How to Maximize Your Infrared Sauna Weight Loss Results
For many, weight loss is a journey paved with sweat, determination, and those “aha” moments when we realize our own strength.
Infrared saunas, in particular, have grown popular and empowered many to take charge of their weight loss process.
You might have already used your infrared sauna several times to lose weight, but are you maximizing its benefits?
At Sun Valley Saunas, we are invested in helping you increase your weight loss by highlighting how you can use your infrared sauna more effectively.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- What temperature maximizes caloric burn and other sauna benefits
- Exercises you can combine with your sauna session
- How to incorporate meditation and other wellness practices in your sauna session
- Potential risks of using infrared saunas
Here are the secrets to maximizing weight loss through infrared therapy.
Step 1 - Setting an Optimal Temperature for Weight Reduction
Infrared saunas facilitate weight loss by utilizing the effects of their heat. The infrared heat increases your body’s metabolism, which requires more energy to maintain homeostasis and cool your body down.
Higher temperatures will cause your body to work harder to cool down, using up more fat stores for energy.
You can gradually increase your sauna temperatures to improve weight loss benefits.
Since most infrared saunas have maximum temperatures of between 110℉ and 130℉, adjusting to 120℉ can use up more calories, than if you were to use a temperature of 90℉.
The Golden Designs Reserve 3 Person Near Zero EMF Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna, GDI-8030-02 has a maximum temperature of 135℉ to 140℉, so you have a wider temperature range to work with.
However, you need to weigh the benefits of using higher temperatures against the duration you spend in a session.
Very high temperatures, though effective, can cause you to become so uncomfortable that you spend only a few minutes in the sauna. You also stand the risk of overheating or getting dehydrated, which impairs body functions.
Mid-range temperatures may not act as fast, but you’ll be able to spend a longer time in the sauna, which is more effective in the long run.
Mid-range temperatures are essential in ensuring comfort for everyone in a group session especially.
When everyone’s comfortable, you can easily have a 45-minute session in the Golden Designs Reserve 3 Person Near Zero EMF Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna GDI-8035-02, where friends can also deepen connections by participating in activities like listening to music or reading together.
Step 2 - Positioning Yourself for Optimal Calorie Burn
When you lie flat on a beach lounger, the sun’s rays can uniformly tan your body, compared to if you were lying hunched on a chair.
It’s essentially the same thing with the infrared heat in a sauna. Sitting with your back straight will allow the infrared rays to penetrate your body evenly, so you get the most out of your session.
Uniform heat exposure to the carbon PureTech and infrared emitters increases your metabolism and increases calorie burn.
You can also twist your body from side to side to focus heat on specific parts of the body.
For instance, if you want to target your hip, try lying on your side on the Golden Designs Reserve 1 Person Near Zero EMF Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna, GDI-8010-02—the same way you would lie on your bed, sleeping on your side.
Ensure your hip is directly touching the bench, and your side is facing the heaters.
In this position, the side of your hip and waist is exposed to the heaters, allowing these areas to absorb heat more effectively.
Pro Tip: Every few minutes, you can shift to another side-lying position so the opposite side faces the heaters, and burns calories as well.
Step 3 - Include These Workouts With Your Sauna Session
Working out in an infrared sauna is a notable case where too much of something is better.
As infrared heat increases your metabolism and burns calories, you increase the number of calories burnt by exercising. And the more physical activity you’re involved in, the higher the number of calories you burn.
This, combined with a reduced calorie intake leads to weight loss.
Infrared saunas operate at lower temperatures than traditional saunas, which typically heat up to about 110℉ to 140℉.
Because they don’t create an environment of intense heat, they’re ideal to work out in.
What’s more, the Golden Designs Reserve Series saunas all include an interior and exterior LED control panel. You can dial the heat up or down to a temperature that’s comfortable to work out in.
Some exercises you can do during your infrared sauna session include:
Isometric Exercises: The Art of Still Strength
Isometric exercises are exercises that make muscles work hard without moving them, which uses up a lot of energy—especially as you get tired.
Examples of these exercises include wall sits, planks, or holding a lunge.
Holding a wall sit for a minute can burn about 3 to 4 calories, while a plank and a lunge can burn 2 to 5 calories per minute.
For each of these exercises, make sure that the sauna floor is completely dry before starting out.
Here’s how to do a plank in the Golden Designs Reserve 1-2 Person Near Zero EMF Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna, GDI-8020-02:
- Get down to a push-up position.
- Bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle and rest your weight on your forearms. Your body should form a straight line from the shoulders to your ankles.
- Engage your core by sucking your belly button inwards, into your spine.
- Maintain that position and keep your gaze toward the floor.
Start by holding that position for about 30 seconds and gradually increase the duration as your core strength improves. This can also help you lose fat around your belly.
You can opt to do more challenging core exercises once you feel this has become easy to do.
Transformational Core Workouts
These are movements like Russian twists and seated leg lifts. They help tone the muscles in the torso, from the base of the rib cage to the hips.
Core exercises burn between 100 and 200 calories for a 30-minute workout session, so it’s effective in supporting your infrared sauna weight loss goals.
Here’s how to do a Russian twist in your next session:
- Sit on the floor of the sauna with your knees bent and feet flat.
- Lean back slightly, keeping your back straight. Your back should be at a 45-degree angle to the floor.
- Then clasp your hands in front of you, or hold an object if you want to increase resistance.
- Lifting your feet off the ground also adds resistance. Then twist your feet to the right, bringing your hands to your left hip.
- Bring your feet back to the center, twist to the left, and keep alternating each side.
Adding these exercises to your infrared session also:
- Gives you a metabolic boost, increasing sweat production and improving the detoxification process.
- Causes enhanced circulation: When you work out, your muscles require more energy to work efficiently, so blood vessels in the active muscles open wider to allow more blood flow, so muscles can get the energy they need.
- Causes health optimization: Detoxification improves immune system support and promotes optimal organ functions. Along with improving weight loss, infrared therapy and exercise cause relaxation. This improves mental health.
Step 4 - Integrating Mindful Practices With Sauna Sessions
Mindfulness sessions are essential in helping you reduce stress and relax, which supports weight loss efforts.
When you face a stressful situation, your body prepares to confront or escape the situation, in what’s commonly called the fight or flight response.
To facilitate this, your body produces a surge of cortisol to mobilize energy by tapping into your body’s fat stores.
If you experience stress over a prolonged period, you’ll have high amounts of cortisol in your bloodstream for that time.
This also means that cortisol causes your body to produce more energy.
As your blood sugar drops, you feel hungry more often, which can lead to cravings for sugary and fatty foods. It can also lead to overeating which causes weight gain.
However, just including a guided meditation audio and other mindfulness practices like deep breathing enhances relaxation.
Infrared saunas, like the Golden Designs Reserve 3 Person Near Zero EMF Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna GDI-8035-02, have a fitted chromotherapy lighting system that can enhance relaxation during your mindfulness session.
For instance, you can use a soft blue light to create a tranquil environment or a green light to create a sense of balance, harmony, and renewal.
"Every other day I thoroughly enjoy the comfort cabin with the fun “light show”. Go ahead and order one. Enjoy." - Case Breeuwsma, Verified Buyer
By incorporating a mindfulness routine in your sauna session, you support weight loss efforts.
Step 5 - Tapping into Sleep's Power for Sauna Weight Loss Success
Understanding the link between sleep and weight loss is important to improving your infrared sauna weight loss goals.
According to research, individuals that sleep for less than 7 hours have higher rates of obesity than those who sleep 7-9 hours a night.
Sleep deprivation causes a hormonal imbalance of the hormones that regulate hunger. Leptin decreases your appetite while ghrelin increases your appetite.
When you sleep less, the leptin hormone is produced less, and the production of ghrelin increases. The result is that you feel hungry often.
This fosters poor eating habits like:
- Eating too often or late in the night
- Eating fast foods, sugary treats, and fatty foods
- Lower intake of fruits and vegetables
All these eating habits can cause you to gain weight and impede the effectiveness of infrared heat in helping with weight loss.
Additionally, reduced sleep impairs the body’s ability to process insulin—the hormone that converts starch into energy. Reduced insulin action leads to increased fat storage.
In one study, people sleeping 5 hours or less weighed about 5.43 lbs more than those sleeping 7 hours and 2.73 lbs more than those sleeping 6 hours.
Over 10 years, those sleeping less gained weight faster. Those sleeping 5 hours gained 1.61 lbs more and those sleeping 6 hours gained 0.57 lbs more than those sleeping 7 hours.
Summary: After your infrared therapy session, ensure you get quality sleep to significantly enhance weight reduction.
Step 6 - Improving Dietary Choices for Sauna-Driven Slimming
The choices of food you eat during your weight loss journey can impede or support your results.
Eating the right food proportions ensures your body obtains all the necessary nutrients to maintain health. It can also make the weight loss process more efficient.
Ensure you have balanced meals that contain:
Lean Proteins: Amplifying Your Infrared Weight Loss Results
A study investigating the effects of various diets on weight regain found that individuals who adhered to a high-protein diet regained less weight. This highlights the potential of protein use in long-term weight management strategies.
Proteins have a high satiety level. What this means is that due to their complex structure, proteins take longer to digest.
You end up feeling full for extended periods, naturally curbing your appetite, and snacking unnecessarily.
Incorporate lean proteins like chicken, fish, turkey, and low-fat dairy in your meals.
Wholesome Grains: A Fiber Boost for Infrared Weight Loss
These foods can provide energy steadily, reducing energy dips, and therefore the need to snack or keep eating for your body to synthesize energy.
Eating whole grains like brown rice, oats, and whole-grain pasta will help you stay full and minimize those midday cravings or reaching for unhealthy snacks.
Vegetables: Nature's Best Allies for Infrared Weight Loss
Vegetables can bring a wealth of benefits for those looking to optimize their infrared weight loss journey. They are low in fat and have a lot of fiber and essential vitamins and minerals.
You can therefore substitute high-calorie foods like french fries with vegetables and have a filling meal, so you won’t end up eating a lot more than your body needs.
Some vegetables you can include are leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, and bell peppers.
Expert Tip: When the goal is weight loss, it’s essential to create a calorie deficit.
Healthy Fats for Infrared Weight Loss
Including healthy fats in your diet in conjunction with infrared therapy can enhance the effectiveness of heat treatments.
Plan to include healthy fats like avocado, nuts, seeds, and olive oil in your diet.
Healthy fats keep you satiated while also providing you with essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. This reduces your calorie intake throughout the day, supporting your weight loss goals.
As infrared treatments from the Golden Designs Reserve 1-2 Person Near Zero EMF Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna, GDI-8020-02 burn fat, having a balanced intake of healthy fats ensures that your body is functioning at its peak, processing and utilizing nutrients efficiently.
Step 7 - Navigating the Frequency of Sauna Sessions for Best Outcomes
There’s a saying that goes, perfect practice makes perfect results. This stands true with using infrared saunas for weight loss.
Research shows that the cardiovascular demand from infrared sauna use is similar to that required when walking at a moderate pace.
Naturally, the more often you walk, the more your body uses up its fat stores. It stands to reason that the more often you have your infrared session, the more energy you require, hence the more calories you burn.
To maximize your infrared sauna weight loss results, aim to have 5 sessions of 20-30 minutes per week.
"We are enjoying our sauna. It was easy to put together. Sun Valley saunas was very easy to work with. Our sauna arrived quickly and is very good quality." - James S., Verified Buyer
However, if you are just starting your weight loss journey, we recommend beginning with 3 sessions for 10-15 minutes a week, then increasing the number of sessions as your body adapts.
Charting the Next Steps in Your Infrared Sauna Weight Loss Journey
Embarking on a weight loss journey is both an invigorating challenge and a personal commitment. Infrared sauna therapy offers a soothing and therapeutic avenue to lose weight.
You can maximize your infrared weight loss results by setting a high, comfortable temperature, positioning yourself well, practicing mindfulness, and combining your workout sessions with your sauna sessions.
As you continue your weight loss journey, embrace the holistic interplay of these elements. Invest in an infrared sauna from Sun Valley Saunas and supercharge your weight loss journey.
Related Article: Achieving Wellness: Exploring Infrared Vs Traditional Sauna Health Benefits
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to hydrate more if I use the infrared sauna regularly?
Yes, you need to hydrate more when using the sauna regularly.
Using the sauna will make you sweat, which can lead to dehydration, depending on the temperature setting and length of the session. This can offset any benefits you might gain from the sauna and can be dangerous for your health.
You must always drink water before, during, and after your sauna session.
Are there any risks associated with using infrared sauna sessions for weight loss?
Yes, there are potential risks.
Overusing or staying too long in a sauna can cause dehydration, overheating, and in rare cases, heat stroke.
It’s essential to listen to your body and exit the sauna if you feel lightheaded, uncomfortable, or overly hot.
A temperature range of 1200F (490C) to 1350F (540C) for 20 minutes is both comfortable and effective.
Additionally, individuals with medical conditions like high/low blood pressure need to consult a doctor before using a sauna.
Is weight loss from infrared saunas just water weight?
Initially, a significant portion of weight loss from using an infrared sauna is indeed water weight from sweating.
However, the caloric burn from the body working to cool itself down contributes to real weight loss over time.
Wes McMahon, is the founder of Sun Valley Saunas and a seasoned ski town sauna enthusiast. In early 2021, Wes transitioned from being an attorney and sauna aficionado in Sun Valley, Idaho, to founding Sun Valley Saunas. His deep appreciation for the Finnish sauna tradition has helped him understand and select high-quality, hand-built saunas for customers throughout North America. Combined with his understanding of the therapeutic and communal benefits of sauna culture, he advocates for the wellness practices that saunas can bring to your overall health. Got questions? Get in touch by calling 1-855-963-5665 or info@sunvalleysaunas.com
Important: The information provided in our articles about saunas and related topics is intended for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare practitioner before using saunas, especially if you have pre-existing health conditions or are pregnant. Individual health needs vary, and what benefits one person may not be suitable for another.