Saunas are always synonymous with relaxation, but there’s more to an infrared sauna than simply sweating out your stress. That’s because infrared saunas work in a different way than what most people are familiar with.
The Finnish sauna… aka the conventional sauna, which is what most people think of when they hear the word “sauna”, works by heating the air around you. Because the environment is hot, this causes you to sweat.
Infrared saunas work in a slightly different manner. Rather than simply heating the air around you, these saunas heat you directly. The panels of the sauna emit infrared light which is absorbed deep into your body, leading to some incredible benefits, many of which are not achievable with a traditional sauna.
#1. Superior detoxification
Due to its wavelength properties, infrared light has the ability to reach deep inside of your body. Absorbing energy at this depth can ignite the process of mobilizing toxic substances, including heavy metals, towards the surface of the skin.
However, simply sitting in the infrared sauna isn’t enough. To get the most out of each sauna session, it’s extremely important to maintain proper hydration. High concentrations of water in your body create an environment that enables this mobilizing process to be achieved to the greatest extent possible.
A superior detox helps strengthen the body’s immune system and facilitate numerous biochemical processes that support healthy, functioning cellular activity. It’s no wonder that regular detoxification has been shown to be helpful with inflammatory conditions such as colitis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, auto-immune disease, and immune deficiency states.
#2. Weight loss
Anytime you elevate your heart rate, your body boosts metabolism to support its increased energy requirements. The infrared sauna achieves this effect through elevating your core temperature.
The deep reaching lightwaves of the infrared sauna drive up your core temperature, which consequently makes your body work harder to cool itself. The substantial increase in heart rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate over a prolonged period of 40 minutes can burn upwards of 600 calories at a time!
Regular use of the infrared sauna can have a significant impact on any person’s weight loss goals over time.
#3: Skin rejuvenation
Infrared saunas can have a powerful impact on the health of your skin! That’s because near infrared light is at an optimal wavelength to be absorbed by the epidermis and dermis layer of the skin.
The absorption of the energy within these layers leads to a natural increase in collagen production, which helps reduce wrinkles and improve overall skin tone.
This effect is so powerful that you can feel significant differences in the smoothness of your skin after just one session!
- Acne reduction. Most acne is caused by a buildup of oil on the skin. Infrared saunas facilitate a sweat that helps to clear the oil out of your pores. This effect can help reduce the onset of future breakouts.
- Skin texture and tone. Infrared saunas stimulate cells known as fibroblasts. These cells are largely known for their contribution in the creation of collagen and elastin. The more active these cells are, the better our skin health can be. It’s been documented that high levels of collagen and elastin help to smooth skin texture and improve pigmentation.
#4: Reduces pain
The heat from infrared light can reach deep into tissue, joints, and muscles to facilitate relief from aches and pains.
This heat causes blood vessels to dilate, which allows the body to deliver more oxygen to damaged cells. When cells have more oxygen available to them, they can create more energy and facilitate faster recovery from damage or trauma.
The bottom line
From detoxification to enhanced caloric expenditure, the infrared sauna is a great option for boosting your overall wellbeing.
At RISE Modern Wellness, our infrared sauna sessions are 40 minutes long in a privatized setting so you can get the best experience possible. View more information about our infrared saunas here.
