Health Benefits of Infrared Saunas

Remarkable is how many have described the health benefits they have received from using an Infrared Sauna.  In the cold and dark of a winter’s night in the far north, people first learned about the positive physical and mental benefits of taking a sauna. These sauna benefits helped to spread the practice around the world. Today, a modern infrared sauna makes taking advantage of those benefits easier than ever. Let’s take a closer look.

Detoxification

One of the primary benefits of a sauna is its ability to detoxify the body. The main way this is accomplished this is through the production of sweat. Sweating helps the body rid itself of toxins. The problem is that most people today live relatively sedentary lifestyles. This means they do not sweat often enough or long enough to get rid of toxins.

This problem becomes even worse in the cold temperatures of winter. The higher temperatures help to raise the body’s core temperature. As this temperature rises, the body produces sweat to help regulate heat. This sweat not only cools the body, but also purges it of heavy metals and chemicals.

Heavy Metal Detox

A quality Sauna with effective infrared heaters causes what is called resonance frequency.  The closer the heaters are to 9.4 microns, the better this resonance frequency, or vibration of the cells.  This vibration, similar to glass molecules vibrating form certain sound waves, shakes off the heavy metals and other toxins that are stuck to the cells, releasing them to be eliminated from the body.

The brand that produces the best resonance frequency is Clearlight saunas.  Another exceptional brand which also delivers high levels of detoxification is Healthmate Saunas.  This is part of the reasoning behind these two brands being so highly recommended and satisfying such a high percentage of their customers.

Stress Reduction

Another of the benefits is in the reduction of stress. We live in a stress filled world. Many of us have little or no opportunities to relax.  In the cabin of a sauna, you are in a warm, beautiful place that is closed off from the rest of the world. You close your eyes, lean back and feel the heat entering your body.

As it gently relaxes your muscles, you feel the cares of the day falling away.  It’s like a weight being lifted from your shoulders. As you relax, your body produces larger amounts of pleasure inducing chemicals called endorphins. This higher endorphin level helps you feel better and more alert and this feeling continues for some time after you leave the sauna. When you regularly use a sauna, these benefits multiply.

Healing

One more of the benefits of infrared saunas are their ability to help injured joints and muscles to heal. An infrared sauna radiates energy in the far infrared of the electromagnetic spectrum. These far infrared wavelengths are able to penetrate the human body to the depth of several inches. This penetration allows the healing heat to positively affect deep muscle tissue and joints. The heat allows for increased blood flow to these tissues which, in turn, promotes the body’s natural healing processes.

Relaxation

The body is relaxed by being put into a parasympathetic state.  Even after the session is over, the body remains for a period of time in this state of relaxation.  Over time, the body is trained to remain in the parasympathetic state, taking even longer to go back into a fight or flight sympathetic state.

Cardiovascular conditioning

As the body is heated up, blood is moved to the lungs and pushed towards the surface of the skin in the body’s attempt to cool itself.  Breathing is increased and more oxygen goes into the blood as the heart rate increases. This is what also happens during exercise.  This infrared therapy creates a mild cardiovascular conditioning, similar to light exercise.

This can be extremely beneficial to those suffering from any condition that will  not permit vigorous exercise.

 

Considering An In Home Sauna?

Our Infrared Sauna Review Page will guide you on better understanding what to look for and how to choose Your Infrared Sauna.  Some, however, may enjoy a little history of how the modern home sauna has evolved and benefit from a brief discussion of the various types of at home saunas.

The first indoor sauna was a simple chamber carved out of a hillside. Its purpose was equally simple – to keep the occupants warm and alive throughout a long northern winter night. After the chamber was completed, a fire was started in the center and rocks were added to the fire. Once the fire burned out, the occupants entered the chamber, sealed the door and the rocks radiated warmth all night. The people inside were healthier and happier for that warmth.

While the specifics of a modern sauna have changed greatly, the basic principle is still the same. A sauna provides a source of radiant heat that promotes good health and well-being. The good news is that the source of this health and well-being is now within the reach of any homeowner desiring to feel better, mentally and physically.

The concept of an at home sauna has come of age. It has grown from a Scandinavian and Finnish cultural curiosity to a luxury that can be enjoyed by anyone at any time – with optional types available.

 

Three Main Types at Home Saunas

There are three main types of modern in home saunas – steam, dry heat and infrared. When choosing the best one for your home, it’s important to understand the differences between each of these types. Therefore, let’s take a look at each different type in turn.

 

Indoor Steam Sauna

The first main modern type is the traditional steam sauna.  While these have historically been outdoor stand-alone cabin type structures, in recent decades they have become used more as a type of indoor sauna. These are, essentially, what the name implies – they utilize hot steam to reach and maintain the higher temperatures a sauna traditionally requires.  Although this is an established sauna type, and perhaps the first type most people think of when the word “sauna” is mentioned, they are not without drawbacks.

First, they are comparatively large and have a fairly significant “footprint”.  Second, they are almost always permanent, requires up to two days to install.  Once installed, they cannot be easily moved. Third, they take a fairly long time to heat, which reduces their convenience to use.

Finally, when fully heated, they are hot, with temperatures near or at 200 degrees Fahrenheit.  This is not an optimal temperature, since it reduces the time that can be spent in the sauna and can often make breathing uncomfortable. This, in turn, reduces the health benefits of taking a sauna.

 Dry Heat Sauna

The next type is the dry heat sauna.  Most units that utilize dry heat share many of the same problems. They are large, permanent, take a long time to heat and reach high temperatures that tend to limit the length of time in the sauna. They are often simply steam units with the steam heater being replaced with an electric heater. In addition,  when using a standard electric heater, they offer little if any infrared, deep tissue healing and detoxification than the next modern type, the infrared.

 

The Modern In Home Infrared Sauna

An in home infrared sauna, as the name suggests, uses the far infrared wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum to heat and soothe the sauna’s occupants. An infrared sauna offers significant health benefits when compared to other sauna types, as far infrared red energy has the ability to actually penetrate the first two or three inches of a user’s body. This produces a deep tissue heating that is uniquely relaxing. Deep tissue heating also allows for a greater degree of detoxification.

For example, the average user in a steam sauna produces sweat that is about 3% toxins. The average user in an infrared sauna, on the other hand, has sweat that is 20% toxins. This is a significant difference.

Additionally, infrared saunas have a smaller footprint and take up a lot less space than the other types of saunas. They are also very portable and can be moved easily. They heat up quickly and easily. As a result they are much more convenient to use.

 

What is the Best Type of Sauna for Your Home?

While steam is the type most people have been familiar with, the past 3 decades saunas have moved more and more each year to infrared.  As more learn about the ability to have an indoor sauna  in their own home to use at any time, Infrared has become the in home sauna of choice.

Infrared offers significantly more detoxification than the other types, which is perhaps the main feature most new buyers are looking for in a sauna.  Combined with the lower heat, it is no wonder infrared units are selling at an ever increasing rate.

All in all the clear benefits of an infrared sauna normally trump every other type of modern in home sauna on the market.  Because of this they make an excellent choice for anyone desiring to take advantage of the health benefits a sauna brings.

Our Infrared Sauna Review page discusses in more detail the features of this type and how to choose among the various brands and heaters used.  From that page, you can easily navigate to individual sauna reviews as well as the top rated brands.