The Benefits of an Infrared Sauna
The Benefits of an Infrared Sauna
as told by Dr. Caroline Leaf and Connie Zack
As some of you may know, IOME’s A Mental Wellness Place has an infrared sauna! We are so excited to offer this service to our members, the Eaton community, and well, anyone else who has ever been interested in trying one out! To help you better understand how an infrared sauna works and its benefits, our therapist Sydnie has boiled down the facts of a podcast called “How a Sauna a Day Keeps the Stress Away”, hosted by Dr. Caroline Leaf and the co-founder of Sunlighten Saunas, Connie Zack. Keep reading to learn more about infrared saunas and why YOU should come book a sweat session with IOME!
- Infrared saunas differ from traditional saunas in that they use light to warm the body, rather than heat. The difference here is that traditional saunas use “oppressively hot air”, which can be stifling and prevent users from fully relaxing or spending a good amount of time in the sauna. Using light to warm the body makes for a generally more pleasant experience (and unlike with a traditional sauna, you can bring in a good book or your phone, though we at IOME recommend a screen-free sweat!).
- Infrared light is absorbed by the body and then our cells move that light around to release endorphins and increase blood flow, which mimics exercise. Dr. Leaf and Connie Zack recommend that you do your sauna session in the early morning and if you do choose to do it at night, give yourself plenty of time to cool down before sleep, as you may find it re-energizes you!
- Infrared light boosts the immune system and the cardiovascular system, and it can reduce inflammation, which helps to tighten the skin and help with wrinkles and fine lines associated with aging. Reducing inflammation also means pain relief when dealing with nagging injuries that may have occurred while on the job or during exercise.
- Infrared light engages the body’s water molecules to help sweat and purge toxins, as well as targeting fat cells. Because the sauna uses light, the body absorbs it differently than if one were just sitting in warm air.
- A study from Dr. Raison in 1982 showed that if a person living with depression heated up their overall core temperature, their depression symptoms decreased! Pretty fascinating!
As you can see, the benefits of an infrared sauna are numerous, and we’re big fans. Still skeptical? Come try it for yourself! We’ve not had a single person leave saying they didn’t love it. Winter is fast approaching, so pop on over to A Mental Wellness Place and get yourself warmed up!