3 Reasons Infrared Should be Part of Your Fitness Routine

There are oodles of ways to stay active and fit. For instance, some are gym-goers, rock climbers, hikers, or dancers, while others are runners, basketball players, weight-lifters, cyclists and much more. What do all of these athletes have in common? A consistent routine. Another commonality between the active people listed above as well as the majority of individuals, infrared heat can provide wellness benefits when paired with a fitness routine.

Let’s look at three reasons infrared should be a part of your fitness routine.

Super Sweat

Clinical studies document a variety of observations about the wellness benefits of infrared heat. And for a vast majority of people, infrared heat can induce high amounts of perspiration which can assist with weight loss, detoxification, skin rejuvenation and more. Sweating on the regular is necessary for overall health.

We may sweat multiple times each day or not at all, depending on the weather, our activity levels, or stress levels. For example, many work up a healthy sweat during a workout or physical activity, but it’s what the secretion contains that matters.

The sweat produced during exercise is often over 90% water. Experts say that the sweat produced while immersed in infrared heat is closer to 80% water and what’s left after infrared immersion is predominantly cholesterol, fat, heavy metals, soluble toxins, sulfuric acid, ammonia, sodium, and uric acid (Günzler & Gremlich, 2002).

Keep in mind; water is needed to make sweat happen, so drink up! Water keeps your body cool, assists with toxin removal, keeps the skin supple and allows the body to release toxins through sweating and bodily functions. How much water you should be drinking depends on your weight, activity level and your environment.

Recovery

An active lifestyle is bound to bring some soreness and body pain. Recover faster by participating in infrared sessions. During exposure, the infrared waves penetrate the body, and this can result in rapid healing benefits through increased blood flow and tissue oxygenation.

This process can also help the body heal. One of the more well-known infrared studies discovered that chronic fibromyalgia and pain patients experienced nearly a 70% reduction in their pain after one infrared therapy session.

Noticeable improvements after one session make infrared sessions a treat after a tough workout. Gently using heat on injured, sore or strained muscles can generate an increase in blood flow, similar to what one may experience during exercise.

Infrared immersion can cause a doubling of blood flow to the core, organs, arms, and legs. This increase of peripheral circulation has been known to reduce inflammation, decrease pain and speed up healing. Just what the body needs to recover from strenuous activity.

Results

Next level fitness results can happen when frequent infrared sessions get involved. As with your workouts and meals keeping it consistent is how good results happen. Those who participate in infrared sessions weekly or multiple times a week have reported intensified results sooner that last longer.

While benefits like pain relief, relaxation and detoxification may be observed right away other benefits such as weight loss, cellulite reduction, and skin rejuvenation may take a couple of sessions.

Infrared body wraps are a popular option for those who can’t seem to lose those last few pounds or who are not able to be as active as they’d like due to injury or illness. It is said that an infrared sauna can help one burn anywhere around three to six hundred calories. However, everyone is different, and your current weight, exercise habits, diet, and age are all factors in determining the number of calories your body may burn.

Moreover, an article about sweating in the Journal of American Medical Association, referring to 30-minute infrared sauna session states, “A moderately conditioned person can easily sweat off 500 grams, in a sauna, consuming nearly 300 kcal – the equivalent of running 2-3 miles. A heat-conditioned person can easily sweat off 600-800 kcal with no adverse effects. While the weight of the water lost can be regained by rehydration with water, the calories consumed will not be.” As such, weekly sessions can become a part of accomplishing your desired fitness results.

Your fitness routine should be all about you. Do your research and learn about foods, workouts and wellness services that are right for you. Fitness lovers use the power of infrared heat to experience a toxin releasing sweat and to recover faster and return to an active lifestyle. Mixing in infrared sessions with a challenging workout routine can improve results and make for a healthful way to stay FIT.

Sources/References:

• Cornbleet, T. (2008). The Excretion of Bromides Through the Skin.
• Broer, T. (2001). Maximum Fat Loss. Nashville, Tenn: Thomas Nelson.
• Widmaier, E. P., Raff, H., Strang, K. T., & Vander, A. J. (2011). Vander’s Human Physiology: The Mechanisms of Body Function. New York: McGraw-Hill.

• Matsushita, K., Masuda, A. and Tei, C. (2008). Efficacy of Waon therapy for fibromyalgia. – PubMed – NCBI. [online] Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18703857
• Günzler, H. and Gremlich, H. (2002). IR spectroscopy. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH.