6 Health benefits of an infrared sauna.

Ever wondered what the actual benefits of using an infrared sauna were? I mean, we all see them. At spas, fancy gyms, luxury hotel rooms, even portable ones that you can purchase from Amazon. What is the actual hype around them though? Many people use them for weight loss, reducing inflammation, muscle soreness and to detox via sweating.

Here are 6 other reasons you may want to incorporate an infrared sauna into your health and wellness routine:

1. Improved cardiovascular health.

Infrared saunas can significantly improve heart health among regular users. The Department of Family Practice at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver found that infrared sauna therapy can help keep blood pressure within healthy levels, lower cholesterol, reduce chronic pain and be of therapeutic value to patients with chronic congestive heart disease (CHD).

A study published in the Journal of the Japanese Circulation Society showed that infrared sauna therapy reduced heart arrhythmias and the symptoms of chronic heart failure in patients with cardiovascular disease.

2. Aids with regulating sleep and managing insomnia.

Using a sauna can help to induce a restful, deep sleep. Relaxing in high heat raises the body’s temperature. When you get out, the body works hard to cool itself. The rapid decrease of your body temperature is what helps to trigger sleep. Heat penetrates deep under the skin, relaxing and soothing deep tissue. Experts recommend using a sauna about 15 mins before bedtime for the best results.

3. Helps with skin conditions

Just a few minutes of heavy sweating in a sauna can help to remove deeply embedded impurities and dead skin cells, leaving the skin glowing and clean. Increased circulation draws the skin’s own natural nutrients to the surface for a natural glow.

I have personally noticed improved skin tone, color, elasticity, and texture when I regularly incorporate the sauna into my fitness regime. Increased blood circulation has also been shown to help improve acne, eczema, psoriasis, and aid wound healing with reduced scarring.

4. Weight loss and increased metabolism.

An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association has stated that regular use of an infrared sauna imparts a similar boost to the cardiovascular system as running. Even while simply relaxing, the sauna helps the body to produce sweat, pump blood, and burn calories.

This is called a “passive aerobic workout,” because although the body is receiving all these benefits, it is not being stressed in the same way as a normal workout. The body is more relaxed and is in parasympathetic mode during that time. As the body increases sweat production to cool itself, the heart works harder to pump blood while boosting circulation. This increase in metabolism is also burning more calories.

A 30-minute infrared sauna session can burn somewhere between 300–800 calories. (Keep this in mind if you are in calorie surplus or “bulking”)

5. Immune system support

The penetrating infrared wavelengths from infrared saunas raises the core body temperature, stimulating a response that is similar to an artificial fever. A fever is the body’s way to strengthen and accelerate the immune response, as seen in the case of infection.

This enhances the immune system and combined with the improved elimination of toxins and wastes by way of profuse sweating, it can increase overall health and your ability to resist to disease.

6. Reduces appearance of cellulite.

Cellulite is defined as a fat deposit beneath the skin, which causes uneven dimpling or “orange-peel” skin. It appears in 90% of post-adolescent women and is rarely seen in men. Now first off, I love my tiger stripes and thigh dimples! They are natural and they are beautiful, and they add a little razzle-dazzle lol.

Common, but not exclusive, areas where cellulite is found are the butt, thighs, and the abdomen. Contrary to popular belief, cellulite is not related to obesity, and the appearance of cellulite is not always reduced by weight loss.

Because the far infrared radiant heat of a sauna warms three times as deep as conventional saunas, it is significantly more effective at reducing cellulite. There is a link between the slowing of metabolic rates and the storage of toxins in fat cells.

Sauna use and far infrared heat increases heart rate and localized blood circulation, which essentially reverses the above-mentioned trends toward the accumulation of liquids in the fat cells to reduce the appearance of cellulite. If you're looking to get a little firmer, it's an easy and passive way to see some progress.

I hope you enjoyed this list and keep it in mind during your next trip to the gym or your favorite spa. Don't forget to practice these safe sauna use tips:

• Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water and keep a water bottle on hand. Your body will be underdoing stress and losing a lot of water as you are sweating. It is important to maintain proper water intake in order to prevent fatigue, dehydration, and other symptoms that may occur due to over heating.

• Set a time limit of 30 mins. There is no reason to be in a sauna for longer than 30 minutes, and doing so, especially on a regular basis, can lead to major problems. You should also limit visits to 3-4xs a week at most.

• Start low and slow (simmer, don't fry). The last bullet leads me to my next point. Similar to any new stressor on the body, you want to take it slow and start off at a manageable level for a novice when first stepping into an infrared sauna, or any sauna for that matter. Start in short intervals, 10mins at a time with a moderate heat level such as 110 degrees. Assess how your body feels and how you physically react to the heat and length of time in sauna. Pay attention to any light headedness, fatigue, head ache or other common signs of too much stress on the body.

• Rinse off before and after use. I shouldn't even have to mention this one. Be sure to rinse off before and after you use the sauna, especially in public settings. Rinsing before helps to eliminate outside impurities from entering into the sauna and causing bacteria to build in excess. Rinsing after helps to prevent the impurities that you have just detoxed from reabsorbing back into your pores and clogging skin.