If you keep up with the latest trends in the health and wellbeing community, you will be all too aware of the revolution that has taken place in recent times with regards to infrared saunas.
The number of different health benefits that advocates of infrared saunas claim that these units offer really do seem too good to be true, but with professional athletes and wellbeing gurus alike consistently singing their praises, maybe its time to start taking them seriously.
From glowing skin to lower stress, the claims made about the benefits of infrared saunas are extensive and so widespread that many homeowners across the UK are now having them installed in their very own homes.
Whilst sauna installation has always been a sign of wealth and affluence in UK homes, in other countries, namely Finland and the rest of Scandinavia, they are commonplace.
With Sauna infrared UK on the rise, is this just another in a longline of fitness fads that are more style than substance or could this really be the sweating solution to all your wellness woes.
Here is everything that you need to know about infrared saunas.
How they work
Infrared saunas work by stimulating the same bodily reactions as exercise, namely increased blood circulation, boosted metabolism, and reduced stress.
Whilst the traditional sauna experience involves entering a room that is filled with hot steam, infrared saunas use infrared light to directly heat your body, rather than the room itself.
This allows you to achieve a deeper and more effective sweat whilst sitting in a much more bearable and comfortable environment.
The health benefits they provide
Unsurprisingly, infrared sauna companies will happily provide you with a long list of different health benefits that their infrared saunas supposedly offer. More surprisingly, science actually backs up almost all of them.
In fact, infrared heat is used in almost all professional healthcare environments, including in hospitals and physiotherapy. Just some off the potential health benefits that you can enjoy by using an infrared sauna on a regular basis include:
Improved Sleep
Infrared saunas help your body to relax and unwind leading to massively reduced stress levels and making it much easier to drift off to sleep.
Detox
The sweat produced by infrared sauna use will wash away many of the impurities that are clogging your pores as well as removing toxins such as heavy metals from just under the skin. This will not only leaving you with younger and clearer looking skin but could also reduce the likelihood of falling victim to certain nasty illnesses and generally keep your immune system in a stronger position.
Lose weight
One of the more controversial potential benefits of infrared saunas. Sauna use certainly does boost your metabolism and cause you to burn calories faster, but it is not an alternative to exercise and weight lost during sessions is fluid lost through sweat that it is important to replenish as soon as you leave.
Soothing of muscles
Infrared saunas provide welcome relieve from aching and sore muscles making them the idea recovery tool after a shift at work or a trip to the gym. Did you know: many professional athletes swear by infrared saunas as a tool for faster recovery and use them to train harder and faster than they would otherwise be able to do. Training grounds and elite sports facilities across the world are now almost universally home to at least one infrared sauna.
Symptomatic relief from arthritis
Finding relief from arthritis and other joint conditions can feel a lot like a never ending battle but the deep penetrating heat of an infrared saunas is widely considered as one of the only treatment options that truly works.
If you currently suffer from arthritis, why not visit your local spa and give it a try. You never know, it might be exactly what you are looking for and if it does indeed succeed where all else fails you can install one in your own home and have access to blessed relief whenever symptoms are particularly troublesome.
Reduced blood pressure
High blood pressure is extremely serious and is linked to a variety of other potentially fatal health conditions. Using an infrared sauna will help to improve your blood circulation by forcing your blood vessels to dilate and send oxygenated blood flowing through your body to the areas that need it most. This is not only extremely helpful for those with high blood pressure, but also helps with injury healing, particularly in extremities such as hands and feet, where blood flow would otherwise be limited.
Most people can use infrared saunas without worrying about any negative repercussions on their health, but if you already suffer from low blood pressure it is worth checking with your doctor first before proceeding.