Do You Have A Workout Room? Here's Why You Need To Add An Infrared Sauna
You’re an enthusiastic gym-goer, so much so that you have a workout room in your home. You enjoy the convenience and low cost of it. You never have to wait for another person to finish using the piece of workout equipment you need, but what’s missing that virtually every public gym has? A sauna! You’ve probably thought about adding one and have vaguely read up on it, but the costs of including a traditional sauna to your home are insane! Well, luckily for you, there’s a relatively new form of a sauna called an infrared sauna. Infrared saunas are extremely affordable for the everyday person, and in this blog, we’ll talk about all its amazing benefits and why you should consider purchasing one today!
1. An Infrared Sauna Can Help You Recover
Surprisingly, an infrared sauna session after your workout is the perfect cherry on top. Studies have shown that infrared sauna sessions help the neuromuscular system recover, specifically from endurance performing activities [1]. In this particular study, the sessions were 30 minutes, but most individuals tend to use an infrared sauna from 30-45 minutes at a time. If you’re just starting out, consider starting at 15-20 minutes and building from there. Give your body time to acclimate so your body adjusts accordingly.
2. Improve Energy Levels
While exercise already contributes to increased energy levels, an infrared sauna may further those effects. Research has shown infrared saunas have a positive impact on fatigue, meaning they decrease the amount of time you’ll reach failure during a workout. These same studies also showed infrared sauna therapy to improve depression, anxiety, and mood, giving way to plenty of reasons why an infrared sauna after your workout is a good idea [2].
3. Improve Athletic Performance
Are you training for that next big competition or sporting event? Incorporating an infrared sauna after your workouts can help improve your overall performance [3]. Research shows that these sessions can increase your cardiovascular system function and your recovery after a workout.
4. Gives You Time To Relax
Working out isn’t exactly a walk in the park, and it shouldn’t be. You’re probably working towards a goal, whether that be weight loss, endurance, muscle growth or a combination of the 3. So, after you’ve put in the work, an infrared sauna can provide the perfect place to unwind and completely relax in. Many studies have shown individuals to have improved relaxation scores after an infrared sauna session [4]. It could be the addition you need to come down, especially after a particularly tough workout.
Should You Use an Infrared Sauna Before Your Workout?
So far, we’ve only mentioned using an infrared sauna after a workout, but what about before? Most experts don’t recommend using an infrared sauna before your workout since you don’t want to head into your exercise session partially dehydrated due to sweating in the sauna. But you can avoid this by drinking plenty of water before, during, and after your sauna session. These pre-exercise infrared sauna sessions can also help your body warm-up, but they should never replace a proper warm-up routine. The same can be said for post-exercise sauna sessions and cooldowns. Always ensure you perform a full warm-up or cooldown routine to prevent injuries and muscle soreness.
Whether you bask in an infrared sauna before or after your exercise session is completely a personal preference. For instance, you may not like the idea of heading into your next workout session already sweating. If this sounds like you, consider doing a post-workout infrared sauna session, and use it to relax and recover after your training. Make the decision based on how your body feels. Either way, regular infrared sauna use comes with an array of health benefits, and they are yours for the taking!
Resources:
[1] Mero A, Tornberg J, Mäntykoski M, Puurtinen R. (2015) “Effects of far-infrared sauna bathing on recovery from strength and endurance training sessions in men.” ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, SpringerPlus, 7 July 2015, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4493260/.
[2] Masuda A, Miyata M, et al. (2015). “Effects of Waon therapy on chronic fatigue syndrome: a pilot study.” ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, Intern Med., 2015, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25748743.
[3] Hussain J., and Cohen M. (2018). “Clinical Effects of Regular Dry Sauna Bathing: A Systematic Review.” ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine, 24 April 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5941775/.
[4] Hussain J., and Cohen M. (2018). “Clinical Effects of Regular Dry Sauna Bathing: A Systematic Review.” ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine, 24 April 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5941775/.