After a tough day, relaxing in a sauna sounds like the perfect way to unwind for a lot of people. There’s something about it that has a natural “calming effect”, but believe it or not, relaxation is only one of many benefits an infrared sauna can offer you. You’re about to learn why these glorious wooden rooms are becoming evermore popular in homes and health-care facilities.
Why Infrared?
Your body needs a number of things to continually function properly. It needs things like food, water, sleep, exercise, sunshine, and the list goes on. With the exception of the UV rays, an infrared sauna can actually play the role of the sun in a number of ways. Instead of warming the air around you like a traditional sauna does, infrared heat warms your body, just like the sun does. This means that in order to get the same benefits as those traditional saunas, the temperature in the infrared sauna doesn’t need to be as high, thus allowing more people to tolerate the warmth.
The Benefits
Infrared saunas offer an abundance of health benefits, some of which I am sure you would not have ever guessed. In no particular order, here we go:
Detoxification – Sweating is the body’s safe and natural way to heal & stay healthy. Infrared saunas heat the body directly causing a rise in core temperature, resulting in a deep, detoxifying sweat at the cellular level, where toxins reside. This is great for those who suffer from heavy-metal intoxication or poisoning.
Weight Loss – Studies have shown that a 30 minute infrared sauna session can burn upwards of 700 calories while you relax! As the body works to cool itself, there is a substantial increase in heart rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate, causing the body to burn more calories. What happens when we start burning calories? We start shedding the pounds.
Relaxation – Unlike traditional saunas which operate at extremely harsh temperatures, infrared is a gentle, soothing and therapeutic heat that promotes relaxation and improved sleep. Infrared sauna therapy helps you relax while receiving an invigorating deep tissue sweat, leaving you fully refreshed after each session.
Pain Relief – Infrared heat penetrates tissue, joints, and muscles to relieve anything from minor aches and pains to chronic pain conditions such as fibromyalgia. Pain management professionals incorporate infrared heat therapy into treatment plans to decrease pain and muscle spasms and to speed up recovery time.
Lower Blood Pressure – Infrared saunas induce a deep sweat to make the heart pump faster, which in turn increases blood flow, lowers blood pressure and helps circulation. Scientific evidence shows that using an infrared sauna a couple times a week lowers blood pressure.
Improved Circulation – Heating the muscles with infrared rays produces an increase in blood flow similar to that seen during exercise. Regular infrared sauna use—especially in the mid IR range—can significantly stimulate blood flow up to twice the normal rate.
Anti-Aging and Skin Purification – The near infrared wavelength (sometimes referred to as Red Light Therapy) is the most effective wavelength for healing the epidermis and dermis layers of the skin. Near infrared treatments stimulate collagen production to reduce wrinkles and improve overall skin tone.
Wound Healing – Scientific research has concluded that near infrared therapy greatly enhances the skin’s healing process by promoting faster cell regeneration and human tissue growth. Human cell growth increases to repair wounds and prevent infection.
Cell Health – Near infrared therapy stimulates the circulatory system and more fully oxygenate the body’s cells. Better blood circulation means more toxins flow from the cellular level to the skin’s surface to improve cell health, aid in muscle recovery and strengthen the immune system.
Dr. Tom Rofrano