FAR infrared saunas are available in a variety of sizes and styles.
I have to tell you, I am not normally a big fan of sweating. It makes my clothes wet and clammy, ruins my hair and makeup, and it smells bad.
So when did I become a sweat enthusiast? When I learned to love infrared saunas.
There’s nothing new about employing saunas for health and relaxation purposes. Saunas have been used for centuries to detoxify the body, increase weight loss, and improve circulation.
What is new, however, is the development and growing popularity of FAR infrared saunas. Infrared saunas, rather than the Finnish-type saunas that have been used for centuries, are now found in many hotels, resorts, and health and wellness facilities.
To find out how FAR infrared saunas differ from traditional saunas and why many health professionals are endorsing their use, we asked Larry Jones, Vice President of Therasauna in Bettendorf, IA, for more information.
How FAR Infrared Saunas Differ From Traditional Saunas
Jones said the main difference between the two types of saunas is how they are heated. In a traditional sauna, a heating element heats the air inside the sauna, usually up to around 185°F, and blasts of humidity are created by splashing water over heated rocks.
In the FAR infrared sauna, the room’s temperature is not raised as high. Instead, the body itself is warmed by invisible light that is similar to sunlight, minus the harmful ultraviolet rays that cause sunburn, skin damage, and skin cancer. It’s like sunbathing without the dangerous side effects.
Benefits of Infrared Saunas
A FAR infrared sauna creates a much milder climate than that of a traditional sauna. Because it heats the body instead of the air, the heat penetrates more deeply into the skin and allows you to sweat more freely. The air temperature remains cooler than in traditional saunas, raising only to about110°-130°F, without the humidity, so it’s much easier to breathe.
Some benefits of the more deeply penetrating heat of the infrared heat source include a significant increase in the volume of sweat production. More sweating means an increase in metabolism, which encourages weight loss, blood circulates more freely, and a better rate of detoxification is achieved. Detoxification is believed to help bring relief to patients with arthritis, fibromyalgia, allergies, asthma, anxiety, depression, headaches, and numerous other conditions.
The lower temperature makes an infrared sauna feel more comfortable and less claustrophobic to many users since the air is not as hot and humid and it’s easier to breathe.
Buying a Infrared Sauna for Your Home
FAR infrared saunas make beautiful additions to any home. Handsome furniture style cabinets will enhance any area you choose to place them, indoors or out, and most models can be enjoyed by more than one person at once. Jones says infrared saunas can be placed on any surface, even carpet, and can be easily assembled by the homeowner. He also said most saunas do require a 20 amp dedicated electrical outlet to operate, so you may need an electrician to install that for you.
There are many reasons natural health enthusiasts and others are embracing this innovation. Infrared rays are part of the sun’s invisible light spectrum and provide a variety of health benefits to humans. When you bask in the cozy warmth of an infrared sauna, your blood vessels dilate, increasing blood flow throughout your body. The heat relieves aching muscles and helps you relax. Your body sweats and washes out harmful toxins at a higher rate than it does in a traditional Finnish sauna…and those are just a few of the positive effects of the infrared sauna.
Many homeowners enjoy a FAR infrared sauna so much, they want one for their personal use. They want to enjoy the health benefits and relaxation of a session in an infrared sauna in the privacy of their own homes, and manufacturers have responded to those desires.
There are many portable infrared saunas currently available to homeowners, including the only American-made FAR infrared health saunas, manufactured by QCA Spas, Inc and available from Therasauna.
