For most people, the new year means starting with a fresh slate to change something or to improve some area of their life. At A Valley of Vitality, we’d like to encourage you to consider Far Infrared Sauna as part of your new year’s resolutions, and here’s why!
Did you know that sweating is good for you? While most of us regard sweating as an unwelcome result of workouts or hot summer days, sweating can help you stay healthy. The good news is that there’s an alternative to working up a sweat in the gym or outside under the sun: a sauna.
Aside from offering a rare moment of warmth, tranquillity, and quiet reflection, saunas offer several mental and physical health benefits. Most of us know how traditional saunas work, but how much do you know about a far infrared sauna?
What is a far infrared sauna?
Infrared saunas don’t just warm the air around you; instead, infrared emitters are used to warm the body directly. These types of saunas can operate at a lower temperature than a regular sauna, and 80 percent of the heat directly heats the body.
The direct heat emitted by an infrared sauna penetrates more deeply than in a traditional sauna, meaning your experience is more intense but more tolerable. Because infrared saunas operate at a lower temperature than traditional saunas, you can stay in for longer as your core body temperature increases by a few degrees.
What are the benefits of having a far infrared sauna treatment?
It’s clear how relaxing a few minutes in a sauna can be, but what does far infrared treatment offer other than just feeling good? The science-backed health benefits of far infrared saunas are many.
Unlike traditional saunas which operate at extremely harsh temperatures, infrared is a gentle soothing and therapeutic heat that promotes relaxation and improved sleep. Infrared sauna benefits include therapy that helps you relax while receiving an invigorating deep tissue sweat, leaving you fully refreshed after each session.
- Better sleep – the body cools itself before you sleep; the act of heating the body so it then has to cool itself helps you have a better night’s sleep
- Lower cortisol levels – Heat helps to put us into “rest and digest” mode, which lowers cortisol levels and helps us feel more at ease
- Clear and tighter skin – the act of sweating helps clear out your pores and helps clear free radicals from your skin, aiding in smooth, tighter-looking skin
- Detoxification – can increase circulation, restore your body’s ability to eliminate toxins, and speed up oxygen flow.
- Improved circulation – the added heat helps increase our heart rate and dilates the blood vessels, improving blood flow
- Reduces after-workout muscle soreness – the increased blood flow and sweat help move lactic acid out of the muscles
- Reduced symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome – a small study found that using far infrared sauna sessions as part of a patient’s treatment improved their symptoms
- Relaxation – Just like any other sauna, a far infrared sauna session is relaxing! Many people find them more relaxing because they are more comfortable
- Relief from joint pain – applying heat to the joints can help reduce inflammation which is one of the main causes of joint pain
- Relief from the symptoms of anxiety and PTSD – again because the heat and time to relax help put the body into “rest and digest” mode, it helps to move the body out of fight-or-flight mode
- Calorie Burn – Increased heat results in an increased metabolic rate, which results in increased calorie burn. When burning calories in a sauna, don’t expect to burn hundreds of calories in one session by simply sitting there. The burn is more of a slight boost to your regular sedentary calorie burn. Sauna use also increases heart rate by at least 30%, which requires more energy and burns more calories
- Weight loss – while any immediate weight loss is water weight, many people find that having far infrared sauna sessions help them feel better overall, which means they feel better able to be active and are more likely to make healthy choices
Tips for the Best Sauna Experience
1. STRETCH BEFORE ENTERING THE SAUNA.
Stretching wakes up your body, gets your blood pumping, and increases your flexibility, and these preparations will ensure that your mind, body, and health will see the greatest results after your infrared sauna session.
2. HYDRATE YOUR BODY.
They say you should drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day, and they’re not wrong! Keeping your body hydrated guarantees that you’ll have the stamina to enjoy an entire session of healthy heat in an infrared sauna.
Far Infrared Sauna is not appropriate for everyone.
DO NOT USE if you:
- Have a battery-operated implant such as a pacemaker
- Have a history of heart disease
- Have metal hardware such as rods plates or screws
- Are pregnant or nursing
- Are taking sun-contraindicated medications
How do far infrared saunas aid detoxification?
Regular infrared sauna sessions can increase circulation, restore your body’s ability to eliminate toxins, and speed up oxygen flow. The act of sweating encourages the body to clear out built-up toxins and because our skin is such a big organ, this process can happen all over the body, helping us to detox more fully.
A far infrared sauna does this better than a normal sauna because the heat penetrates the body, rather than simply heating up the air. That means you have more time in the sauna and more time to detoxify.
Far Infrared Sauna in Prescott, Arizona
If you’re in the Prescott area and would like to try a far infrared sauna treatment, A Valley of Vitality is here for you. Our medical-grade, FDA-approved sauna is the perfect way to relax while offering clinically proven health benefits. Our Sauna is the only infrared sauna completely manufactured in the United States. TheraSauna® is made of Aspen Hardwood from Wisconsin and is equipped with top-of-the-line TheraMitter™ heaters. High Glass, solid ceramic heaters outperform any type of carbon heater or carbon ceramic combination heater by sourcing the crucial 9.4-micron range needed for maximum infrared benefits. So sit back and relax with the knowledge that your experience is safe, wholesome, and thoroughly thought-out.
If you’d like to request an appointment and read more about what to expect ahead of your session, click here.
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