When working out, people sweat at different rates that may range from a light glimmer or sweat to beads dripping down your face as you are out for a jog. This is totally normal but, for those looking to sweat a little extra, a sauna suit is also an option.
With a sauna suit, you can expect to lose an additional 2 pounds per a week, or 8 pounds per month. Sauna suits exasperate the amount you sweat and help you burn more calories during your workout. However, most of this weight loss will be in water weight and will be gained back once you rehydrate.
If you are looking into purchasing a sauna suit or are hoping to learn how to properly make the most of the sauna suit that you already have, stick with us for a bit!
Do Sauna Suits Help You Lose Weight?
The biggest question you may be asking yourself right now is do sauna suits actually help you lose weight?
Great question!
Sauna suits will, ultimately, help you to burn more calories during your workouts as they exasperate the amount you sweat. When it comes down to it, the progress you’ll see is going to be based on the water weight that you are losing as a result of this sweating.
With a sauna suit worn during your regularly scheduled work out routines, you can expect to lose an extra 2 pounds of water weight a week, or 8 pounds of water weight a month.
Is Water Weight Loss Sustainable?
Realistically, this weight loss is not going to last long past your workout. Once you rehydrate by drinking water, an electrolyte beverage, or anything else, that water will be replenished in your body.
So, while you can technically lose nearly 8 pounds a month, this is not going to be a compounded 8 pounds. Rather, you will experience an ebb and flow of the numbers you see on a scale.
You may see that your body is slightly less bloated, but you’re really seeing that your water intake probably needs to be upped.
Over time, this excessive sweating can produce longer-term results, which we’ll dive into below.
How Long Should You Wear a Sauna Suit?
Your length of sauna suit use will depend on how familiar you and your body are with using this sort of product. If you are a beginner, you should begin with 5, and no more than 10 minutes of exercise in your sauna suit per workout session.
As your body adapts, you’ll bump up the length of time that you are wearing a sauna suit to a half an hour or a full hour, likely whatever length your typical workout is set to be.
You should not be wearing a sauna suit for much more than an hour to avoid complications and any negative effects on your body, such as extreme hydration.
[table id=77 responsive=scroll/]Let’s say that you use your sauna suit 4-5 times a week during your workouts, the chart above will help you manage your expectations. Keep in mind that these amounts will differ for everyone based on factors such as body fat, intensity of workout, and natural rate of sweating pre-sauna suit.
Does Sauna Suit Burn Belly Fat?
A common myth about sauna suits is that they help you burn fat. This is not true.
Unfortunately, wearing a sauna suit is not going to help you burn fat any more quickly than just going through your cardio and floorwork routines.
While some of the water weight stored in the belly might be shed through excessive sweating, sauna suits are not a long-term solution to help burn belly fat.
Though you may be able to lose a few pounds long term from using sauna suits, this weight loss won’t be targeted. It will be fully dependent on what types of workout routines you are already participating in.
Benefits of Wearing a Sauna Suit While Exercising
One of the biggest benefits of wearing a sauna suit while exercising is the potential to detox while you work out.
You might hear people talk about cardio or hitting the weights as their ideal hangover cure, because exercise helps your body sweat out the alcohol you may have put into it the night before.
It’s the same thing when you’re sick (if you have a private space to work out, and don’t need to go into a public gym while ill) wherein sweating it out can help to break a fever or help you to feel better overall.
So, it’s a similar process when you wear a sauna suit to help you sweat more. Your body will be able to sweat out some of the toxins that it has held onto in the same way that it would during any workout, but with a little more vigor.
Risks of Wearing a Sauna Suits
Wearing a sauna suit can be quite risky, especially dependent upon the types and intensity of exercise you are doing.
- Sauna suits don’t allow sweat to evaporate from your body the same way that it naturally would. Beware of dehydration, especially when your workout routine is a bit more rigorous.
- In extreme cases or when misused, sauna suits can lead to heat exhaustion which is quite dangerous.
It is so important to properly work up to doing a full workout in a sauna suit. Even then, you should check in with how you feel. The severe consequences of overdoing it are not worth the potential of losing a few pounds a year.
When done safely and when properly hydrated, this should not be a concern.
Best Sauna Suit
When you have made the decision to safely use a sauna suit, you’ll want to look for one that is comfortable while still allowing you to get your sweat on!
Try this sauna suit for women that is said to be one of the more comfortable brands out there, at least to get you started.
Once you figure out what you like and prefer to use throughout your journey, you can always upgrade (or stick with that one, who knows!)