Your Guide to Infrared Saunas

The world of saunas can be confusing. From wet saunas to dry saunas, infrared, far infrared or your typical steam sauna, how do you know what to use? Today I share your guide to infrared saunas. 

Red light therapy, cryotherapy, infrared saunas are all becoming common topics of conversation in the health world. These therapies which also happen to help prevent disease and increase longevity are making strides in the modern world. Today I wanted to dive into the different types of saunas, if they are really beneficial, how often you have to sit in a sauna to make it beneficial and more.

I bring this topic up because it has changed my own health journey. Through my two year battle dealing with mold, lack of energy, and working to rid my body of the Lyme’s bacteria the sauna has been a vital tool in healing.

Sure I used a sauna before I got sick, my parents owned one and it was always relaxing and soothing in a different way. It just made you feel good all over the place like naturally energized and cleaned, but I really never took it seriously. Just occasionally sitting in it, mostly when I was cold from the long winter days.

But after my sickness came and I started realizing how healing it was to my body. I started sitting in the sauna, like it was my job. It became a tool to help my body detoxify when it was struggling to dump. It also became a source of energy that my body was lacking so that it could more efficiently heal on its own.

All in all, I’m a sauna believer. I still sit in it ritually and even have my kiddos sit in the sauna from time to time. Today on the show I wanted to bring an expert on to talk more about the sauna, what kind you should be using and how often. You can learn all about it on today’s podcast.

 

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What is a sauna?

You can definitely dive into this information more in-depth on today’s show but I wanted to clarify a few things in case you haven’t had time to listen but are intrigued. That starts by understanding what a sauna is.

Saunas are a tool that has been used for centuries. A sauna is definitely not a new therapy but the technology in which we now have behind saunas has improved tenfold or more.

A sauna refers to any type of small or large room or device designed to emit dry heat or wet heat {steam}.

The heat causes you to sweat and the act of sweating actually has many positive health benefits. The new technology takes the power of heat and combines that with healing infrared therapies. The infrared therapies penetrate the cells inside the body working to transform our cell health.

health benefits

There are many health benefits of saunas. Of course, the technology, whether far or near infrared, wet or dry heat can make a difference {I’ll explain in more depth in a second}.  Some of the most well-known benefits include;

1. Flush Toxins – One of the ways the human body removes toxins from the body is through sweat. In fact, our skin and armpits are critical dumping grounds to remove toxins the body may have absorbed or is ready to release through the lymphatic system.
2. Brain protection – Perspiring can help your body protect your brain, possibly by aiding in the detoxification pathways and ridding the brain of harmful toxins. In a study published in the Journal of Age and Aging, men who used a sauna multiple times a week had a lower risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
3. Aid in recovery – The heat, especially from far-infrared saunas, penetrate body cells efficiently, reducing recovery time.
4. Increase weight loss – I know it’s not all about the weight, but saunas have been known to help with weight loss. During a sauna session, your heart rate increases substantially due to the dry heat. Scientists have estimated that a 20-minute session at around 150 degrees Fahrenheit burns over 500 calories. Essentially it speeds up the same way you would from physical exercise without obviously exerting yourself.
5. Increase immune strength – Sauna sessions have been shown to help produce white blood cells. The white blood cells of the body are its medium to fight against attacking infections and bacteria. Regular sauna users have a higher count of white blood cells which means they stay healthier and heal faster.
6. Reduce stress – One of the most important components is simply the ability of the sauna to reduce stress on the body allowing you to relax. This alone could be one of the most healing benefits we find from saunas.

types of saunas

Saunas can get confusing because there are so many different types and technologies. But to keep it simple there are really two types of saunas, dry and wet.

A traditional dry sauna is usually heated with fire or hot stones, where a traditional steam sauna generates steam by apply water on the heating element.

The other type of dry saunas are known as infrared saunas. These use invisible light within certain frequencies to penetrate and heat up the body’s tissue directly. Infrared saunas can be broken down into three types; near infrared, far infrared, and full spectrum infrared saunas.

what’s best to use?

Given more modern day technology the infrared saunas are going to pack a larger punch. This is because the light frequencies are able to penetrate through the body and act at the cellular level, rather than just dealing with the temperature of the body. So while the heat in all cases is having a benefit, the light frequencies are taking it to a whole new level.

I personally use the far infrared sauna because my research has shown this is the most healing of all. Of course outside of the full-spectrum which tends to be at a higher price range. So next to that, my recommendation is a far-infrared sauna.

my brand choice

Just like anything, the brand really does matter. Because you want to know you are getting what you pay for, right?

Personally, I’ve done a lot of research on sauna’s and have chosen Sunlighten Saunas to be my recommendation. They sit with some of the best technology and the most research to back it up. And we’re talking 3rd party research – which is a big deal. Plus, they are low in EMF, made with quality products that are relatively toxin-free. Not to mention they are super simple to work with.

If you’re interested in having your own at-home sauna, Sunlighten is definitely a company to talk to. By the way, if you drop my name {Alexa Schirm or Simple Roots Wellness} they’re throwing in a free gift with your purchase.

my soapbox

If I may, I’m going to step on my soapbox for a minute, because I’m passionate about healing technologies and using them consistently. Like I said, it’s one thing to pop into a sauna every now and then when you can find access to one that works, it’s another thing to have this technology sitting in your home.

I’ll be honest, I didn’t use it very often at all. Especially not enough to get the healing benefits when I had to pack up and expose myself in someone else’s sauna. But when it’s right in the comfort of your home, I can assure you, your usage the benefits increase exponentially.

But I do know there is a cost associated, and it’s not little. Maybe save your money, buy a family gift, ask for a sauna for Mother’s Day {you don’t’ know unless you ask right?} but I can assure you, the investment is worth it. Especially for the longevity of a quality sauna, like Sunlighten.

Trust me, maybe if I would have taken health prevention more seriously before I crashed and burned. I would have saved my family tens of thousands of dollars. Just a little perspective.

Okay, end soapbox.

get your own sauna

But seriously, saunas are one of the expensive tools I use weekly to enhance my health. I don’t do a lot of expensive therapies, because I can’t financially, but this would be my top choice for a higher dollar preventative tool.

If you want to talk with Sunlighten yourself and get more questions answered I would suggest calling them rather than the just e-mail {their number is 877-292-0020 }. Of course, you can visit their website but like I said, there is a lot of reassurance in just talking with someone.

Don’t forget to drop my name for a very special gift their giving you.

amplify your detox

As I always say, it’s not just about detoxing and cleanse your body for it, but it’s providing the space and environment for your body to do the job it was designed. This is one tool that can help you speed up the detox and experience more benefits.

So I want to know, have you experienced a sauna? What did you think and would you recommend this tool? Leave a comment below and let me know!

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