It’s claimed it has the power to reduce 4% body fat in four months, if used three times a week.
Originally referred to as a “light bath”, the infrared sauna is designed to raise the body’s core temperature, increase heart rate, dilate blood vessels and in turn improve circulation of blood, oxygen and nutrients.
Despite its intimidating name, infrared therapy is no relation to radiation. It does not penetrate the skin but rather converts infra-red light into thermal energy, allowing the body to rid itself of toxins stored in fat cells.
It’s been used for centuries to heat the body’s deeper tissues.
In fact, the body emits infrared heat as part of its normal metabolism – it’s just not visible.
So what can you expect?
Once you step inside a sauna and take a seat on the wooden deck-like structure (on a towel) what you start to feel is warmth, a deep inner warmth that gradually leads to a comfortable sweat.
It doesn’t heat the air around you like other saunas or steam rooms and there’s not that feeling of shortness of breath, you’ll just find after a time you’ll develop beads of sweat as your core temperature rises.
I’d showered prior to my sauna experience, discarding the work clothes and washing off the day’s make-up and perfume, so I could enjoy the cleansing of the skin and the opening of the pores.
My advice is to drink plenty of water – both before and after an infrared sauna.
Wear swimwear or nothing but a towel, be prepared to meditate, read, contemplate, Bluetooth a podcast or stare into space for a while because you need to stay in the box for at least 30 minutes, in fact I’d suggest 50.
The time allows the temperature to rise (ideally to 60 or 70 degrees).
Oh, and enjoy the other side effect – you’ll sleep really well the night after your sauna.
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