Portable infrared saunas are showing up in locker rooms and gyms around the country. They are being used as an integral part of pre-workout warm ups, post workout conditioning and injury recovery procedures.
An infrared sauna is perfect as a “heat therapy room” for athletes looking for a pre-workout activity to warm up muscles and increase flexibility. A quick session in a portable infrared sauna before a competition will give an edge to the physical abilities of an athlete while also helping to prevent injury.
Tissues that are heated to 112 degrees Fahrenheit and then stretched, retain roughly 0.5-0.9% of their length indefinitely. Thus 20 stretching sessions can result in a 10-18% increase in the length of tissues that are stretched in conjunction with infrared heat. (Justus Lehmann M.D., Williams and Wilkins, Therapeutic Heat and Cold.)
Countless are the many benefits that come specifically from the warming effects of the deeply penetrating infrared rays on sore, damaged or tired muscles. The heat will dilate blood vessels and increase blood circulation which will assist muscles to repair and strengthen themselves. Also, the pain of worn or tight muscles will be lessened by the loosening of muscles and reduction of lactic acids that result from infrared sauna use.
Athletes with serious injuries such as sprains should follow the normal process of cold/compression after immediate injury. After the normal treatments have been administered the deep penetrating infrared heat will speed and ease the pain of recovery.
An athletes joints are notorious for recovering from illness slowly. Heat from infrared saunas is alble to work deep down into the joint area and loosen the muscles to allow greater blood flow. Poor circulation is then eliminated which helps to speed the joints recovery.
For those athletes who are temporarily unable to stick to their workout regimen because of injury or time constraints, infrared ray saunas are an effective tool to stay fit. Heat from infrared saunas causes an elevated heart rate, which is a low impact way to obtain a great cardiovascular workout. The American Medical Association explains that “many of us who run do so to place a demand on our cardiovascular system…. Regular use of indoor saunas may impact a similar stress on the cardiovascular system, and its regular use may be as effective, as a means of cardiovascular conditioning and burning of calories, as regular exercise.”
For athletes and those on fitness regimens, an infrared sauna can be a supplemental method of burning calories (up to 500 calories per sauna session!), a way of getting rid of fat cells and a means of boosting the metabolism. An infrared sauna should not be used as a replacement for a traditional cardio workout, but make a great follow up to a workout as well as a way to stay fit while injuries prevent athletic mobility.
It would seem that infrared saunas will only get more popular among athletes. The long term viability of these saunas is a direct result of their ability to well prepare athletes’ bodies, condition them after a workout, and then speed their recoveries.
To find out more information about how many athletes are benefiting from portable infrared saunas, visit HEALTHandMED.com