Are infrared saunas finally knocking traditional Finnish saunas off their perch as the ultimate heat treatment tool?
The benefits of using a sauna for recovery, relaxation, and socialisation are well known. The traditional style sauna, heated using wood, hot stones, or more recently electric heaters, have been used across the globe for centuries now, first appearing in Finland well over 2000 years ago.
Ever since, it has been used to ease muscle soreness, destress after a tough day, and an opportunity to get together with friends.
The concept behind the sauna itself, hasn’t changed too much either over that time. A small room, heated to a high temperature by a heating source, sometimes filled with steam by pouring water over hot stones.
However, times may be changing. The Infrared sauna is the latest piece of heat treatment technology to have hit the market, and it really has taken the wellness sector by storm.
Infrared saunas offer all the health and lifestyle benefits of a traditional Finnish sauna in a far more energy efficient way, focussing deep penetrating heat on the user, rather than heating only the room itself.
But is this just a fad? Traditional saunas have passed the test of time with flying colours and look set to thrive for many centuries yet. So, are Infrared saunas Glasgow here to stay? Or are they simply a passing trend?
That is exactly what this article will examine, looking at exactly how infrared saunas work, why their supporters are so adamant that they are a better option than traditional sauna, and finally at some of the biggest health benefits to infrared sauna use.
What are infrared saunas?
Infrared saunas, in contrast to traditional saunas, don’t heat the air around the sauna user, but rather their body directly.
When you use an infrared sauna, infrared lamps attached to the walls or ceiling will send electromagnetic radiation waves into your body. Infrared waves are not visible to the human eye, but they are also completely harmless and will have no negative impact on the human body. In fact, hospitals often use infrared to treat new-born babies.
Infrared waves are much more efficient at penetrating deep within the human tissue than conventional heat meaning that when you use an infrared sauna you will begin to feel the benefits far quicker, and they are likely to be more significant.
As a result of this targeted heat, infrared saunas operate at a much lower ambient room temperature than traditional saunas, normally somewhere in the region of 40-60 degrees Celsius rather than 70-90 degrees Celsius.
There are several different benefits to this with the main two being that those who do not enjoy extreme heat may find an infrared sauna more enjoyable, and that infrared saunas can safely be used for longer periods of time without risking overheating.
It is estimated that only 20% of all the heat that is generated by an infrared sauna goes to heating the air inside the room itself, with 80% heating the body directly.
Why would use choose an infrared sauna over a traditional sauna?
Energy Efficiency
If you are thinking about having your very own home sauna installed, an infrared sauna Glasgow is by far the most cost effective option.
They use significantly less energy to operate than a traditional sauna, due in part to the fact that the room does not need to be pre-heated before use. Energy bills are high enough as it is just now without choosing to increase them further unnecessarily when there is a cheaper option available that doesn’t involve a drop in either quality or effectiveness of results.
Deeper heat
The penetrating heat of an infrared sauna Glasgow amplifies many of the biggest health benefits of regular sauna use.
It sends blood surging round all parts of the body, opening blood vessels, and healing minor injuries at a faster rate. It removes lactic acid from muscles, allowing you to train harder and recover quicker than ever before. It even improves your skin’s appearance by producing an intense sweat that washes away much of the debris and toxins that have gathered in and around your skin’s pores over time.
Simply put, almost all the wonderful advantages of traditional saunas for your health that have been celebrated for all these past years exist with an infrared sauna, many to a greater extent.
Customisation options
Infrared saunas come with all the customisation options that you would expect from a technology that is at the forefront of innovation within the heat treatment industry. With a huge selections of colours, designs, shapes, and sizes to choose from, you will have no problem in finding a home infrared saunas that perfectly matches the aesthetic of your home.