Menu
How to Best Use An Infrared Sauna
By Heat Master
Unlike steam rooms, infrared saunas work by targeting the water molecules in the body tissues to activate the sweat glands.
Infrared saunas emit invisible wavelengths that the body absorbs. This is why this type of sauna can work at around 100 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, compared to the 180 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit required to operate a traditional steam sauna. This only implies that infrared saunas are more comfortable to use and more efficient in eliminating toxins from the body.
The primary reason why infrared saunas are preferred by some over traditional saunas is that they are more effective in detoxifying the body of chemicals that can be detrimental to a person’s health. Its very nature makes the infrared sauna ideal for people who just want to cleanse their body through dry heat.
There are a number of ways to maximize the benefits of using an infrared sauna. Apply the following best practices to get the most of your sauna experience.
Before starting your heat session, make sure to replenish your body fluids first. Drink a full glass of water or other non-sugary drink. Coconut water is also good. Avoid caffeinated and alcohol drinks since these will only drain you of body fluids.
Sitting for at least a quarter of an hour in a sauna will undoubtedly leave you sweating. When that happens, you want your pores to be unclogged.
To do this, you can take a quick shower to get rid of the dirt, dry skin cells, and soap residue in your skin. You can also soak your feet in warm water for ten minutes before going into the sauna. This will warm your body up before the actual session.
It’s ideal to wear nothing when enjoying a sauna bath since the infrared rays can better penetrate your body when there’s nothing blocking the way. However, when you’re planning to use a public sauna instead of a private one, nudity is almost never a choice.
For the purpose of decency and hygiene, wear a bathing suit or loose-fitting clothes. A tank top and shorts can also work as long as they cover only the essential parts of your body. Expose as much skin as possible, and make sure to wear breathable and comfortable clothes.
If you’re a first-timer in using an infrared sauna, you can start your heat session at around 125 degrees Fahrenheit. If you find this temperature tolerable, you can raise the heat levels to five degrees more.
Just keep increasing the temperature until you achieve a comfortable state that will suit you well for the entire duration of your session. Just remember that an infrared sauna can work its magic at a temperature lower than that which is used in a traditional one.
In an infrared sauna, you typically won’t start sweating until ten to fifteen minutes into the session. Unlike in traditional steam saunas, you don’t have to wait for half an hour for the environment to heat up since a mere ten minutes can achieve that state. If you’re new to infrared saunas, you can start with a twenty-minute session and then gradually work up to thirty minutes.
It may take you a while to get used to the entire sauna experience, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to tolerate higher heat levels for longer periods.
You may notice occasions when old emotions will well up inside you and you’ll start remembering old memories. This isn’t unnatural since there have been reports when infrared waves penetrating the body have stirred up certain cells that can trigger old emotions and senses.
You can take a bottle of water in the sauna so you can replenish your body fluids as you perspire. Just make sure to bring liquid containers with lids in order to avoid spillage.
Once you step out of the sauna, you can take a warm or cool shower to remove the toxins from your skin. Steer clear of skin products after a heat session to avoid clogging the pores you’ve just purged.
It’s ideal to wash with warm water first, then follow it up with cold water so your pores will close quickly. This will leave your skin feeling smooth and reinvigorated.
Don’t push your body to do menial work after immersing yourself in an infrared sauna session. Listen to what your body wants to do. If it yearns for relaxation, give it some. Savor the rare invigorating moment you can get after a heat session.