Relaxing in an infrared sauna is a luxurious means of self-care. Our day-to-day stress seemingly floats away, and we are left untouchable, uncontactable and calm.
It’s no secret that infrared heat floods our bodies with immediate relaxation, but infrared saunas also offer an extensive array of health benefits. If you have a health concern or suffer from pain, stress or sleep deprivation, consider implementing an infrared sauna into your weekly routine.
So, what are the health benefits of infrared saunas? Read on for a comprehensive dive into an infrared sauna’s mental and physical health outcomes.
8 Amazing Health Benefits of Infrared Sauna Sessions
Infrared saunas have recently been popularised and recognised for lower, more comfortable temperatures than traditional saunas, offering an environment that promotes healing.
Infrared technology creates heat through light to deeply penetrate your skin and directly raise your core body temperature. In so doing, infrared heat effectively harnesses the naturally occurring heat of the sun without the potential risks of UV exposure.
The specific health benefits of infrared sauna are as follows.
1. Cardiovascular Health
Frequent infrared sauna sessions have been found in many studies to maintain healthy blood pressure, improve endothelial function, reduce cholesterol, inflammation, heart arrhythmias and markers of chronic heart failure.
Infrared thermal bathing has a beneficial therapeutic effect by promoting cardiovascular conditioning, so you reap the rewards of cardio exercise without lifting a finger. Your body temperature rises, prompting your blood vessels to dilate, activating a physiological response that increases your metabolic rate, heart rate and cardiac output, the same way your favourite Zumba class would. This heart stimulation trains your body to become more efficient at pumping oxygen-rich blood throughout your body.
Visit an infrared sauna several times each week for improved heart and cardiovascular function.
2. Muscle Recovery
Regular infrared sauna visits are invaluable for athletic recovery. By raising your body temperature, heat can penetrate your muscles to increase circulation and accelerate healing. When your circulation is expedited, oxygenated blood is pumped through your body to reduce the build-up of lactic acids that make your muscles feel strained and sore.
With regular visits, you may see an improvement in your performance, faster recovery times, a wider range of motion, deeper stretches and increased flexibility.
3. Immune System
Viruses are an unfortunate part of our daily lives. Infrared saunas are excellent at boosting your immune defence to combat the health challenges of today’s world.
Infrared saunas deeply penetrate our skin and heat our core body temperature to boost cardiovascular, lymphatic and immune system function. The increased heat induces an artificial fever which invigorates your body’s immune response, thereby strengthening it and accelerating it. This process also expels toxins from the body to enhance your resistance to disease and illness.
4. Improved Sleep
Getting a good night’s sleep can be difficult amongst the stress and chaos of our everyday lives. Infrared saunas encourage holistic relaxation to the body and mind and have been linked to improved sleep quality for several reasons.
Firstly, it allows us to unwind, placing our bodies in a state of relaxation, ready for bed after a long and stressful day. For this reason, infrared saunas are beneficial towards the end of the day.
Secondly, infrared saunas produce a red light that promotes melatonin production, the ‘sleep hormone’, making it easier to fall asleep, which can improve your circadian rhythm.
Seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night is essential to our physical and mental health. Sleep deprivation is often linked to depression, anxiety disorders, and chronic fatigue. If you are experiencing any of these conditions, consider implementing a sauna session every day or several times a week at the end of your day.
5. Improved Mood and Stress Relief
Unwinding in the calm environment of an infrared sauna, disconnecting and allowing time for yourself can help to reduce stress levels and anxiety. Not only does a sweat session slow down the nervous system, reduce feelings of frustration and shift your body into a healing state, but studies have also shown a boost in your natural endorphin levels and the production of happy hormones- serotonin and dopamine. What’s more, is infrared saunas have been linked to lower levels of cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone.
If you are experiencing extended periods of low moods and symptoms of stress, consider exploring infrared technology as a holistic approach to improving your overall mood.
6. Weight Loss
Infrared saunas are described as a ‘passive aerobic workout’. Your body receives the same health benefits as jogging on the treadmill or riding a bike around your local park but does so without the same stress response.
As your core body temperature rises, your body responds with perspiration to cool itself down. Your heart rate and circulation increase, and blood is pumped more efficiently throughout your body.
Have you felt like you miraculously shed weight after stepping out of a sauna session?
Not only are infrared saunas effective at expelling water retention, but infrared technology has shown impressive health benefits for your metabolism. Deep heat can raise your metabolism so that you can burn anywhere between 200 to 600 calories in a single session. Without changing your diet or exercise routine, frequent infrared sauna visits could help you shed the extra kilos.
7. Improved Skin
The heat of an infrared sauna induces sweating, allowing your pores to expel pollutants, impurities and dead skin cells that have collected over the day. With regular infrared sauna visits, you will see an improvement to your skin texture, firmness, acne and breakouts, and you’ll notice a glow from the inside out.
Infrared heat can help alleviate persistent skin conditions by:
- Removing dead skin cells, toxins and impurities embedded deep in pores
- Delivering nutrients to the epidermis layer
- Supporting and strengthening your immune system
- Promoting relaxation and reduced levels of stress and anxiety
- Managing triggers that lead to acne breakouts
8. Detoxification
Our bodies absorb toxins every day. Common toxins can be hard to avoid, from passive nicotine to pesticides on our fresh produce. Over time, a build-up of toxins can result in fatigue, aches and pains, acne and other various skin conditions.
Detoxification is one of the most significant infrared sauna health effects. It can help your body flush out toxins and impurities through sweat, having a beneficial ripple effect on the rest of your body.
Obtain Health Benefits of Infrared Sauna with Rimba Sweat
Now that we’ve highlighted the impressive health advantages of infrared sauna, it’s time to experience the difference yourself.
At Rimba Sweat, we are dedicated to restoring well-being in our clients’ minds, bodies, and spirits through innovative infrared technology. Our luxurious, state-of-the-art oasis gives you the chance to heal truly. Regular sweat sessions with Rimba are the answer to escaping the stresses of everyday life and improving your mental and physical health.
Rimba Sweat is unlike any other infrared sauna studio in Sydney. Located in the heart of the Northern Beaches, we offer both standard and large sauna rooms, so you can enjoy some peace alone or with a friend.
Are you ready to reap the health benefits of an infrared sauna in your own private, calming sanctuary? Book a session online now, or call us on (02) 8959 0672 and relax in our luxury infrared sauna studio in Manly today.