Infrared Sauna

What is an Infrared Sauna?

Traditional saunas (also called Finnish saunas) are small rooms or compartments that heat the air inside to high temperatures to induce sweating. Infrared saunas are a lower-heat version of the sauna concept. Infrared saunas don’t heat the air around a person, they heat a person directly with infrared light produced by infrared lamps in the sauna. Many people use infrared saunas to get the benefits of a traditional sauna without having to endure the extreme heat. Infrared saunas usually operate at a temperature between 120˚F and 140˚F, while a traditional sauna operates between 150˚F and 180˚F.

How do Infrared Saunas Work?

Infrared saunas, like traditional saunas, use heat to create biological reactions like sweating and increased heart rate. But where traditional wet and dry saunas use conduction and convection to heat the air in the room, infrared saunas work by heating a person’s body with far-infrared light produced by an infrared lamp. Specifically, infrared saunas emit far infrared light at a wavelength of around 10 μm that is invisible to the naked eye.
These wavelengths of far infrared light are felt directly by the body as radiated heat, without the need to heat the air around the body first to produce a reaction. Infrared light is able to penetrate deep into the body’s tissues, causing sweating and heart rate changes in a relatively short amount of time. Most manufacturers claim that about 80% of the energy in an infrared sauna is used to heat a person’s body, with only 20% heating the air in the sauna. The lower temperature of infrared saunas also allows a person to stay in the sauna longer and more comfortably than a traditional sauna. 

Benefits of Infrared Saunas

What are the health benefits of infrared saunas? In general, infrared saunas are a lower-heat way to deliver the same benefits of a traditional sauna, like relaxation and improved mood. Many people find that a sauna session is a great way to calm themselves and improve their sleep and even their skin health. Some people also use saunas to ease the pain and strain of sore joints and muscles. Studies have also shown that sauna use can help lower blood pressure and improve recovery after intense training.

Free sauna sessions are included with all Men’s Health memberships!