Is the Sauna Good for Constipation (Does it Help You Poop?)

Being constipated can be uncomfortable, sometimes even painful and it leaves you wanting to find ways to alleviate the pain and be able to poop. A sauna is a good way to detoxify your body, but does it help you poop when constipated?

Using a sauna can help relieve constipation as well as help prevent it in the future. The heat from the sauna can warm up your body which will help relax your muscles, allowing the waste to come out. The increased blood circulation and necessary increase in water intake to avoid dehydration can also help reduce the risk of constipation.

Helping with constipation and digestion are two of the benefits of using a sauna. Read on to learn more about how and why.

Will a sauna help constipation?

One of the big questions is whether using a sauna will help with constipation. Will going into a sauna while constipated help you poop?

Using the sauna while constipated will often help you poop. Heating up your muscles and tissue allows your muscles to relax instead of constricting and makes it easier for waste to come out. Increased circulation helps make digestion easier and drinking more water before and after helps soften the stools inside of you.

Similar to using a heating pad, the heat from the sauna can warm up your body, muscles, and tissue, which allows them to relax, opening up your colon and intestines. This relaxation can help your body move waste, release stools and possibly help alleviate any discomfort from constipation. 

Circulation issues can cause constipation since blood isn’t flowing adequately throughout your body. The circulatory system’s main job is to send blood, oxygen, and nutrients throughout your body, and is necessary for organs to function properly.

Using the sauna can help increase circulation throughout the body, which can help ensure that you do not get constipated or have other digestive issues.  

Drinking water is an especially important part of a sauna routine and this is actually beneficial when it comes to constipation. Water helps soften hardened stools, making it easier to push them out when needed. If you are constipated and using the sauna, be sure to drink plenty of water both before and after to replenish your body and to help soften your stool.

One of the main benefits of the sauna is that it helps detoxify your body, helping rid it of impurities in the body.

This is often through sweating and perspiration but it can also be through pooping so be careful and keep your time to a minimum when using the sauna while constipated, paying extra close attention to your body’s needs. 

Does the sauna help with digestion?

Digestion issues often lead to constipation and other stomach problems. Can going to the sauna help with digestion?

Saunas are helpful when it comes to the digestive system due to helping increase circulation throughout the body. Improving your circulation while constipated can help get your body back on track and push out impacted stools. It can also help prevent constipation and other digestive issues in the future such as bloating and gas. 

The sauna also helps with the digestive tract by helping to release toxins from the body. The heat from this treatment can cause a brief, but beneficial increase in body temperature which is designed to boost your immune system. This also helps decrease inflammation as well as potentially alleviate pain or discomfort.  

Is it okay to use the sauna if you are constipated?

It is always important to look at whether it’s safe to use a sauna whenever you have any health concerns. Is it okay to use the sauna if constipated?

While there are several conditions listed where you should either avoid the sauna or seek medical advice, constipation is not one that is usually listed. Some might have the concern that during your session your body and muscles may relax enough that you may need to poop, but this is not a common concern. If in doubt be sure to seek medical advice.

The reason there may be a concern if you are constipated or do not poop daily is that this is one of the ways your body may detoxify. However, this is not a widely used recommendation so if you are having digestive issues and are hesitant or in doubt talk to a medical professional for advice. 

Does detoxification help you poop if you are constipated?

Detoxifying your body is an important part of being healthy. But can detoxification help you poop when constipated? 

When you detoxify, poop is one of the common ways for those toxins to exit your body. Your body is getting rid of toxins from your body, many of these we get from the food our bodies cannot process correctly so these need to be released through poop. One of the main benefits of detoxification is regulating your digestive system which leads to regular bowel movements. 

When you start to detoxify, be prepared to poop more than normal until your body regulates itself and all the toxins are gone from your system. Be sure to drink lots of water as well to help soften your stools when constipated.

How does a traditional sauna promote detoxification?

With so many different saunas it’s important to look at how they promote detoxification and which one is best. How do traditional saunas help with detoxification?

Traditional saunas promote detoxification by warming up the room to about 150-200°F and causing those inside to sweat out toxins. They rely on heating with rocks or wood-burning stoves, with modern ones using an electric coil. Sweating does occur, however, the heat penetration is at surface level. 

Heat penetration at surface level means that the muscles and tissues deeper in your body will not get warmed up, missing out on the full benefits deeper heat penetration can provide.

Since the heat penetration is not coming from deep within and is actually in the room, those who are sensitive to heat may feel more discomfort in a traditional sauna compared to an infrared sauna. You still get the benefit of sweating out any toxins, so if you do not have access to an infrared sauna, don’t skip on the traditional one. 

How does an infrared sauna promote detoxification?

One of the most popular types of saunas for detoxification is the infrared sauna. How does this sauna promote detoxification in the body?

The infrared sauna helps with detoxification by heating the body using infrared lights and heaters. The skin soaks up the heat, raising the body temperature from within, which is far more efficient than traditional saunas. Due to this deep core temperature rising, there is a deeper level of detoxification than other saunas.

The deeper penetration of heat to muscles and tissues means that they will have increased circulation and these muscles may relax more, allowing for your body to be better prepared to release waste. An extra benefit is that with the deeper level of penetration, infrared saunas tend to be at a more comfortable level since heating is coming from within and not from the room.

Those who are sensitive to heat may find it far more comfortable to sit in an infrared sauna compared to a traditional one, which means they will be willing to spend more time in it, allowing for ample time for detoxification.

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