How to Use an Infrared Sauna [How Long & How Often]

Infrared saunas are a fairly new technology, and many may be feeling confused on how to use them, how long you can stay in them, and how often you optimally should use an infrared sauna.

How Long Should I Stay in an Infrared Sauna?

As with any equipment dealing with a change in the body, it is best to minimize your time to begin with. Start with short periods of time and then expand. 

A good rule of thumb is to stay in for five minutes. If you feel as though your body could handle a bit more, stay a few minutes longer. It is recommended that you stay no more than fifteen minutes on your first stay. Of course, if it is needed, you can take a short break before sitting a little longer.

Remember to stay hydrated during your visit in the infrared sauna. Just like with a typical steam sauna, your body will heat up causing you to sweat. When you sweat, your body loses some of its hydration, and it needs to be replaced.

By keeping water on hand, you can stay hydrated while enjoying the benefits of the sauna.

How Often Can I Use an Infrared Sauna?

If an infrared sauna is used too much too quickly, you might become dehydrated, which is detrimental to your health.

It is recommended to take it easy the first few times you use the sauna. Take exercise as an example; you would not jump in and begin with 100 pull ups and 100 pushups.

You would pace yourself, starting with very little reps and weight until you were able to build up your muscle. It is the same with using an infrared sauna. You want to keep your time inside low, and you want to expand the number of times you use the sauna each week.

After your body builds up a tolerance to the sauna, you can begin increasing the amount of time inside, and the amount of times you visit each week.

It might seem as though it is taking forever, but in reality, you are maximizing your benefits, and minimizing the negative effects.

With the sauna, hydration is a major concern. By making sure to pace yourself within the sauna, you can learn when your body needs hydration.

For those who are experienced with using saunas already, you might be able to stay inside the sauna for 20 minutes. You might even be able to use the sauna for that amount of time once each day. Remember to keep hydrated, and make sure that you get enough electrolytes. Coconut water is awesome for this.

What are the Health Benefits of Using an Infrared Sauna?

According to the Mayo Clinic website infrared saunas, like regular saunas, have a wide variety of health benefits. These benefits vary from mild problems to major issues. People also use saunas for relaxation. This too can be very beneficial for one’s health.

A few of the more common health benefits are listed below:

• Weight loss: because of the sweat-inducing heat, the body burns calories even while at rest. This is the same function as moderate exercise, meaning that it burns almost the same amount of calories. This could help lose fat and is beneficial for those who might have problems exercising.
• High blood pressure: more studies are needed to prove this, but some have found evidence of their blood pressuring lowering.
• Heart Health: more studies are needed to prove this as well. However sauna use is linked with better heart health and longer life according to this study.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: more studies are needed for this option as well, but it is a possible benefit shown in some studies.
• Pain relief: this can include arthritis pain and other joint pains.
• Detoxification: because of the sweat that comes from the heat, the body rids itself of unwanted particles. This detoxifies the body and can be used as a form of therapy.

Conclusion

Infrared saunas are a great alternative to the high heat that typical saunas use as these infrared saunas use light waves to heat the body rather than the air.

For the elderly, the infrared saunas are a great choice because they lower heat is much easier to handle. This might also help with other problems they might be having including joint pain, high blood pressure, and weight loss.

Hydration is a necessity when using a sauna, and it is a great idea to keep water with you while visiting. The time you stay and the time you go to the sauna all depends on how much your body can handle. It is a good rule of thumb to start slow and build up your tolerance to the heat that the saunas produce.

These saunas have many positives about them, and though they are not quite as well-known as the typical steam sauna, they are slowly making themselves famous in regular society. Pretty soon, infrared saunas might well be a common item in gyms and homes across the globe.