Weight Loss: Study Finds Hot Baths, Saunas Burn 140 Calories Per Hour

As the summer approaches, many people look for unique and effective ways to drop a few (or a lot) of pounds in a healthy way. A new study has given people one habit to establish that could very well help a person lose weight over time, depending on their calorie intake. According to the journal Temperature, Steve Faulkner, Ph.D., led a study that helped him examine any links between indulging in a hot bath and any calories burned. Sure, hot baths might feel good, and bathers may have long suspected that time in a hot bath or even a steam room could burn calories, but now the exercise physiologist at Loughborough University is providing proof to the theory.

Dr. Faulker used 14 men in his study, and learned that one hour in a hot bath would burn on average approximately 140 calories per hour. Not only did the hot baths burn calories, but the peak blood sugar of the study participants were lowered approximately 10 percent more than working out lowered their blood sugar after a meal. The “passive heating” study needs to be studied further, say the study’s experts, but the initial findings could be of interest to those looking for any daily habits to incorporate that could help them win the battle of weight loss.

For example, if a person isn’t used to relaxing in an hour-long hot bath each day and they have the time and inclination to do so, adding that hot bath could very well add up in terms of calories burned over time, even if the person decides to take a 30-minute hot bath each day. That’s 70 calories burned per day that weren’t being burned previously, and as long as they aren’t added back to the person’s diet, they could represent a loss of weight over time.

Taking a Hot Bath Burns As Many Calories as a 30-minute Walk, Study Says https://t.co/eQruNct7u6 pic.twitter.com/NLD6UYsRoT

— Real Simple (@RealSimple) April 7, 2017

Additionally, the study noted that a hot bath’s effect upon “heath shock proteins,” proteins that the body can produce as a reply to heated situations, like during saunas or hot baths, can potentially help insulin function and improve blood sugar control. When the blood sugar levels are in control, it helps people not suffer from the rollercoaster ride of blood sugar dips that make folks hungry and more likely to eat too much.

According to Fox News, controlling several variables is also important in a successful weight loss journey, such as controlling sugar intake, flour consumption and portion control. The publication notes that sugar and flour are designed to make consumers want to consume more of them by hijacking the brain and encouraging the body to block weight loss. Going without them for approximately six months helps the brain to break free of food addiction and overpowering hunger. The methodology described explains how some people are actually discouraged from working out until they break free from their food addictions.

A hot bath doesn't actually burn as many calories as a run. https://t.co/A4IX5VvLgu pic.twitter.com/LWjOWGE2z8

— attn (@attn) April 10, 2017

However, such a theory isn’t for everyone, and neither is the study leader suggesting that hot baths or hot saunas be the only source of burning calories. Since plenty more calories can be burned via exercising, the hot baths or saunas used to burn calories are something that could be used in addition to, instead of in place of, working out and healthy eating for weight loss.

Reactions to the news about hot baths burning calories can be read in sample comments, as seen below.

“BLOATED DAD? Want to burn some calories? You don’t need to go to the gym, you just need to have a nice hot bath with a slice of lemon.”

“If that crap about taking a hot bath burning as many calories as a run were true I’d be so skinny by now.”

[Featured Image by SimonVera/Shutterstock]