Do Infrared Saunas Burn Calories

Do Infrared Saunas Burn Calories

Yes, an infrared sauna can help you burn calories through thermogenics. The infrared lamps emit radiant heat that raises the body’s core temperature, increasing your metabolic rate. To try to stay cool, your body burns energy. As your body temperature is regulated, this effect will last beyond the sauna session.

When your heart rate is elevated and blood flow is boosted, inducing sweating, your body experiences comparable conditions to a moderate fitness session. The effect of an infrared sauna is more noticeable than that of a traditional sauna because the heat penetrates your body deeply instead of the air in the cabin.

While the temperature is milder, it’s a more intense feeling for your body, helping to release harmful toxins that could prevent weight loss. That’s not to imply that the sauna should be a replacement for a nutrient-rich meal plan or regular exercise routine. However, adding it to a wellness regimen can have its advantages.

Burning Calories And Weight Loss With An Infrared Sauna

An infrared sauna has incredible effects on the body, including burning calories. It enhances the system overall, improves heart function, allows greater circulation, and improves breathing capacity. While subsequent weight loss is attributed to the infrared sauna for some, weight loss is not a result for everyone.

Here is a detailed table to explain the concept of burning calories and weight loss with an infrared sauna, tailored for readers interested in how much they can burn relative to their weight.

Calories Burned in Infrared Sauna Sessions

Weight (lbs)

30 Minutes (Calories Burned)

45 Minutes (Calories Burned)

60 Minutes (Calories Burned)

120

180 - 360

270 - 540

360 - 720

150

225 - 450

337 - 675

450 - 900

180

270 - 540

405–810

540–1080

210

315 - 630

472 - 945

630–1260

240

360 - 720

540–1080

720–1440

  • 30 Minutes: On average, a 30-minute session in an infrared sauna can burn between 180 and 720 calories, depending on the individual's weight. Lighter individuals tend to burn fewer calories, while heavier individuals burn more due to the higher energy expenditure required to cool the body down.
  • 45 Minutes: Extending the session to 45 minutes increases the calorie burn to between 270 and 1080 calories. This duration allows for deeper penetration of heat, further increasing metabolic activity.
  • 60 Minutes: A full hour in an infrared sauna can burn between 360 and 1440 calories, significantly aiding in weight loss efforts by boosting metabolism and increasing heart rate.

Factors Influencing Calorie Burn

  1. Weight: Heavier individuals burn more calories as their bodies require more energy to maintain core temperature.
  2. Session Duration: Longer sessions result in more calories burned.
  3. Temperature: Higher temperatures can increase the rate of calorie burn.
  4. Metabolic Rate: Individuals with higher metabolic rates will naturally burn more calories.

Additional Benefits

  • Detoxification: Sweating in the sauna helps remove toxins from the body.
  • Increased Metabolism: Regular use boosts metabolic rate, aiding in long-term weight management.
  • Cardiovascular Health: It increases heart rate and improves circulation, similar to moderate exercise.

Important Considerations

  • Hydration: To prevent dehydration, it's essential to stay hydrated before, during, and after sauna sessions.
  • Combination with Exercise: Using an infrared sauna with a healthy diet and exercise routine maximizes weight loss benefits.
  • Safety: Consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new wellness regimen, especially for individuals with health conditions.

Using these guidelines, incorporating regular infrared sauna sessions can be a valuable addition to your weight loss and wellness routine. Remember to balance sauna use with proper hydration and a healthy lifestyle for the best results.

Browse our Collections of High Quality Infrared Saunas

How To Burn Calories From An Infrared Sauna

The noted rate for the average number of calories someone will burn in an infrared sauna is “1.5 times greater than the base rate.” For an individual weighing roughly 150 pounds and spending 30 minutes in the cabin, the calories burned would be approximately 60. 

Still, variables can be vast based on things such as body type, resulting in the body burning as much as 600 calories in a 30-minute session. The ideal method for measuring an infrared sauna’s effects is via heart rate measurement using a heart rate monitor. There are some comparisons between using the sauna and engaging in moderate-intensity fitness programs. 

The heart rate and blood pressure react similarly to a moderate cardio workout. For individuals with preexisting challenges, including chronic pain or mobility issues, or someone struggling with a chronic condition rendering them incapable of a healthy workout, the heat from a sauna room could be a viable consideration.

When used routinely, albeit carefully, it can help increase calorie burn, although it won’t be beneficial for muscle gain.

Why An Infrared Sauna Isn't A Weight Loss Tool

An infrared sauna challenges the body to maintain a cooler temperature, forcing it to work harder to try to regulate itself, sweating to bring it back to normal range. Circulation elevates, and the pulse increases, with a subsequent boost to the metabolism. When stepping out of the room, it’s common to instantly notice less weight, or water weight, from sweating.

The number visible on the scale is not necessarily one to rely on since it will come right back with rehydration. The infrared sauna, on its own, isn’t a weight-loss tool. While the room is beneficial for burning calories, it can only benefit a person if they consume fewer calories than they burn in a day.

Additionally, the calories consumed need to be part of a nutrient-rich diet, and a regular fitness program needs to be followed for roughly 30 minutes at a moderate intensity level every day. Incorporating regular infrared sauna sessions into your wellness regimen isn’t only about burning calories but also improving overall well-being.

  • Better sleep pattern: Quality rest is critical for optimum weight control. Poor sleep is connected with a disruption of hunger hormones.
  • Improved skin: Harmful toxins are released through the excessive sweat as you sit in the infrared sauna.
  • Muscle recovery: Following an intense fitness routine, when muscles are sore and aching, the heated room helps the tissues heal.
  • Reduced pain: The heat soothes pain, allowing us to return to the gym and lead a more productive lifestyle.

When looking for a better health and wellness regimen to be accompanied by the infrared sauna, reach out to calmspa.com to develop the ideal program.

Final Thought

The infrared sauna can burn calories. The number of calories depends on a few variables, but the range is vast. Some will subsequently lose weight with the burned calories, but that’s not always the case. 

Developing a wellness program should include good health, a nourishing diet plan, and a healthy fitness program to accompany the infrared sauna. If any of these elements are missing, weight loss will be challenging.

If weight loss is the ultimate goal in addition to burning calories, seek the assistance of a professional wellness center like the associates at calmspa.com. They aim to make the infrared sauna journey successful, whatever their clients' objectives might be.


Yes, an infrared sauna can help you burn calories through thermogenics. The infrared lamps emit radiant heat that raises the body’s core temperature, increasing your metabolic rate. To try to stay cool, your body burns energy. As your body temperature is regulated, this effect will last beyond the sauna session.

When your heart rate is elevated and blood flow is boosted, inducing sweating, your body experiences comparable conditions to a moderate fitness session. The effect of an infrared sauna is more noticeable than that of a traditional sauna because the heat penetrates your body deeply instead of the air in the cabin.

While the temperature is milder, it’s a more intense feeling for your body, helping to release harmful toxins that could prevent weight loss. That’s not to imply that the sauna should be a replacement for a nutrient-rich meal plan or regular exercise routine. However, adding it to a wellness regimen can have its advantages.

Burning Calories And Weight Loss With An Infrared Sauna

An infrared sauna has incredible effects on the body, including burning calories. It enhances the system overall, improves heart function, allows greater circulation, and improves breathing capacity. While subsequent weight loss is attributed to the infrared sauna for some, weight loss is not a result for everyone.

Here is a detailed table to explain the concept of burning calories and weight loss with an infrared sauna, tailored for readers interested in how much they can burn relative to their weight.

Calories Burned in Infrared Sauna Sessions

Weight (lbs)

30 Minutes (Calories Burned)

45 Minutes (Calories Burned)

60 Minutes (Calories Burned)

120

180 - 360

270 - 540

360 - 720

150

225 - 450

337 - 675

450 - 900

180

270 - 540

405–810

540–1080

210

315 - 630

472 - 945

630–1260

240

360 - 720

540–1080

720–1440

  • 30 Minutes: On average, a 30-minute session in an infrared sauna can burn between 180 and 720 calories, depending on the individual's weight. Lighter individuals tend to burn fewer calories, while heavier individuals burn more due to the higher energy expenditure required to cool the body down.
  • 45 Minutes: Extending the session to 45 minutes increases the calorie burn to between 270 and 1080 calories. This duration allows for deeper penetration of heat, further increasing metabolic activity.
  • 60 Minutes: A full hour in an infrared sauna can burn between 360 and 1440 calories, significantly aiding in weight loss efforts by boosting metabolism and increasing heart rate.

Factors Influencing Calorie Burn

  1. Weight: Heavier individuals burn more calories as their bodies require more energy to maintain core temperature.
  2. Session Duration: Longer sessions result in more calories burned.
  3. Temperature: Higher temperatures can increase the rate of calorie burn.
  4. Metabolic Rate: Individuals with higher metabolic rates will naturally burn more calories.

Additional Benefits

  • Detoxification: Sweating in the sauna helps remove toxins from the body.
  • Increased Metabolism: Regular use boosts metabolic rate, aiding in long-term weight management.
  • Cardiovascular Health: It increases heart rate and improves circulation, similar to moderate exercise.

Important Considerations

  • Hydration: To prevent dehydration, it's essential to stay hydrated before, during, and after sauna sessions.
  • Combination with Exercise: Using an infrared sauna with a healthy diet and exercise routine maximizes weight loss benefits.
  • Safety: Consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new wellness regimen, especially for individuals with health conditions.

Using these guidelines, incorporating regular infrared sauna sessions can be a valuable addition to your weight loss and wellness routine. Remember to balance sauna use with proper hydration and a healthy lifestyle for the best results.


How To Burn Calories From An Infrared Sauna

The noted rate for the average number of calories someone will burn in an infrared sauna is “1.5 times greater than the base rate.” For an individual weighing roughly 150 pounds and spending 30 minutes in the cabin, the calories burned would be approximately 60. 

Still, variables can be vast based on things such as body type, resulting in the body burning as much as 600 calories in a 30-minute session. The ideal method for measuring an infrared sauna’s effects is via heart rate measurement using a heart rate monitor. There are some comparisons between using the sauna and engaging in moderate-intensity fitness programs. 

The heart rate and blood pressure react similarly to a moderate cardio workout. For individuals with preexisting challenges, including chronic pain or mobility issues, or someone struggling with a chronic condition rendering them incapable of a healthy workout, the heat from a sauna room could be a viable consideration.

When used routinely, albeit carefully, it can help increase calorie burn, although it won’t be beneficial for muscle gain.

Why An Infrared Sauna Isn't A Weight Loss Tool

An infrared sauna challenges the body to maintain a cooler temperature, forcing it to work harder to try to regulate itself, sweating to bring it back to normal range. Circulation elevates, and the pulse increases, with a subsequent boost to the metabolism. When stepping out of the room, it’s common to instantly notice less weight, or water weight, from sweating.

The number visible on the scale is not necessarily one to rely on since it will come right back with rehydration. The infrared sauna, on its own, isn’t a weight-loss tool. While the room is beneficial for burning calories, it can only benefit a person if they consume fewer calories than they burn in a day.

Additionally, the calories consumed need to be part of a nutrient-rich diet, and a regular fitness program needs to be followed for roughly 30 minutes at a moderate intensity level every day. Incorporating regular infrared sauna sessions into your wellness regimen isn’t only about burning calories but also improving overall well-being.

  • Better sleep pattern: Quality rest is critical for optimum weight control. Poor sleep is connected with a disruption of hunger hormones.
  • Improved skin: Harmful toxins are released through the excessive sweat as you sit in the infrared sauna.
  • Muscle recovery: Following an intense fitness routine, when muscles are sore and aching, the heated room helps the tissues heal.
  • Reduced pain: The heat soothes pain, allowing us to return to the gym and lead a more productive lifestyle.

When looking for a better health and wellness regimen to be accompanied by the infrared sauna, reach out to calmspa.com to develop the ideal program.

Final Thought

The infrared sauna can burn calories. The number of calories depends on a few variables, but the range is vast. Some will subsequently lose weight with the burned calories, but that’s not always the case. 

Developing a wellness program should include good health, a nourishing diet plan, and a healthy fitness program to accompany the infrared sauna. If any of these elements are missing, weight loss will be challenging.

If weight loss is the ultimate goal in addition to burning calories, seek the assistance of a professional wellness center like the associates at calmspa.com. They aim to make the infrared sauna journey successful, whatever their clients' objectives might be.