Hi guys!!

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this question, but I just bought a new membership at Life Time Fitness and they have both steam and dry saunas in the locker room. I see a lot of people piling into saunas after a good workout in the movies, but how effective is it in real life?

It seems strange to me that after you lose buckets of water from sweating at the gym, you would jump into a sauna to lose even more. Is this safe? Beneficial? Is it worth the extra 15 minutes I'll have to spend defrizzing my hair

i go to lifetime too & wonder the exact same thing! i know saunas help you lose water weight temporarily, but is it beneficial?

I don't think the purpose of the sauna is to lose weight. It's a relaxation thing, and if you like it, you LOVE IT! I personally love the sauna, but not am crazy about the steam room. After a workout if I sit in the sauna for ten minutes I feel incredibly relaxed and just amazing. I drink extra water to make up for the extra sweating.

What ubergirl said. There is not a weight loss benefit. People who do it consider it their reward. You should hydrate well between your workout and your sauna.

Personally since I hate being hot the only thing I ever use the sauna for is to warm up when it is really cold outside before hitting the workout.

i forgot to add .. sometimes it makes my muscles feel a little better after weight-lifting.

Saunas are also for cleaning out your pores. Personally, I take a shower before going into the sauna, so that when my pores open up no salt from the sweat or bacteria from the machines, will enter my pores. I also take a refreshing cool shower after the sauna to close the pores. It is definitely a relaxing thing.... Drink plenty of fluids before during and after the sauna...

I love the sauna. For me it is a relaxation thing. I can sit in there for 15 minutes and my mind just totally clears and I feel relaxed. All my tension just melts away in the sauna. I workout in the mornings, but if I've had a bad day, am stressed or need a break from studying, I head to the sauna. It just makes me generally feel better. I moisturize after a steam, and especially right now with the dry air, my skin has never felt better or more soft. Even my bf has commented!

Thanks everyone for the advice! I didn't think I would actually lose weight from it, but I was really concerned about the water loss. I'll try it out for a few minutes tomorrow morning. I didn't realize it was good for destressing too!

I wouldn't recommend sauna after workout. I mean if it's serious sauna, temperature close to 212 F (100 C). Sauna is a cardio workout itself. Stenghtens your heart by alternating hot cold. It's better to start with max 5 min in sauna & then cool down in shower and repeat. It's easier to tolerate the heat when your hair is dry. After you've been visiting sauna for a while you can stay in sauna for longer and jump into snow or icy lake afterwards (your heart condition permitting) and do it several times in a row.
I suspect that the sauna you have in gym is more like a warm room, so you can relax muscles, but you have to drink plenty of water.
Taking sower before and afterwards is a good idea, cleans your skin from whatever comes out with sweating.
If you ever have a chance to go to private sauna you can make all sorts of masks for the skin, honey for example makes miracles.

I have been told that the heat can keep your heart rate up after a workout and thus, does help burn additional calories. I don't think it keeps your heart rate up as high as you would running per se. Just slightly elevated I guess.

I do not know if it's true.

I personally love the sauna. I think my skin looks better when I do it regularly--which I dont.