into a routine that you are comfortable with; what works for one person may not work for another. It is also vital to understand that sauna therapy alone cannot result in weight loss; weight loss is a combination of diet control and exercise. If you cannot afford a full fledged sauna, you can buy yourself portable infrared sauna that will offer the advantages of a traditional sauna.