The ancient use of Sauna’s for stress relief, relaxation, detoxification and their health promoting benefits have been around for decades. I am often asked what the difference is between a dry or traditional sauna and an infrared sauna so, I thought I would share my personal experience of using one with you here.

From what I have read and understand both heat the body however, in a dry sauna it generates heat by first heating the sauna, then you get hot, because the sauna is hot. The principles and benefit of radiant heat with infrared are different because it is not necessary to heat the sauna first. In dry sauna’s humidity can also be high and you can get uncomfortable fairly quickly whereas, with an infrared you can tolerate the temperature with more comfort. A dry sauna also emits near infrared heat whereas, the infrared sauna emits far infrared heat – so they are sometimes referred to as far-infrared saunas. So, what does this mean? Near infrared ends up heating the skins surface whereas, far infrared sauna’s penetrates on a far deeper level affecting, the bones, muscles, heart, lungs, kidneys, tendons, cells, nerves, ligaments, the overall bodily function, bringing about overall health and wellness. In addition dry sauna’s do not emit negative ions whereas infrared sauna’s can. The benefits are that negative ions can increase your sense of wellbeing and mental clarity by removing the negative effects of excessive positive ions.

I have personally been using infrared sauna’s now for approx 3yrs and have certainly felt the benefit from its effects. At the beginning of this year I invested in one for my home to travel less, use more regularly and to cut costs. It has certainly aided my recovery on a myriad of levels and I can honestly say, it is without doubt, one of the best investments I have ever made (they are reasonably priced and are very economical to run too – having less impact on our already fragile environment). It has also been suggested that infrared sauna’s can help prevent and ward off illnesses and viruses as, they effectively place us in an induced fever so, a real bonus with the arrival of Covid-19 (although obviously at the moment there are no studies around this, as yet).

I have read extensively and listened to podcasts on their use however, I do not share studies or evidence based literature here. This is purely from my own perspective and experience. We are all bio-individually unique and so, I very much believe in trying something yourself and noticing any effects and how you feel thus, providing a broader and more beneficial view on whether something is good for you, your body and your wellbeing, rather than relying on someone else’s experience. Of course I believe in researching what supports you in your decision making process however, it is not my intention to debate the evidence here.

However, if you wish to know more or are thinking of beginning this practice and adding it to your own routine, I would certainly recommend researching them for yourself and if you enjoy podcasts then, I can recommend having a listen to a great Podcast by Tony Wrighton (Zestology) on ‘Infrared Sauna’s’ with Sunlighten Sauna’s and which, you can find here: https://tonywrighton.com/podcast/sweet-sweat-infrared-sauna-lowdown-joie-risk-261

‘I in no way endorse or even use sunlighten saunas myself’ although I hear they are great! This is just another insight for you to have a listen and to explore. I would highly recommend exploring the research and literature out there for yourself. Of course another main benefit of having your own is the prevention of contracting any illnesses from others from a communal one however, I did use these for a long time and with no ill effects before purchasing my relatively inexpensive one that is great!

So what are some of the claimed health benefits and those experienced by myself of infrared sauna’s?

• Detoxifying
• Relaxation
• Improved Sleep
• Relief from muscle tension
• Relief from joint pain
• Improved circulation
• Boost immunity
• Boost Mood
• Clearer skin
• Weight loss
• Beneficial in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Aid Support Mitochondrial Health
• Aid Combat anxiety and depression
• Tolerated by most individuals

ALWAYS ENSURE YOU ARE WELL HYDRATED PRIOR, DURING & FOLLOWING YOUR SAUNA SESSION!

Cautions and Contraindications:

Always seek the advise of your medical practitioner prior to using any kind of Sauna and certainly DO NOT use in specific health conditions such as Pregnancy, Heart or Blood pressure Conditions!