You push your body to the limits in your workout. But after a workout, your body is coping with the physical stress and damage, as well as the mental stresses you’ve been dealing with – not just from the day, but from the intense stress your body directly experiences.

As if the workout stress isn’t pushing you to your limits, on a daily basis you’re putting your body through environmental stressors. These environmental stressors are factors that put wear and tear on the body through air pollution, radiation, chemical exposure, and even through the foods we eat as a matter of convenience. You may feel you’ve become an image of the opposite of what you wish to be, and how to feel.

It’s estimated that city dwellers are exposed to hundreds of chemicals every day as they breathe in polluted air in which the air quality is less than optimum. Even if you live in a rural or suburban area, toxins are present in pesticides and fresh produce, packaged foods and other products that may be used and consumed on a daily basis. Sadly, when one considers all of the various environmental sources of toxins, we are essentially bathing in them every day.

So where is this all leading? What can you do to counter these environmental factors? And, is it possible to simply “not hurt” at the end of the day?

Yes, it’s possible. And this is where full spectrum infrared saunas come in. The science behind these saunas is more than just heating and sweat.

At Rupp Massage, our clients have sought infrared sauna treatments for anti-aging, relaxation, cardiovascular support, detoxification and skin issues for many years. This sauna isn’t like the old-school wood sauna that you may remember from your childhood. These older wood-fired saunas can even present dangers to those who are overweight or have cardiovascular issues, as the temperatures get up to 180-190 degrees. The temperature is simply too hot. And simply sitting in a space with heat to sweat in is not necessarily the quality experience one needs to rejuvenate and recover.

Are you ready to learn more about the sauna experience, each light spectrum, and how it could potentially help improve your overall wellbeing?

What is an infrared sauna?

An Infrared Sauna is a model of sauna that uses infrared heaters to radiate infrared light. The meaning of infrared can be confusing, but essentially it means that the wavelength of its electromagnetic radiation is longer than those of visible light. We cannot see this, but we can feel it as heat. The temperature of our sauna hovers around 128 degrees, and our clients attest that a sauna session is not only relaxing, but helps improve sleep and reduce tension.

This is experienced by a person as radiant heat and is absorbed by the layer of skin for therapeutic purposes. Each spectrum has its impact depth and differing results. Some may increase your core temperature to potentially assist in improving immune function. A full-spectrum sauna uses a wide range of classifications which have been classified into the close, middle and far spectrum.

What Does Far, Mid and Near Healing Rays Mean?

Our sauna at Rupp Massage is a low EMF Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna. Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna offers Far, Mid and Near healing rays. (Low EMF levels means that magnetic flux density levels are within acceptable levels.)

Each range of frequency may offer different health benefits. The advantage of having this device/technology within our practice means that each person can choose to control which type of therapeutic benefits they wish to address, and select the spectrum to produce the needed therapy.

Near Infrared: Anti-aging, Skin Issues, Muscle Recovery

The benefits of using near infrared light may include reducing inflammation and even help skin tissue to repair itself. This light may help heal wounds, increase collagen and help regenerate cells.

Mid Infrared: Heart Health, Circulation, Pain Relief, Muscle Recovery

With consistent use, infrared sauna treatments may increase blood circulation and decrease muscle pain and joint aches. Mid infrared therapy penetrates a bit more deeply than near infrared.

Far Infrared : Detoxification, Heart Health, Weight Loss, Immunity General Wellness, Relaxation , Muscle Recovery

Far infrared sauna wavelengths directly warms the body system rather than heating up the air, and is the longest wavelength and penetrates most deeply into the body. They increase your body’s temperature which may safely and gently improve wellbeing at a cellular level. As blood flow rises during a treatment session, more oxygen is delivered to muscle cells, simulating a cardio workout. In addition to blood flow, this may help increase the ability to sleep and reduce fatigue. The benefits may be broader, however – a study by UMKC found that far infrared heaters were shown to reduce blood pressure.

Putting It All Together

Infrared saunas have been around since 1891 when John Harvey Kellogg displayed his newest invention at the Chicago World Fair. Obviously, the technology has come a long way since then. Infrared heaters and full spectrum saunas have been used by many people to experience a return to energy and vitality, and reduction in stress and pain.

We have seen the positive results our clients have experienced, and use this infrared heat ourselves to help in restoration of cell health and to benefit from what infrared saunas can provide. Now, that cold and flu season is upon us, there are also benefits to increasing your core temperature to fight these viruses. While learning about infrared wavelengths may feel challenging, our team will be able to help point you into the right direction of whether near infrared, mid infrared, or far infrared may offer the most benefits to you. Because we know that our clients are also concerned about EMF levels, you can rest assured that our sauna has been tested and concluded to have low emf levels – less than many of your household appliances.

Looking to learn more about near, mid and far infrared sauna research? Explore these resources to help educate yourself and take back control of pain and environmental stressors on your body. We recommend that each person considering using infrared saunas does their research and asks questions about them. When you’re ready, book your session today. Whether you do a single session by itself, or after a therapeutic massage session, we hope you’re feeling recovered and better than before.

 

*This article is not a substitute for medical advice, and is for informational purposes only. Consult with your medical professional prior to using these products.

 

References:

https://www.sunlighten.com/light-science/what-is-infrared-light