The Best Way To Infrared Sauna

The simple act of relaxing in a sauna is one of the most immediate and gratifying ways of taking care of your body- but how can you maximise those benefits and get the most out of your experience?

That’s what we’ll be talking about today: how to use a sauna for the maximum health benefits, covering everything from the beginner’s experience to the more seasoned sauna users, and how those experts can get even more bang for their buck.

How To Use A Sauna For Beginners?

Saunas are a user-friendly way to soak up the health benefits of heat exposure and infrared light interacting with your body on a cellular level.

With just a few of these simple steps, you’ll be ready to go in no-time.

What To Wear In A Sauna?

What to wear in a sauna remains completely up to you, and makes little difference to the sauna experience, other than personal preference.

If you’re in the privacy of your own home, we recommend that you step inside in the clothes that god gave you, so you’re able to expose your whole body to infrared heat.

If not, wear a pair of swimmers or clothing that is appropriate for getting wet.

What Is The Best Temperature For A Sauna?

The answer to this question is dependent on the type of sauna that you’re using. Traditional saunas usually reach temperatures between 65-90C (150-195F), while infrared saunas run at a significantly lower temperature, due to the different technology being deployed. Infrared saunas operate anywhere between 43-55C (110-130F), meaning that you’re able to achieve the same - if not more - health benefits while inside an infrared sauna without the need for excessive heat exposure; this is why a number of elite-level athletes have opted for infrared saunas.

For beginners, it’s best to start with low to moderate heat, and monitor your progression and heat tolerance after 10-15 minutes. From here, you can increase the temperature in your next sessions, so long as your body does not exhibit any signs of heat stress.

It is not recommended in any way to begin using a sauna with the highest temperature setting.

Best Time Of Day To Sauna?

Using a sauna has been proven as a beneficial way to both start and finish your day, as well as everything in between.

Stepping into a sauna in the morning can help kick-start your body’s circulatory system while taking a sauna in the evening can be beneficial in relaxing the body and regulating your circadian rhythm for optimised sleep patterns.

Overall, there is no single best time to take a sauna, as it remains subjective and dependent on how your body reacts to the sauna, and what you’re looking to get out of your experience.

Stepping inside a sauna at any time of the day has been proven to be extremely beneficial for maintaining overall health and increasing some of your body’s vital functions.

How Long Should You Stay Inside A Sauna?

The question of how long you should stay inside a sauna depends on how experienced of a user you are, and how well hydrated your body is.

Beginners should aim to spend around 15 minutes inside a sauna for their session, and can begin to stretch these out to 20, 25 and 30 minutes if your body shows no significant signs of dehydration or heat stress.

If you would like to find out more about how long you should stay inside a sauna for maximum health benefits, click here.

How Often Can You Use A Sauna?

So long as your body is showing no negative signs, and you’re not spending too long inside, professionals say that it is perfectly safe to use your sauna on a daily basis.

This means that you can take anywhere between four and seven sessions a week without health concerns, so long as you’re feeling fit and you have adequately hydrated before, during and after your session.

How Much Water Should You Drink Before Taking A Sauna?

While using a sauna, your body attempts to regulate its temperature the only way it knows how - by sweating.

In light of this, it’s recommended that you drink at least one glass of water before using a sauna, and drink at least two glasses of water after use.

Overall, we recommend that you drink as much water as you can comfortably ingest before entering a sauna, particularly if you’re combining sauna use with exercise.

To be safe, drink 500 millilitres before, and one-litre after using a sauna to ensure your body does not become dehydrated during and after use.

Other Health Considerations For Sauna Use

Check with a medical practitioner if you have any pre-existing conditions that might prove problematic with sauna use.

• Do not use a sauna if you’re taking medication that could impede the body’s temperature regulation systems or makes you drowsy
• Do not drink alcohol or take recreational drugs while using a sauna
• Do not eat a large meal before taking a sauna
• Do not fall asleep inside a sauna

How to Get the Maximum Health Benefits Of A Sauna?

This section is where we start to build upon the basics of sauna use, and target specific health benefits that you’d like to consolidate with the use of an infrared sauna.

Proactive sauna users will know that saunas aren’t the sole means of achieving things like weight loss, improving the quality of your skin or detoxifying your body, but they are the perfect complementary treatment for tackling these health issues.