Sauna 101

Infrared Sauna

Is an Infrared Sauna Better Than a Traditional Sauna?

There’s nothing quite like a 20-minute sweat session in a sauna. You feel more relaxed and rested after you’re done, and the heat helps relieve sore muscles and improves your overall health and well-being.

But if the high temperatures of a traditional sauna are just too much for you to handle, an infrared sauna may offer the benefits of a sauna without the extreme heat.

Unlike a traditional sauna, infrared saunas don’t heat the air around you. Instead, they use infrared lamps (that use electromagnetic radiation) to warm your body directly.

Sauna 102

Benefits

The supposed benefits of using an infrared sauna are similar to those experienced with a traditional sauna. These include:

• better sleep
• relaxation
• detoxification
• weight loss
• relief from sore muscles
• relief from joint pain such as arthritis
• clear and tighter skin
• improved circulation
• help for people with chronic fatigue syndrome

People have been using saunas for centuries for all sorts of health conditions. While there are several studies and research on traditional saunas, there aren’t as many studies that look specifically at infrared saunas:

• A small 10-person studyTrusted Source found that people with chronic fatigue syndrome benefited from using an infrared sauna as part of an overall treatment.
• Another 10-person studyTrusted Source found that infrared saunas helped decrease muscle soreness and increase recovery from strength-training sessions.
• According to one review, several studies have found that infrared light therapy saunas may help reduce blood pressure.