More people are making wellness a priority than ever before, and infrared sauna therapy has become a popular part of wellness treatment nationwide. Saunas are regarded as a key to good health, both as a preventative tool and treatment method. One of the popular benefits of infrared saunas is that they help with detoxification.
Each time you use a sauna, detoxification occurs via perspiration, a direct response to the intense heat from infrared wavelengths. It’s a safe process that provides immediate results.
Paired with a healthy diet and exercise, infrared therapy can complete the perfect trifecta of an established wellness routine. But how does it work and what toxins are being released, exactly?
Let’s examine further.
How Infrared Works
Infrared Saunas are designed for regular use as a way to help you relax, recover, and improve your health. What’s unique about infrared compared to other saunas is that the heat is emitted at a lower temperature than a steam or rock sauna. Rather than heat the air around you, it heats your body from inside out and penetrates deep into skin and muscle layers.
Soon after entering the sauna, you’ll start to sweat, and this is normal, even desirable. Heaters are strategically placed for maximum results. With Health Mate full spectrum saunas, the combination of three wavelengths, near-, mid-, and far, provides a myriad of benefits.
Near-infrared heat is delivered via LED lighting. The mid and far range are delivered via our patented dual micron heaters that emit a full 360-degree surround of heat, safely and within minutes.
As your body heats up and you begin to sweat, you’ll feel your muscles start to relax. Your core will warm and your circulation will improve as your heart rate increases. You’ll experience benefits that may not seem apparent. One of the most immediate benefits is that infrared will help with detoxification. During a single 20–30-minute session, your body can undergo a significant amount of cleansing. Afterward, you’ll feel refreshed, much like after a good fitness workout.
Sweat And Toxin Release
There are some conflicting reports that suggest infrared therapy causes water loss and a little salt secretion via sweating but no flushing of anything else through your skin.
However, studies have shown that infrared sauna therapy will induce a detox through sweat that actually supports the liver and kidney function.
We all have a certain amount of toxins in our bodies. Doctors use the term ‘bio-accumulators’ to explain how our system accumulates all sorts of by-products from our air, food, and water faster than we can expel them. Sometimes we don’t properly expel them at all. This includes toxic chemicals, pollutants, and heavy metals. Research suggests that many metals are carcinogens, including arsenic, lead, and mercury. Exposure levels to these toxins may vary depending on where you live.
Infrared sessions enjoyed on a regular basis can aid in the elimination of toxins. They can even help people on dialysis by increasing blood flow and relieving the load on their kidneys. As always, you need to stay properly hydrated. Also, check with a medical advisor before making sauna therapy part of your regular routine.
Your Optimal Sauna Routine
To optimize your time and results from your infrared sauna sessions, it’s good to develop a routine. While it might take little time to prepare, there are some key things to keep in mind before, during, and after use:
- Before entering the sauna, make sure that you’re hydrated. Since your body temperature is going to increase and you’re going to sweat, you want to be sure to drink plenty of water.
- As you’re starting out, limit your sessions to 5-10 minutes and increase by a few minutes each time until you work up to 20 or 30 minutes maximum.
- If you work out or exercise before using the sauna, be sure to wipe or rinse off any sweat buildup since it contains salt that can clog your pores and lead to acne troubles.
- Be sure to wear clothing that can easily and comfortably absorb sweat. We recommend wearing a terry cloth robe or using a towel to wipe away sweat.
- After using the sauna you’ll want to quickly shower or towel off, for the same reason as above.
- When your sauna session is complete, don’t forget to rehydrate with more water. You may also want to apply moisturizer to your skin since the heat from the sauna tends to cause dryness.
