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For thousands of years, sweating has been utilized to help eliminate toxins, chemicals, and heavy metals from the body. If you’re training hard physically every day, then an infrared sauna session is a great way to loosen up the muscles and may even assist with muscle aches.
But, this is just the tip of the iceberg of the benefits offered by infrared sauna therapy. If the latest research data is anything to go by, sweating could just be one of the best ways to slow down the aging process and facilitate vibrant health.
If you’re reading this, then you’re probably curious to learn more about how infrared saunas work. Why are they even called “infrared” saunas and what sets them apart from regular saunas?
Infrared light or radiation is a part of the visible light on the electromagnetic spectrum that’s just beyond the perception of the human eye. The main source of infrared radiation is thermal heat.
Although invisible, infrared light functions as radiant heat that doesn’t heat the air, but penetrates the object (i.e. the human body) instead. The heat is transmitted through electromagnetic waves, thus enabling it to penetrate through the skin more effectively.
In case you’re wondering, the rays emitted by the infrared sauna are the same rays that we get from the sun, but without the UV, so you don’t have to worry about your skin getting damaged.
Note that there are three types of infrared sauna heating and you’ll want to make sure that the infrared sauna that you use has all three. That includes near infrared, mid-infrared and far infrared. Combining all three can yield incredible relaxation and wellness benefits.
There’s a vast array of features that set the infrared sauna apart from other types of heat therapy. As mentioned, unlike a regular sauna that heats the ambient temperature or air around you (thus making you hot and sweaty), the infrared sauna has panels that emit safe electromagnetic radiation that penetrates your skin.
This leads to an increase in core temperature, which makes the infrared sauna more effective at detoxification when compared to a regular sauna. The best part is that an infrared sauna has the capability to do this even at relatively low temperatures.
A lot of steam and dry saunas have to be heated up to a temperature of up to 200 degrees because their job is to make you sweat by increasing the temperature in the room. In contrast, an infrared sauna is usually between 110 to 150 degrees, and you can increase or decrease the temperature further depending on how much you want to sweat.
Lastly, the problem with other types of saunas is that they can be quite cumbersome to use. A steam sauna for example, typically requires two people to operate, and you have to protect your legs from the heat of the steam.
Thanks to its ability to ward off stress and induce a state of pure relaxation, the infrared sauna is the secret ingredient that allows many of the world’s top achievers to stay in the zone and maintain peak performance in all areas of life.
The detoxification effects of sweating coupled with the penetrating power of the rays help to deeply purify the skin. Furthermore, the infrared sauna gets to the cellular level of the skin to slow down the effects of aging on your skin.
Because it penetrates the skin, the heat coming from an infrared sauna has the ability to increase your core temperature and your metabolism as well. It also gets your heart to beat faster while burning calories. You can burn up to 600 calories in 30 minutes using an infrared sauna, depending on the settings and how much you sweat.
Studies show that even when heavy metals and chemicals don’t show up in the urine or blood, they can still show up in your sweat. That’s why it’s so important to sweat every day.
Infrared sauna is one of the most gentle and pleasant ways to get rid of toxins. It has been shown to effectively detoxify chemicals and heavy metals out of the body. Keep in mind that it’s most effective for detoxification when you’re most relaxed.
Being in a sauna also activates heat shock proteins which happens every time your core body temperature is activated and increased. The great thing about heat shock proteins is that they help to prevent accumulated cell damage that contributes to aging.
You see, proteins start to become dysfunctional as we age, and heat shock proteins can prevent that from happening. Heat stress from sitting in an infrared sauna can activate this heat shock protein for a long period of time afterwards, for up to 2 weeks to be exact, helping to protect your cells from accumulated damage.
When you get hot, your heart starts to race at a similar rate as it would if you were doing cardiovascular exercise. This helps to increase plasma and blood flow to the heart, so the heart doesn’t have to work as hard as it normally does.
An infrared sauna is a must have if you’re experiencing chronic pain, whether it’s in your knees, lower back, or hip. Perhaps you participated in sports or had a job that was strenuous to your body then it might be beneficial to use an infrared sauna.
The reason infrared saunas work so well is that they don’t hurt your lungs and you can take deep breaths while you’re in there for relaxation.
Have you ever tried floatation therapy? If not, then you need to add it to your wellness routine checklist right away. It’s one of the best ways to counteract the effects of daily stress on the mind and body, and it’s even more effective when you add an IR Sauna session right before.
Beyond Rest offers both treatments as part of our Mental wellbeing package, which is designed to fast track effective stress relief during your float tank experience.
This deeply relaxing treatment is unique as it is comprehensive. Not only do you get all the benefits of the infrared Sauna (which we’ve mentioned above), but it helps you to get the most out of your float therapy session. This includes enhancing the relaxation benefits and magnesium absorption while you’re in the tank, so that you come out feeling brand new.
Many have described an infrared sauna session as feeling like being at the beach on a hot and sunny day. All you have to do is relax while the infrared heat works its magic. You can even watch online videos, read a book or meditate while using an infrared sauna.
There are some contraindications to using an infrared sauna if you’re pregnant. That’s why it’s always a good idea to check with your physician before you try anything.
The ideal temperature for an infrared sauna is about 110 degrees but it depends on what you’re using it for.
It’s recommended to drink 8 to 16 ounces of water before and after your sauna. But, to get the most out of the detox benefits of an infrared sauna, be sure to avoid drinking water while you’re in the sauna, unless you get dehydrated and really need to.
It’s recommended to wait for 1 to 2 hours after eating a meal before you get into an infrared sauna, but you can eat immediately afterwards.
Beginners are usually advised to start with 20 minutes a day and you can increase that to 30 minutes a day if you feel comfortable doing so. The maximum recommended time to spend in an infrared sauna is 2 hours a day, but not all at once. If you’re a healthy adult, it’s safe to use every day of the week.
If you can tolerate heat well and want to detox and sweat, relieve stress, relax and/or lose weight, then an infrared sauna is a great tool to use. If you don’t own one yet, be sure to visit us at Beyond Rest.
We have 7 locations spread out between Melbourne and Perth, so you’re spoilt for choice when making a booking.
Try it at least once to see the health and wellness enhancing benefits for yourself. It’s life-changing stuff!
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