More people than ever before are giving infrared saunas a try. While some may simply want to relax and de-stress in their saunas, there are many other health benefits to enjoy as well. In fact, many people choose infrared saunas for their weight loss benefits. If this is something you’re concerned with, read on to learn more, and explore the available Clearlight® Infrared Sauna models to find the perfect sauna for you.

Weight Loss Benefits of Infrared Saunas

Infrared saunas may provide a boost to your weight loss efforts in several ways. Here’s what you need to know:

Burns Calories

Infrared saunas may provide weight loss benefits primarily through inducing a greater caloric burn rate in their users. As has been seen in several studies, saunas cause participants to burn calories by increasing bodily temperature. As the body expends extra energy to stay cool, it draws those calories from fat stores.

Encourages Relaxation

Daily stress makes it much easier to overeat and much more difficult to stick with an exercise or dieting regime. Furthermore, there’s some evidence to suggest that stress alone can cause weight gain or retention.

It follows that lowering your stress level can potentially lead to weight loss. Infrared saunas can help here by providing users with the ultimate in at-home relaxation. Soak in the heat, and melt your stress and body fat away.

Greater Cardiovascular Health

Infrared saunas cause the body to enter a state of greater cardiovascular activity. For individuals unused to exercise, this both burns extra calories and passively leads to greater cardiovascular health. Improving cardiovascular health may lead to future weight loss, as it will make any exercise easier for those out of shape.

How It Works

Infrared saunas provide many weight loss benefits due to the effect they have on the body:

  • Increased Circulation. As the body warms, the heart and cardiovascular system work harder to circulate blood throughout to prevent overheating. This burns calories and leads to greater weight loss.
  • Sweating & Detox. Furthermore, the body sweats as core temperatures increase. This results in a deep sweat that may remove unhealthy toxins from the body.
  • Increased Metabolism. The body’s metabolic rate is boosted as body temperature increases. For a time after enjoying an infrared sauna session, affected individuals may also find that any exercise they perform will be more effective at burning calories.
  • Muscle Recovery & Relaxation. Most people find the deep tissue and soothing effects of infrared saunas to be relaxing. Infrared radiation can penetrate deep into the muscles and body, soothing away aches and pains and alleviating stress: a big predictor for weight gain.

Near vs Far vs Full-Spectrum Infrared Saunas for Weight Loss

Infrared saunas come in three major types: far-infrared, near-infrared and full-spectrum infrared:

  • Far-infrared radiation appears on the “far” end of the infrared light band. It’s invisible to the naked eye, but we can still feel it as heat. Far-infrared radiation can sink deep into our muscles and tissues to provide relaxing effects and intense therapy.
  • Near-infrared radiation is on the opposite side of the infrared band. It has a relatively low absorption rate but a high reflection rate. This light is visible but can also be felt as heat. Near-infrared saunas are usually cooler since their radiation warms the surrounding air less effectively while still heating the body.
  • Full-spectrum infrared saunas include the best of both worlds. That’s because they combine near-infrared light and far-infrared light, along with “mid” infrared light. In this way, they provide the benefits of the entire spectrum.

In a nutshell, full-spectrum infrared saunas may provide better weight loss benefits because they provide the benefits of the entire infrared spectrum.

Who Can Benefit Most?

A 2014 study found that sauna use directly led to weight loss in sample groups. In the study, the scientists also noted that heavier subjects experienced greater weight loss than underweight subjects. This indicates that infrared saunas may be particularly helpful for those with more weight to lose, but may be less of an effective option for those already at a healthy weight.

How to Use an Infrared Sauna for Weight Loss

Here are a few tips to help you use your infrared sauna for weight loss:

  • Avoid eating beforehand. When using an infrared sauna for weight loss, avoid eating heavily beforehand. This helps ensure you won’t get an upset stomach.
  • Keep sessions brief. Infrared sauna sessions don’t need to be very long for you to enjoy weight loss benefits. Sessions as short as 10 to 15 minutes a few times per week is enough to get results, according to the above studies’ sample groups.
  • Drink water. It’s also an excellent idea to drink water after an infrared sauna session. You’ll naturally lose a little weight in water as you sweat out toxins during a sauna session, but it’s important to replace that liquid so you don’t become dehydrated.

Order an Infrared Sauna Today!

In the end, the weight loss benefits of infrared saunas are just one more reason to give them a try yourself. Be sure to check out the infrared sauna models available at The Sauna Life, and request a quote today.