Infrared Sauna — Before or After a Workout?
Everyone wants to make their workouts as effective as possible. Working out helps us feel better physically but it can also improve our mental health, so optimizing our workouts and finding a way of exercising we truly enjoy is key to getting the best results.
And if you are here, you are probably familiar with infrared saunas and how they affect your health and wellness. It is very common to combine infrared sauna sessions with workouts to get greater results and boost one’s routine. So in this post, we will answer one of the questions we get asked the most about this: “Should I use an infrared sauna before or after my workout?”.
Differences between Traditional and Infrared Saunas
Infrared saunas are an alternative to traditional saunas, which have been used for centuries, and they are becoming very popular. We use them to treat many health conditions but also to get the benefits from these sessions. However, many people are not sure about the difference between traditional and infrared saunas.
Both types of saunas can be used for several purposes such as detoxification, relaxation or to help treat or prevent some health conditions.
Traditional Saunas
These saunas originated a long time ago. Nowadays, although they use more modern technologies, their goal is basically the same.
This type of sauna heats the air first, it uses dry heat, then your skin follows and finally your whole body temperature increases. Some people find it very difficult to bare these sauna sessions due to the high temperatures.
Infrared Saunas
Infrared saunas emit infrared radiation or light instead. The wavelengths of this light penetrate our skin, acting at a cellular level, and heat the body from the inside out without heating the air as much as traditional saunas. Infrared radiation is not visible to the eye but it is powerful and effective.
The wavelengths used in these saunas are not harmful to the body and they mimic the beneficial effect of sunlight without the U.V. rays.
Infrared Sauna Session before or after my workout
Now that we have a better idea about what is the difference between both types of sauna sessions, we can go more in-depth about when we should use them to optimize our workout routine.
First of all, we wanted to mention that an infrared sauna session both pre and post-exercising bring great benefits to our body. However, there are some reasons that make post-workout sessions the best option out of these two. But why?
Benefits of using an Infrared Sauna after a workout
1. Endurance and Performance
Experts have conducted several studies that now prove the fact that sauna bathing sessions after exercising are beneficial and improve the endurance and performance of the person who follows this routine. Although most of these trials were conducted with athletes, infrared sauna sessions after a workout can be beneficial for most people. You can first consult with your doctor to be sure everything will be fine.
2. Pain Relief
After a workout and the work we have put our muscles and body through, there can be some tearing in the muscle fibers. We will probably feel a bit inflamed in the areas where this has happened, a normal process in the body since it is a way to protect ourselves, this is also when we will feel sore. Infrared saunas have been tested in these cases and results show that mixing exercise with sauna sessions can relieve pain and muscle soreness, enhance recovery and improves muscular repair.
3. Detoxification
Additionally, infrared saunas are great for detoxification due to the increased sweat production they induce. Sweating helps flush out toxins from your skin pores that would otherwise build up in your system over time resulting in sluggishness and poor overall health.
4. Recharge and Recover
As well as helping to remove toxins from your body, infrared saunas also increase energy levels thanks to improved circulation allowing for more efficient delivery of oxygen throughout your body. Regular use of an infrared sauna can help improve mental clarity and focus by relieving stress and reducing fatigue through the relaxation of both physical and mental tension. This enhanced mental clarity can lead to better performance in sports or other activities as well as overall improved productivity in daily tasks.
5. Improved sleep
Moreover, regular infrared sauna sessions after workouts can help improve sleep quality by calming both body and mind which will allow for a deeper more restful sleep at night. Improved sleep can lead to enhanced cognitive performance during the day while promoting recovery from daily stressors such as work or exercise-induced fatigue.
Conclusion
As we have seen, infrared saunas offer numerous benefits when used after a workout, providing relief to tired and sore muscles while promoting overall health and well-being among other effects. Through their infrared rays, infrared saunas aid in healing by increasing circulation throughout the body. This helps reduce inflammation, relieves muscle tension and discomfort, and accelerates recovery time.
Exercise is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. It helps to maintain a strong and balanced physical body, but it is also key for mental health. However, we should also keep in mind that working out is even better when we let our bodies relax. Rest is necessary in order to give the body time to recover from strenuous activities and reset hormones. Here is where infrared saunas come into action. With them, you will get amazing results and start seeing the benefits from day one.
Source:
https://www.purewellnessstudio.com.au/post/infrared-sauna-therapy-before-or-after-a-workout
https://higherdose.com/blogs/news/should-you-use-an-infrared-sauna-before-or-after-a-workout
https://jnhproseries.com/blogs/limitless-a-blog-for-athletes/5-amazing-reasons-you-should-use-an-infrared-sauna-after-a-workout
https://jnhproseries.com/blogs/limitless-a-blog-for-athletes/5-amazing-reasons-you-should-use-an-infrared-sauna-after-a-workout
https://www.vitalproteins.com/blogs/fitness/sauna-before-or-after-workout#
https://drruscio.com/infrared-sauna/
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5941775/#B71
Studies:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1440244006001393