Benefits of Infrared Sauna

The main principle of sauna is to create an elevated temperature inside the room under the controlled humidity level. The raised temperature level promotes excessive sweating in the people who are undergoing the sauna session. People use saunas for both recreational and therapeutic purposes like relieving stress, detoxification reducing infections and respiratory ailments. Nowadays, many homeowners opt for the installation of sauna, so as to get the benefit of steam therapy and relaxation at home.

Basically, there are two types of sauna, namely, conventional or steam sauna and infrared sauna. An infrared sauna differs from the conventional type of sauna in the methodology of warming the sauna room. In infrared type, the objects in the room are heated, whereas the air in the room is heated in the case of conventional sauna. In most cases, saunas are made up of wood that imparts a characteristic aroma inside the sauna room. Let's discuss in brief about infrared sauna and its benefits.

Infrared Sauna: Benefits

In infrared sauna, specific heaters are used that generate infrared spectrum. There are several advantages of the infrared sauna over the traditional type of sauna. As already mentioned, infrared sauna provides cooling and warming effect to the body and not the surrounding air in the room. Hence, it is energy efficient to operate than the conventional sauna. Usually, the power requirement of an infrared sauna is 120 VAC that draws about 15-20 Amp current.

The temperature of infrared sauna is comparatively lower (110-140 degrees F) than that of the traditional sauna (150-200 degrees F). An exposure to such a temperature range does not cause discomfort and burning effects, which are commonly experienced in case of a conventional sauna. Considering this comfortable temperature level, many people prefer to enjoy an infrared sauna session rather than exposure to high temperature levels of a conventional sauna.

Promoters of infrared sauna claim that it helps in burning calories and/or losing weight. According to them, the infrared waves cause resonance effect, which is absorbed and utilized by the body cells and tissues. Also, the infrared waves penetrate deep into the body tissues. Both these processes help in boosting the metabolic activities of the body, thus resulting in weight loss. Some people are of the opinion that infrared sauna provides the benefits same as the exposure to sunlight after excluding the harmful radiations.

The heat up time of infrared sauna is very short. Within a few minutes after turning on the infrared sauna, the room is ready for a sauna session. With an infrared sauna, one can also enjoy color therapy by an exposure to the multitude spectrum of infrared waves. The overall health benefits of an infrared sauna are body detoxification, reduce chronic fatigue, maintain hormonal balance, promote immune system and muscle tissues.

Since water is not used for heat and steam generation in an infrared sauna, the chances of harboring microbes are minimized. Another advantage of infrared sauna is the ease of installation. Since no steam in generated with an infrared sauna, it is not necessary to configure stream venting systems and/or drainage pipes for fixing an infrared sauna. In simpler terms, an infrared home sauna can be installed in any room, where there is enough space for placing the sauna heater.

Like any other technology, an infrared sauna is associated with some drawbacks. Speaking about the disadvantages of infrared sauna, exposure to infrared radiation for a prolonged duration can cause negative health effects. Some of the dangers of infrared sauna, which may be resulted after prolonged exposure include dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. On the safer note, one should consult with a qualified physician about the pros and cons of using infrared sauna and its possible health effects.