Infrared Sauna
The health world is all excited with wonderful benefits of a sauna. Traditionally thought to emerge from Northern Europe around 2000 BC, saunas are still relevant today. Long toted health benefits from using a sauna include sore muscle recovery, detoxification, increased metabolism and weight loss, less muscle and joint pain, improved sleep, and stress reduction. While there are many different types of saunas, the focus here is the infrared sauna.
A Little History
In 1965, a Japanese doctor received the first far infrared heater patent. He began to use this for healing in the same way you would use an infrared or traditional steam sauna. Jump a head a couple of decades into the 1980s. Eventually, the patent ended and the technology created by the good doctor came to the United States. Since the 80s’ the technology has continued to be made more effective by refinement. Today you can sit in an infrared sauna in your home, at a gym or spa, or you can purchase your own personal sauna from companies like Therasage at Aligned With Green Wellness Studio.
Benefits
Many health professions around the world use infrared saunas to help alleviate pain, for toxin removal, weight loss, to reduce stress, and much more. Continue to read on for more details on each benefit.
Aches, Pain, & Arthritis
Aging, overdoing it with exercise, and arthritis can have you feeling stiff and achy. Time spent in an infrared sauna can help to alleviate inflammation which is a reason for the soreness. Sitting in an infrared sauna and allowing the heat to penetrate the muscles not only feels good and relaxes them but increases your blood circulation, carrying off metabolic waste and delivering oxygen-rich blood.
Detoxification
Detoxification is vital to good health. By spending time in an infrared sauna, you allow the blood to circulate more and stimulate the sweat glands. By doing this you can detoxify your body from heavy metals, nicotine, alcohol, sulfuric acid, and other organic and inorganic compounds.
Weight Loss
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. While relaxing in the gentle heat, the benefits of infrared sauna include the body producing sweat, pumping blood and burning calories. Because the body is receiving all the benefits of working out but none of the stress, this is called passive aerobic workout. Sitting in the heat of an infrared sauna, the body increases sweat production to cool itself. This makes the heart work harder to boost circulation. This increase in metabolism will burn more calories, thus helping in weight loss.
Stress Reduction
Taking time to sit in an infrared sauna is taking time for yourself. Taking time for your mental and physical health. By sitting in a sauna for a few minutes, soaking in the warmth and relaxing, you are affecting the parasympathetic nervous system. This allows the body to heal and restore itself.
Interested in Trying
There are many, many benefits to sitting in an infrared sauna. From relaxation to pain relief to reduced inflammation, whatever your reasons you deserve to take the time to enjoy a relaxing visit to an infrared sauna. At AWG Wellness, Krista can help you learn more about infrared saunas. She also has one you can experience at her studio and also sells other Therasage wellness products. She can help you decide which sauna would be the perfect fit for you to have for your home or travel. To contact Krista at AWG, please email her at alignedwithgreen@gmail.com.