These health benefits are infrared hot!
Unlike a traditional sauna, infrared saunas don’t heat the air around you. Instead, they use infrared lamps (that use electromagnetic radiation) to directly warm your body.
“These saunas use infrared panels instead of heated air to penetrate tissue, heating up your body first before heating the air around you,” explains iVBar’s Director of Wellness, Dr. Austin Sanford DC.
An infrared sauna can operate at a lower temperature (usually between 120˚F and 140˚F) than a traditional sauna, which is usually between 150˚F and 180˚F.
Infrared sauna manufacturers claim that in an infrared sauna, only around 20 percent of the heat is used to heat the air and the other 80 percent is used directly to heat your body.
What are the benefits of using an infrared sauna?
There are many health benefits of using an infrared sauna, some of these similar to those experienced with a traditional sauna. These include:
- better sleep
- relaxation
- detoxification
- weight loss
- relief from sore muscles
- relief from joint pain such as arthritis
- clear and tighter skin
- improved circulation
- help for people with chronic fatigue syndrome
People have been using saunas for hundreds of years for all sorts of health conditions. While there are several studies and research on traditional saunas, there aren’t as many studies that look specifically at the newer technology used by infrared saunas:
- A small 10-person study found that people with chronic fatigue syndrome benefited from using an infrared sauna as part of an overall treatment.
- Another 10-person study found that infrared saunas helped decrease muscle soreness and increase recovery from strength-training sessions.
According to one review, several studies have found that infrared light therapy saunas may help reduce blood pressure.
There are no reported negatives side effects so far, beyond the cautions about any sauna experience. These include the possibilities of overheating, dehydrating, and interference with medication, as well as the potential dangers for those who are pregnant, have heart disease, or are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, among others.
Last Call: Even if your sweat session doesn’t do all of the things it claims to do, at least it still feels good. Plus, it contributes to your overall health and well-being by helping you relax, loosening up stiff or tight muscles, reducing joint pain, and giving you some much needed time to yourself.
