3 Ways a Sauna Helps Decrease Bloating
If you often feel bloated, you’re likely searching for ways to feel better. Some people wonder if using a sauna can help with bloating. Let’s explore whether saunas really help with bloating.
What is bloating?
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine , bloating is the uncomfortable sensation of fullness or tightness in the abdomen, often caused by excess gas or slow digestion. While it might feel similar to weight gain or abdominal looseness, true bloating is often related to underlying digestive issues, particularly in women.
Several common causes of bloating include:
Constipation: Slow-moving stool can ferment in the colon, producing gas and a swollen feeling.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS): This condition causes heightened gut sensitivity, making even small amounts of gas feel painful.
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Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO): An overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine leads to fermentation of food and gas buildup.
Gastroparesis: Delayed stomach emptying can result in bloating, nausea, and discomfort.
Gynecological issues: Conditions such as ovarian cysts can mimic or worsen bloating symptoms.
Bloating can interfere with daily life by causing discomfort, altering appetite, and impacting self-esteem. A practical way to manage symptoms is through a low-FODMAP diet, which reduces intake of fermentable carbohydrates that cause gas. For those with chronic symptoms, consulting a doctor for diagnosis and tailored treatment is key. With informed dietary choices and professional support, most people can reduce bloating and regain control over their digestive health.
What is a sauna?
- Saunas mainly come in two popular types: While there are several types, most people use either traditional saunas or infrared saunas . These are the most common and easiest to find in homes, gyms, and wellness centers.
- Traditional saunas use high heat to make you sweat more: They usually reach 70 to 90°C using electric heaters or wood-burning stoves. The higher temperature causes deep sweating , which helps remove toxins from the body.
- Infrared saunas work at lower heat but still make you sweat: These saunas use infrared light to heat your body directly. They stay cooler, around 38 to 65°C , but still help your body sweat and relax.
- The type of wood affects how the sauna looks and lasts: Saunas are built from wood like cedar, hemlock, or redwood . Each type of wood gives a different feel, smell, and durability, adding to your sauna experience.
- Both types of saunas offer many health benefits: No matter the type, saunas may help with heart health, pain relief, stress reduction, better blood flow, and glowing skin .
Does the sauna help with bloating?
Saunas aren’t proven to directly alleviate bloating. However, they can indirectly help by reducing stress, water retention, and improving digestion, which are common causes of bloating.
To get the most benefit, doctors recommend sauna sessions lasting 15–20 minutes, about 3–7 times a week. Just make sure to drink water before and after each session to stay hydrated.
3 Ways a sauna helps decrease bloating
Sauna helps with bloating by reducing stress
- Sauna helps people with stressful jobs feel more relaxed: Research shows that people in high-stress jobs like firefighters, police officers, and military personnel feel less stressed after regular sauna sessions. These jobs often come with poor sleep and eating habits, both of which add to stress, and stress is a big reason behind bloating. When stress goes down, bloating often goes down too.
- Less stress from sauna means fewer stomach problems: According to Dr. Michael Ruscio , too much stress can mess with your gut bacteria. This can cause gas, bloating, and other digestive issues. He also points out that stress can make you feel bloated even if you’re not. Saunas lower stress, which helps bring your gut back into balance and keeps bloating away.
- Sauna heat helps your body digest food better: When you're relaxed in a sauna, your blood flow improves. This helps your stomach work better, calms down any inflammation, and supports healthy digestion. All of this works together to reduce bloating naturally.
Increased Sweating Reduces Water Retention to Alleviate Bloating
- Sweating helps your body release trapped water: Sauna use helps reduce water retention, a common cause of bloating. Water retention can happen when your diet is low in protein or vitamin B1 (thiamine). It can also be caused by certain medications like high blood pressure drugs, corticosteroids, or painkillers. These make your body hold on to extra water , making you feel swollen or bloated.
- Sauna sessions can quickly remove this extra water: A study found that an overweight young man who rarely used saunas lost about 0.65 liters of fluid just by doing four rounds of 10-minute sauna sessions at 90°C (194°F), with short breaks in between. This sweat loss helps your body get rid of excess water, which can ease the bloated feeling.
- Women in Finland use saunas to reduce period bloating: Finnish women have long used saunas to relax their uterine muscles and ease bloating during their periods. This shows how sauna heat not only reduces general water retention but also gives relief from hormonal bloating during menstruation.
Sauna improves your digestive system that help with bloating
- Sauna heat improves blood flow to digestion: The sauna’s heat makes your heart beat faster and opens up blood vessels , sending more blood to your digestive organs.
- Sweating in the sauna helps remove toxins: When you sweat in the sauna, your body gets rid of toxins, which supports a cleaner, healthier digestive system.
- Better digestion from sauna use reduces bloating: With improved digestion and fewer toxins, bloating goes down, making you feel lighter and more comfortable.
Other therapies that help with Decrease Bloating
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is another therapy that can really help with bloating. It works by gently activating certain points on your body to help your digestive system move better and reduce gas buildup.
In a clinical study on people with IBS, those who got acupuncture had way less bloating and stomach pain than those who just took medicine.
Another case showed , a woman feeling major relief, she passed gas just 30 minutes after acupuncture helped her body get moving again. So if you’re feeling backed up and bloated, acupuncture might be worth a try.
Abdominal Massage
Abdominal massage helps reduce bloating by getting things moving in your gut. It gently pushes trapped gas and stool through your intestines, which can ease that heavy, swollen feeling.
It also helps relax your belly muscles and improve blood flow in the area. One study , looked at people with constipation and found that those who got regular abdominal massages had more frequent and easier bowel movements.
Another study , in elderly stroke patients showed that massage helped shrink their bloated bellies and made it easier for them to eat. It’s a simple, hands-on way to feel better fast.
herbal teas
If you’re feeling bloated, sipping on a warm cup of herbal tea can really help. Herbs like mint, chamomile, and anise relax your stomach muscles, which makes it easier for gas to pass and reduces that tight, uncomfortable feeling.
These teas also help calm your whole digestive system, so your stomach feels lighter and more at ease.
In Saudi Arabia, people often turn to these herbs for stomach troubles, and a study in BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies , found that they’re some of the most commonly used for bloating and digestion. So next time you’re feeling puffy, herbal tea might be just what your body needs.
Yoga
Yoga is one of the best natural ways to ease bloating, and here’s why it works. When you move through yoga poses, you gently massage your stomach and intestines.
This helps gas move through your system and gets things flowing again. At the same time, yoga helps you relax.
Stress messes with your digestion and can make bloating worse. When you’re tense, your gut slows down, but when you’re calm, your body works better.
Yoga helps bring that calm. In one study , people with IBS who practiced yoga felt less bloated and had a better quality of life.
Another study found , that people who did online yoga along with probiotics had less harmful gut bacteria and felt more energized.
So if bloating keeps bothering you, yoga gives your body a natural push in the right direction, without the side effects of pills.
FAQs
How soon can I expect to feel less bloated after a sauna session?
A sauna session can provide quick relief from bloating as the heat helps your body sweat out excess water. Some feel instant relief, while others may experience gradual results. Regular use, a few times a week, can lead to better long-term results and is often faster and more relaxing than other remedies.
Are infrared saunas better than traditional saunas for reducing bloating?
Infrared saunas penetrate deeper into the body, helping with internal inflammation, detox, and circulation, making them effective for bloating caused by digestive issues and water retention. Traditional saunas heat the air, leading to surface-level sweating that helps with water retention but isn't as effective for deep tissue inflammation. If bloating is linked to digestion, infrared saunas may offer more relief, while both types help with water retention.
What lifestyle habits can enhance the anti-bloating benefits of sauna use?
To boost the anti-bloating effects of sauna use, stay hydrated by drinking water before and after sessions. Eat fiber-rich foods, avoid excess salt, and exercise regularly to improve circulation and help release trapped gas. Managing stress also helps lower cortisol levels, which can reduce bloating. Aim for 15-20 minutes in the sauna for optimal benefits, alongside these healthy habits, to naturally ease bloating.
Can using a sauna after eating make bloating worse?
Using a sauna right after a large meal can cause digestive discomfort, as the heat may slow digestion and increase bloating. It's best to wait 30 minutes to an hour after eating before using the sauna. While saunas can help with bloating, timing is important for optimal comfort.
Ryan "The Sauna Guy"
Ryan has been using and writing about saunas extensively since 2019.
