The infrared sauna uses Far Infrared heat which is better at penetrating the body’s tissues than regular heat from a conventional sauna. The energy output of Far Infrared heat corresponds very closely to our body’s own radiant energy which allows our bodies to absorb close to 93% of the infrared waves that reach our skin. There are numerous health benefits you can reap from regularly infrared sauna use.
You can see from the diagram below that infrared wavelengths lie between visible light and microwaves on the electromagnetic spectrum. Infrared waves will result in heating when absorbed by an object, due to some of its energy being passed to the atom with which it interacts. Infrared sauna waves can penetrate up to 45mm into the body which increases the body's core temperature.
A bather must remain in a traditional sauna much longer than they would in an infrared sauna because a traditional sauna heats the body's surface and the heat doesn’t go deep through the body like Infra-Red heat does.
Traditional saunas work by putting ladles of water onto hot stones on a stove, inducing steam therefore heat the air, which heats the air of the sauna to high temperatures. Far infrared saunas work by heating the body directly, therefore the air temperature isn't nearly as warm or stifling as a traditional sauna.
The infrared sauna bathing method can be efficient to stimulate sweating of up to 3 times as much as a traditional sauna and will expel many toxins which are harmful to the body.
Far infrared Sauna Benefits
- Uses less Energy than traditional saunas
Infrared saunas use very little energy to operate. The amount of energy used can be compared to a hair dryer and the sauna room can be heated in just 5 to 10 minutes.
- Lower temperatures than traditional saunas
A sauna room doesn't have to be super heated to induce effective sweating. Infrared saunas can make the user sweat up to 3 times as much as a traditional sauna while operating at a lower temperature. For those who find extreme temperatures taxing and stressful on the body the lower temperatures are preferred over the muggy heat the traditional saunas produce.
- Strengthens cardiovascular systems and Increases blood circulation
Physical exercise is good but if you’re like me jogging can really make your knees hurt. And cardiovascular conditioning is important for our health. As the body's core temperature increases, the body will start to try to cool itself. As this happens the heart will beat faster to pump more blood, oxygen and water around the body in an effort to help it cool down. The Journal of the American Medical Association August 1981 states: "Many of us who run do so to place a demand on our cardiovascular system, not to build big leg muscles. Regular use of a Sauna imparts a similar stress on the cardiovascular system, and its regular use may be as effective, a means of cardiovascular conditioning and burning of calories, as regular exercise".
- Ease stiffness and joint pain
An infrared sauna can penetrate up to 1.5” deep into muscle tissue, 93% of Infra-Red energy is absorbed through our skin. The benefit of heating these tissues is that it relaxes the muscles cell’s which causes the blood vessels to widen. This helps in reducing muscle spasms, joint stiffness and achiness, as well as general aches and pains due to conditions such as Fibromyalgia, Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
- Removes toxins and mineral waste
Sweating in an infrared sauna can help to detoxify the body of harmful impurities, heavy metals, acids, sodium, nicotine, alcohol and many more substances.
- Improves skin condition
An infrared sauna session leaves the skin glowing and fresh. This effect is produced by the increased blood and nutrients to the capillaries through increased circulation. The removal of toxins also helps to keep the skin looking youthful and vibrant. The infrared sauna may also relieve acne and give improved skin tone, color and elasticity.
- Strengthens the immune system
When the body's core temperature increases an artificial fever is induced. As the body thinks it has a fever its production of white blood cells increases, improving the body's overall resistance to foreign viruses.
- Reduces stress and fatigue
Life can be stressful and stress isn’t good for our health. Setting in an infrared sauna will increase you circulation which releases endorphins, loosening tight muscles, helping you feel better all over. After a session in an infrared sauna, you will feel refreshed, renewed and rejuvenated. Using an infrared sauna is a great way to relax.
When sitting back in the radiant heat of your infrared sauna from West Coast Saunas, stress and tension melts away. After a session in an infrared sauna, you will feel refreshed, renewed and rejuvenated. It has been clinically shown that an infrared sauna can reduce fatigue. Here is a statement by the Masuda Clinic.
Thermal therapy using far-infrared ray dry sauna was performed for patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Symptoms such as fatigue, pain, and low-grade fever were dramatically improved on two patients. And prednisolone administration was discontinued and became socially rehabilitated 6 months after discharge. On other 11 patients with CFS, physical symptoms such as fatigue and pain improved, too. Furthermore, we reported that repeated thermal therapy had relaxation effect and diminishes appetite loss and subjective complaints in mildly depressed patients. These results suggest that repeated thermal therapy may be a promising method for the treatment of CFS.
PMID: 17561703 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
No comments:
Post a Comment