Ever wonder where the **”Sauna”** comes from? It’s a Finnish treasure, meaning a cozy spot filled with warm, soothing steam.
Saunas have been used in Finland for over 2000 years from where they were invented. It is a part of the lifestyle of the people and a very integral part of healthy living as well as activities in the community. It is believed by researchers that the Nomadic Finns enjoyed sauna thousands of years ago, they used it to cleanse and rid their bodies of toxins as well as to feel relaxed and rejuvenated.
In Finland, saunas are found in homes, community centers and business environments where most adults take it regularly, and much information regarding the safety of sauna comes from there as well.
However, the Finnish settlers may have brought the sauna to America in the 1600s and they come in various forms such as the steam baths and steam rooms.
Saunas have become very common in several cultures and countries, for instance, the Russian Banyas combine the elements of steam rooms and Turkish saunas while Sentos in Japan are warm or hot pools.
In recent years, they have become a hot wellness trend, reportedly offering a laundry list of benefits related weight loss and detoxification. You can now easily find saunas in several gyms and community centers. In fact, you can even buy one for home use. However, a sauna may not be suitable for everyone.
A sauna is defined as a room that’s heated to temperatures between 65.6ºC and 90.6ºC. Finnish-style saunas are considered “dry,” while Turkish style saunas have many steam. People typically spend around 15 to 30 minutes in a sauna.
The most common types of saunas are:
Wood-burning stoves are used to heat sauna rocks. Temperatures are high and humidity is low.
An electric heater mounted on the floor or wall is used to heat the room. Temperatures are high and humidity is low.
You might also know these as “Turkish bath houses.” Temperatures are low and humidity is high, at 100 percent.
Infrared saunas differ from regular saunas in that they aim to raise your body’s core temperature via light waves, whereas traditional saunas work by heating the room you’re in.
As the body absorbs the infrared heat, it boosts your cardiovascular and lymphatic temperature.
Theoretically, infrared saunas are meant to penetrate the skin and burn fat, heating you up so that your body has to work harder to cool off. By increasing metabolic demands, you’re going to burn more calories.
The most immediate benefit of a sauna is water weight loss. Because the intense heat makes you sweat, you’ll lose excess water stored in your body. You can lose up to five pounds in a single session but, as you rehydrate, most of the weight will come back. However, if you may need to shed a couple of pounds quickly, a sauna can help. For instance, if you may need to drop a couple of pounds for a job, insurance or sports weigh-in or if you may need to fit into a snug dress for an event, a sauna offers a quick trim down.
The heat of the sauna makes you sweat more, which may help you get rid of toxins easily (1). But, for most people, our everyday activities don’t generate enough sweat to seriously purge out these unhealthy substances. Sweating helps flush out heavy metals such as lead, zinc, copper, nickel and mercury that can be absorbed through foods or environmental factors (2).
Detoxification clears out the lymphatic system and may help your body burn fat more effectively, gives you more energy for exercise and can speed up weight loss.
Reduced stress, inflammation, and toxins help improve your metabolic rate (3, 4). When you’re exposed to intense heat or cold, your body has to work harder and your heart rate will increase by up to 30%. This boosts your metabolism – the rate at which you burn calories. Experts estimate that the high heat of a sauna, around 150 degrees, will boost your metabolic rate by roughly 20%. This effect will last while you are in the sauna and for a couple of hours afterward. To keep the fat burning effects going, try to work up to a 30 minute sauna every day.
Stress is a known cause of weight gain and a barrier to weight loss. Tension not only encourages you to eat but increases production of cortisol which makes your body crave calories and makes it tougher to shed pounds. A sauna can be described as the most relaxing bath. Basking in it may help you get into a meditative state, reduce stress and can release endorphins – the happy hormones that counteract cortisol (5). Those with lower stress levels are less likely to overeat and more likely to engage in healthy activities.
Many athletes rely on sauna to help their muscles recover from a strenuous workout or exertion. A study confirms that sauna before exercise helps improve muscle function and reduces sensory impairment (6).
One of the barriers to effective exercise is your breathing capacity. Time spent in the sauna can help reduce the effects of respiratory problems, increase respiratory function and can increase production of the vasodilator nitric oxide. Vasodilators dilate blood vessels which increases blood flow. This can improve your exercise capacity meaning you can work out more intensely or for longer which, naturally, leads to increased weight loss.
A study found that sauna bathing helped runners improve running time or endurance or stamina by 32% (7).
The high temperatures in the sauna allow your heart rate to increase. This, in turn, improves blood circulation, skin health, sleep, and immunity (5).
The reduction in stress levels when using a sauna may be linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular events.
One study, conducted in Finland, followed 2,315 men ages 42 to 60 over the course of 20 years. Findings suggested that people who use a sauna may have a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease (8).
Of the participants in the study, a total of 878 died from cardiovascular disease, coronary artery disease, or sudden cardiac death. Participants were categorized by how often they used a sauna, including once a week, two to three times a week, and four to seven times weekly.
After adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors, increased sauna use was linked with a reduced risk of fatal cardiovascular-related diseases.
Participants who used the sauna two to three times a week were 22 percent less likely to experience sudden cardiac death than those who only used it once a week. Those who used a sauna four to seven times a week were 63 percent less likely to experience sudden cardiac death and 50 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who only used a sauna once a week.
More research is needed to find out if there is a definite link between sauna use and a decrease in deaths from heart disease.
Sauna use may also be associated with lower blood pressure and enhanced heart function.
While studies may be promising, sauna use should not replace an exercise program to keep the heart healthy. There is more evidence to support the benefits of regular exercise.
A dry sauna dries the skin during use. Some people with psoriasis may find that their symptoms reduce while using a sauna, but those with atopic dermatitis may find that it worsens.
People with asthma may find relief from some symptoms as a result of using a sauna. A sauna may help open airways, loosen phlegm, and reduce stress.
Increased circulation may help reduce muscle soreness, improve joint movement, and ease arthritis pain.
Sauna also helps lower hypertension or high blood pressure (9). But people with low BP and arrhythmia should avoid sauna bathing.
In 2016, researchers from Finland published findings of a 20-year study that linked sauna use with a lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (10). The study involved 2,315 healthy men aged from 42 to 60 years.
Those who used a sauna 2 to 3 times per week were 22 percent less likely to get dementia and 20 percent less likely to get Alzheimer’s than those who did not use a sauna. Those who used a sauna four to seven times a week were 66 percent less likely to get dementia and 65 percent less likely to get Alzheimer’s than those who used a sauna once a week.
However, the results do not prove that a sauna causes the reduction in risk. It may be that people with dementia do not use a sauna. More research is needed to confirm these findings.
Here’s an equation you can use to estimate out how many you’re burning:
Number of calories burned in 30 minutes of sitting (specific to your bodyweight) x 1.5 (possibly x 2) = calories burned
For example, a healthy male of 185 pounds burns 42 calories in 30 minutes of sitting. To find the number that this same individual burns while sitting in a sauna, multiply those calories by 1.5 and 2 in order to get an estimate. In this case, the individual would burn roughly 63 to 84 calories. That’s a huge difference from the 300 to 1000 estimate!
Extreme heat makes your body sweat. When you sweat, you lose fluids. If you lose more fluid than what you’re taking in, you can become dehydrated. There is a risk of getting dehydrated from being in a sauna.
Evidence showed that the average person loses about 1 pint of fluid during a short time in the sauna (11). However, if you drink enough water before, during, and after your time in the sauna, you will replace fluids lost by sweating. Also, add a pinch of salt to your drinking water before or after your sauna bath to rebalance the electrolytes (12).
Severe dehydration is a medical emergency. It’s important to pay attention to your body and drink plenty of fluids if you use a sauna.
Be aware of these signs of mild to moderate dehydration:
Older adults and people with chronic conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, and heart failure, or those who are pregnant, are at a higher risk of becoming dehydrated.
The following precautions are also advised:
There is no point in using the sauna after a workout if you hurt yourself in an accident. You can avoid injury by taking a few safety precautions before you hop in the sauna.
Again, many the water that you lose in the sauna is water weight. You can burn a little bit more of this weight by drinking cold water before you get in. Your body will have to burn up extra energy to regulate your temperature.
All the sweating that you do in the sauna will cause you to lose electrolytes. If you don’t stay hydrated then you may suffer from a heatstroke.
If you’re going to go into a sauna you may need to do it after you’re done exercising for the day. You’ll get more out of it this way because the sauna increases the effects that your workout had.
If you go before you won’t be able to reap the same rewards. You’ll also dehydrate faster which will result in heatstroke.
Starting out, you shouldn’t stay too long in the sauna. You may get lightheaded and pass out. Do a session of 5 minutes or so the first time and work your way up from there.
Never stay in the sauna for more than 20 minutes at a time. If you do start feeling lightheaded at all, exit the sauna ASAP.
Sauna is an effective weight loss method. However, it’s not magic. To make the most of the weight loss benefits associated with a sauna, you should start with 15 to 20 minute sessions a couple of times a week and build up to daily sessions.
The easiest way to do this is to invest in a sauna for your home. That way you can bask after a stressful day, first thing in the morning to purge toxins before you start your day or any time you want to flush out some sweat, recharge your batteries and boost your health and mood.
While sauna may help you burn fat but does nothing about the muscles. To tone the muscles and prevent sagging, you may wish to gradually incorporate strength training into your workout routine. Since sauna will help improve your stamina, cardio or strength training will not cause as much exertion as it would have without the sauna.
Studies from different countries also have found health benefits to regular sauna use. For healthy adults, sitting in a sauna at temperatures around 87.8 ºC is considered safe. However, if you are pregnant or have other medical conditions, it is best to consult your doctor first.
(1) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21057782
(2) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/686643
(3) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29209938
(4) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19087366
(5) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5941775/
(6) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4592767/
(7) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16877041
(8) https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2130724
(9) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11165553
(10) https://academic.oup.com/ageing/article/46/2/245/2654230
(11) https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/saunas-and-your-health
(12) https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/72/2/564S/4729614
(13) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11165553
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