Increase Your Metabolism with a Sauna after Thanksgiving

Most of us are all too familiar with that uncomfortable, I-may-never-eat-again, let-me-take-a-nap feeling that comes after the big meal on Thanksgiving. 

Even if you make it through Thanksgiving without putting on a couple of pounds, there will be piles of Christmas cookies and holiday treats around every corner for the next month. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was some enjoyable way to increase your metabolism so you could stay healthy and fit through the holidays and beyond? There is — a sauna!

Increase your metabolism the simple way.

This isn’t some late-night TV ad, so we wouldn’t dream of telling you that we’ve got the magic pill to fix your metabolism… no healthy diet or fitness routine needed. Nope. Diet and exercise matter for everyone. But, the reality is that using a sauna can increase your metabolism and boost your overall wellness. 

How does a sauna work it’s magic?

The heat in a sauna, especially when using it is a regular part of your routine, can have some wonderful health-improving benefits. As the heat increases your core temperature and your heart rate rises, here are a few of the things that happen:

• Your blood vessels open up and your overall blood pressure improves
• Your body speeds up endorphin and white blood cell production 
• Cortisol levels (the stress hormone) lower
• Your immune system is boosted
• Risk of dementia and Alzheimers goes down
• Your sleep cycle is regulated
• Your skin and pores are clarified by the deep sweat and you shed toxins
• Metabolic rate increases
• You burn calories 

What kind of calorie burn are we talking about?

When you’re enjoying a sweat session in your sauna, your heart rate increases by about 30%. That takes more energy, aka, calories. In reality, even though using your sauna is super-relaxing, your cardiovascular system is getting in a mild workout. Your body needs more energy, so your metabolic rate goes up and you burn more calories. 

According to InfraredSauna.com, you can calculate the additional calories you’re burning in your sauna by multiplying your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) by 1.5 for the length of time you’re using the sauna. 

BMR is the base amount of calories your body needs to function. So, if you weren’t doing anything but lying in bed, how many calories would you burn in a day, just keeping your body operating? Don’t worry, it’s not hard to figure it out. You can use this handy calculator to get an estimate. 

Once you know your BMR, multiply that by 1.5 by how many minutes you were in the sauna. So, if your BMR is 1500 , first divide that by 48 to figure out what your BMR is for 30 minutes. Then, multiply that by 1.5. In this example, the formula would be (1500 ÷ 48)  x 1.5 = 46.87.

In other words, the person in our example would burn an extra 46.87 calories every time they used their sauna for 30 minutes. 

Keep in mind, though, that regular sauna use can increase your overall metabolic rate. In this study, the participants’ metabolic rate increased by 25-33%. 

To sum it up, if you’re looking for an all-natural way to increase your metabolism after Thanksgiving, that also happens to be relaxing and stress-relieving (just what we need as we head into the holidays!), add regular sauna bathing to your routine!

No sauna of your own yet? Let us introduce you to a Clearlight Sanctuary® Sauna! They’re easy to install and come in a variety of sizes, so we’re sure to have one that fits your home. Increasing your metabolism could not be simpler. Contact us to learn more.