What are infrared saunas?
If you have been thinking about getting a home sauna, you have probably come across a product called an infrared sauna, sold alongside traditional wooden saunas and advertised as the next best thing in the heat therapy industry.
You are understandably a bit sceptical, unsure if this is simply a wild claim by sauna companies desperate to sell their wares or if there genuinely is an advantage to choosing this new technology.
In this article we will walk you through exactly what an infrared sauna is, what the health benefits are that is does offer, and debunk any myths about infrared saunas that we come across along the way.
What is an infrared sauna?
An infrared sauna is a small heat therapy room where infrared panels are used to heat the body of the user/s, sending infrared waves directly into the skin and creating a far more penetrating heat than is possible in traditional saunas.
They also produce a more penetrating sweat that traditional models and, as the room itself doesn’t need to be heated to quite as high a temperature, you can use the room for longer sessions. The truth is that whilst we all like the idea of a sauna session, many of us are not massive fans of the extreme heat produced by traditional saunas and can only bear it for a few minutes at a time. This is not the ultimate relaxation experience you were promised, and infrared saunas offer a perfect middle ground between comfort and the health benefits of concentrated heat.
Where did infrared saunas come from?
Infrared saunas are relatively new to the UK home sauna market, but the concept of harnessing infrared heat for medical purposes has been around for longer than you might imagine.
In fact, as early as the 1800s, infrared heat was being studied by academics, and by the 1960s there was a fully fledged infrared heater produced in Japan that was used by doctors for healing purposes.
Not only do infrared saunas continue the centuries old traditional of saunas and steam rooms, therefore, but are also part of the more recent infrared heat revolution. Combining the concepts of sitting in a hot room to relax and heal, with the medical benefits of infrared light certainly does appear to be a match made in heaven and it is no surprise to us that the rise in popularity for home infrared saunas has been so rapid.
Are Infrared saunas actually good for you?
Like any DIY health treatment, there are a wide number of different claims about the benefits of using an infrared sauna for your health.
There are certain claims regarding infrared sauna effects that do need to be taken with a pinch of salt. These include the idea that infrared saunas can be used to lose weight.
Whilst there is certainly some evidence that regular sauna use does aid in weight loss, by increasing metabolism in a similar manner to exercise and helping your body to burn calories at a faster rate, it is not a tool that can be used to lose weight rapidly. In fact, if you do weight yourself after using a sauna and find that you have lost a noticeable amount of weight, this is likely to be water weight lost through sweat and it is essential that you rehydrate as soon as you can.
Similarly, there are claims that a sauna can help to detoxify the body by letting heavy metals and other toxins escape through the pores that open in your skin when exposed to high temperatures. There is some research suggesting that this has merit, but more needs to be done before a concrete link between infrared sauna use and a lower risk of disease due to pollutants under the skin can be made.
However, there can be no dispute that there are a number of very real and very impressive health benefits to using an infrared sauna on a regular basis. These have all been verified repeatedly through scientific research and infrared treatments are now commonplace in healthcare settings across the world.
If you purchase an infrared sauna for your very own property, just some of the health benefits that you can expect to enjoy on a regular basis include:
- Symptomatic relief from chronic pain stiff joint conditions such as arthritis.
- Reduced inflammation and faster healing of soft tissue injuries
- Intense sweating that shifts dirt and grime and leave you with clean stunning looking skin.
- Dilated blood vessels that improve circulation and lower blood pressure (Consult with a doctor before using an infrared sauna to treat high blood pressure, or if you have low blood pressure and want to ensure that it is safe to use.
- Longer REM cycles and improved sleep quality.