Ep. 128: The Health Benefits of Sauna Therapy

This episode has been sponsored by Beautycounter my preferred choice for safer skincare and clean beauty

We are talking about the benefits of sauna therapy, specifically infrared saunas. I had wanted a sauna for over a decade. After lots of research, we purchased one and I have definitely seen the benefits. Infrared heat is an invisible part of the sun’s spectrum which actually penetrates into the tissues and gives you a whole host of benefits that we are going to explore.

Okay, I won’t make you sweat it out any longer. Let’s dive in!

Why I am Loving My Own Personal Sauna

The ultimate benefit I have noticed from using my own infrared sauna regularly is that I am sleeping better, resulting in more energy. This comes from the sauna drawing those toxins out. The sauna does that in two ways: it dumps it into your bloodstream and it pulls it through your skin. You have to work your way up to a prolonged length of time, somewhere between 30-60 minutes. I try to do this forty minutes at least every other day, if not more often. We have a Sunlighten Solo Sauna. It’s a portable one, at a lower price point and it gets really, really warm.

The Difference Between Near, Mid, and Far Infrared

With near-infrared, the frequency waves are shorter and it just goes into the epidermis or a very small layer into your skin. This is really good for skin health by helping with cellular health, and mitochondria health, which makes ATP energy. Mid-infrared penetrates a little deeper into the body so that it’s increasing circulation and stimulating blood flow within, also helps with some pain relief. Far infrared is really raising the core body temperature directly, which results in a deep detoxifying sweat at the cellular level, where most of our toxins are. This also helps with weight loss and relaxation.

The Benefits of Sweating in a Sauna

Besides the detoxification benefit, sweating can also increase your white blood cells, your lymphocytes, your neutrophils, your basal cells, and you can decrease your risk of colds and flu. You also get the benefit of pain relief. It is great for heart health and for blood pressure. It also improves mood and cognitive functions.