If you’re looking for a natural way to improve your health and decrease stress, an infrared sauna could be just what you need. Saunas have long been used in one Northern European country.
A part of daily living in Finland, saunas have been used by this country’s inhabitants for thousands of years and have become popular in North America in more recent times.
And why not? With the many health and wellness benefits that saunas offer, it’s no surprise that more and more people are using them regularly.
If you’re thinking about investing in a home infrared sauna, here are the top 10 benefits you can expect to enjoy with regular use!
The Top 10 Health & Lifestyle Benefits of Infrared Saunas
- Helps combat stress
- Improves sleep quality
- Eases muscle tension and pain
- Offers chronic pain relief and healing
- It aids in muscle growth and recovery
- Improves cardiovascular health
- Reduces dementia risk
- Relief from asthma symptoms
- Bolsters the immune system
- Flushes toxins from the body
Let’s take a look at each one of them…
1. Helps Combat Stress
Chronic stress can cause a whole host of health problems. A natural and relaxing way to deal with it is in a home sauna. The heat of your sauna stimulates the productions of endorphins, a naturally occurring hormone.
These feel-good chemicals are manufactured in the brain, spinal cord and other parts of the body and are known to reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood and even increase self-esteem.
The pleasurable effect that endorphins have on the body is, in part, due to the increased dopamine production that occurs courtesy of an increased endorphin level. Dopamine plays a role in allowing your body to feel pleasure.
2. Improves Sleep Quality
Infrared saunas may be a great way to de-stress and relax, but they can also help you enjoy a better quality of sleep.
While feeling relaxed is a necessary part of being able to fall asleep at night, that’s not the only reason to use your sauna in the evening.
The heat of your infrared sauna acts as a messenger to your brain, instructing it to produce a sleep hormone known as melatonin.
This natural hormone is key for a good night’s sleep because it regulates circadian rhythms — your body’s 24-hour internal clock.
The heat also opens your capillaries, increasing blood flow to your limbs, hands and feet by pulling it away from your body’s core and brain. After leaving your sauna, your core temperature will drop even more helping you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
3. Eases Muscle Tension and Pain
One of the best remedies for tired, tense muscles is heat, like that offered by an infrared sauna. Regular sauna use has been found to ease stress-induced muscle tightness and muscle spasms as well as aches and pains from tension or injury.
As an added bonus, when your muscles are warm, you receive an increased range of motion. That can make your sauna the ideal place to do some stretching both to relieve tightness and to increase your overall flexibility.
4. Offers Chronic Pain Relief and Healing
The heat offered by your infrared sauna causes your blood vessels to dilate, improving circulation. This enables more blood, oxygen and nutrients to flow to sore and vulnerable areas of the body, promoting healing of injury and offering relief to chronic pain sufferers.
Those with arthritis, for example, can expect relief from sore and tense muscles as well as a reduction in swelling and inflammation.
5. It Aids in Muscle Growth and Recovery
There’s nothing like a trip to your sauna after a hard workout. As your muscles relax, it also rids your body of any lactic acid buildup. Although temporary due to exertion, a build-up of lactic acid can cause a lot of discomforts and, in some cases, can even cause nausea and weakness.
Regular sauna use, especially after exercise, can also increase growth hormones, resulting in quicker recovery from injury and improved muscle tone.
6. Improves Cardiovascular Health
If you want to improve heart health, your sauna can help. In fact, studies have shown that using your infrared sauna two to three times a week at 174°F lessens the risk of heart attack by 27%.
The study, which was spearheaded by a prominent Finnish cardiologist, found that increased use of four to seven times a week, reduced heart attack risk by a whopping 50%. Regular sauna use has also been found to lower blood pressure and improve arterial health.
7. Reduces Dementia Risk
Another Finnish study has found a correlation between regular sauna use and a lower risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Over a 20-year period, the study tracked men aged 42 to 60 who used the sauna at least once a week. The men had significantly lower rates of dementia than average. In fact, the more the men used the sauna, the lower the risk of dementia.
Men who used the sauna four to seven times a week had the best results with a 66 percent lower risk of dementia and a 65 percent lower risk of Alzheimer’s.
8. Relief From Asthma Symptoms
Those who suffer from asthma or bronchitis may benefit from regular sauna use. As long as heat is not one of your triggers for an attack, using the infrared sauna can help by relaxing the muscles in your respiratory tract.
The warm air can also be very soothing and can help you breathe more easily.
9. Bolsters the Immune System
Did you know your sauna can play a role in your body’s ability to fight off germs?
The heat of your sauna encourages white blood cell production, which is an important part of fighting off illness. Those who use their infrared sauna on a regular basis have an improved immune system and are actually less likely to come down with a cold or the flu. So, when it does happen, the virus is less severe.
Saunas are also beneficial for those with allergies and sinus issues because it helps to keep the nasal passages clear.
10. Flushes Toxins from the Body
Deep sweating has a lot of health benefits. Regular sauna use can help you rid your body of lead, copper, zinc, nickel, mercury and other chemicals.
Known as detoxification, this process has many health benefits including increased energy levels, better digestion, healthier skin and even improved mood.
Infrared Saunas for Sale at Euphoria Lifestyle
Are you interested in learning more about all of the health benefits a home infrared saunas has to offer? Euphoria Lifestyle can help.
Our experts can help you find the perfect model for your home that will not only complement your space but meet all of your needs.
Check out some of our Hekla Saunas models. Send us a message or drop in for a visit at our award-winning dealership to see what we have in store.