The Benefits of Infrared Saunas
Dr. Anne Zauderer
We live in a toxic world. The air that we breathe, the water we drink, the foods that we eat, the products we use, all are covered with the chemical effects of living in the modern world. Some we can avoid, some we cannot. The best thing we can do is support our body’s natural detoxification systems to be able to help safely eliminate these toxins from our bodies.
Our bodies have a few main modes of detoxification: sweat, bowels/urine and breath. All of these need to be functioning optimally to help rid our bodies of the toxins we encounter. If we cannot properly eliminate these toxins, they can build up over time and make us sick.
Sweating is an extremely important mode of detoxification. Spending more time indoors in the air conditioning, we don’t sweat as much as we used to. In addition, personal care products, such as antiperspirants, impede the sweating process. Using saunas as a way to induce sweating can be an integral part of your wellness program.
Infrared heat is very different from traditional (hot rock or steam) saunas. It is a very gentle heat. The experience is similar to lying in the sun on a warm day and feeling the heat radiate to the core of your body. Traditional saunas operate at a temperature in excess of 200°F, whereas, infrared heat has the benefit of being effective at a more comfortable operating temperature of 100°-150°F.
Traditional saunas heat the air, which can be a more uncomfortable way to induce sweating. Infrared saunas heat the body directly. Because infrared heat penetrates human tissue rather than just simply heating the surface of the skin, infrared saunas are seven times more effective than traditional saunas at detoxifying the body. By raising the body’s core temperature, infrared saunas can produce a sweat composed of 20% toxins versus only 3% toxins with a traditional sauna.
The infrared spectrum consists of near, mid, and far waves, each with distinct characteristics and frequency ranges. Near infrared promotes skin renewal, cell health, wound healing, and tissue growth. Mid infrared is a longer wavelength that can penetrate deeper into the body’s soft tissue where inflammation occurs. This helps expand blood vessels and increase circulation, so more oxygen can reach injured areas of the body, which reduces pain and speeds the healing process. The longest wavelength, far infrared, reaches deepest into the body, where toxins are stored. By increasing your core body temperature, far infrared stimulates the sweat glands, resulting in a deep, detoxifying sweat that leaves you feeling revitalized.
Some of the benefits of regularly using infrared saunas are:
- Support removal of toxins
- Lower blood pressure
- Muscle relaxation
- Improved immune function
- Younger appearance
- Weight Loss
- Relaxation
- Improved Circulation
- Skin Purification
The Riordan Clinic is now offering infrared saunas! With cold weather approaching, now is a great time to take advantage of this service yourself or to give as a gift to a friend. Our infrared saunas are state-of-the-art, full-spectrum saunas that provide near, mid, and far infrared heat. MORE INFORMATION