The light waves of a far infrared sauna are light-years away from the old fashioned, steam-filled saunas of the past. Between the lower temperature and the deeply therapeutic far infrared waves of the modern health sauna, people are not only more comfortable experiencing their treatments, but actually enjoy them and find them relaxing.
As for effectiveness, scientific research is adding up to prove what many of those who have gained healing through the modern sauna already know. Infrared sauna therapy is gaining a solid reputation for enhancing health, specifically in the areas of detoxification, boosted ­metabolism, improved heart health, mood elevation, stress reduction, pain relief, recovery from illness and injury, and enhanced immunity.

How it works
Infrared sauna therapy works by emitting a wavelength of red spectrum waves, known as far infra red rays or FIR for short. These waves are beneficial to the human body. The therapy's safety is undisputed. Doctors in hospitals use heaters in the infrared range to warm newborn babies, for example. FIR are naturally occurring light waves that we receive from the beneficial portion of sunlight. Unlike other saunas, infrared saunas operate at a temperature of 90–145 °F compared to a traditional sauna's 185–230 °F. The lower, yet more concentrated temperature, coupled with the far infra red wavelength of light emissions, creates a comfortable environment. People can breathe easily at longer durations, allowing them to experience deep therapeutic healing.

Effective detoxification
Scientific analysis shows infrared heat-induced sweat contains five to six times more toxins, fat and impurities than normal sweat. According to a comparison study of saunas (Townsend Letter for Doctors, 1992), high-quality infrared sauna has tremendous ability to eliminate stored waste, such as metabolic wastes, environmental toxins, city pollution, fats, cholesterol, heavy metals, alcohol and nicotine.

One American study indicates that people using a conventional sauna eliminated mostly water in their sweat while those using an infra-red sauna ­eliminated far more undesirable elements such as sodium, fat-soluble toxins, sulfuric acid, uric acid, toxic heavy metals, ammonia and cholesterol.

Combined with a professionally guided detoxification program that may include chelation therapy, colonics, exercise and a healthy diet, infrared ­sauna therapy can significantly enhance the body's ability to mobilize and eliminate toxins-one of most significant underlying causes of chronic disease.

Boosted metabolism
The body expends energy to ­produce sweat. One gram of sweat requires 0.586 calories, which means the body can ­safely burn up to 300 calories in just one 30-minute infrared sauna session-a sweat loss equal to running several kilometres. While some of this weight can be regained through rehydration, the calories burned will not. A treatment can also help to raise basal metabolic rate, which means the body will burn calories at an ­elevated rate for hours after the session has finished. This can translate to a benefit of up to 800 calories from a single session.

Improved heart health
The heat from the infrared sauna engages the cardiovascular system by stimulating vessels to dilate, thus increasing blood flow to the surface of the skin and the extremities to dissipate heat. As a result, the heart works harder to pump blood at a greater rate, supplying the conditioning benefits of continuous exercise. Heart rate, cardiac output and metabolic rate increase, while diastolic blood pressure drops, for improved overall cardiovascular fitness.

A 2001 research study in the Journal of the American College of ­Cardiology concluded that repeated infrared sauna treatment improves impaired blood vessel functions in patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and high cholesterol, suggesting a preventive role for sauna use for arteriosclerosis (clogging of the artieries).

If you have advanced heart disease, you must be under the care and guidance of pa hysician before commencing infrared sauna therapy.

Elevates moods
Moodiness during winter has been widely acknowledged by the medical profession for many years. People suffering from moodiness can experience an increase of metabolic disorders, depression, skin diseases, allergies and conditions caused by impaired or suppressed immune systems.

During cold, dark winters when we get as little as seven to eight hours of sunlight per day, the consequences of light deprivation are severe for many people. Those who work indoors may not see sunlight for days at a time. The far infrared rays mimic the benefits of natural sunlight, therefore naturally elevating mood.

Stress reduction
A Czechoslovakian study demonstrated that sitting in a sauna for 30 minutes doubled beta-endorphin levels in the blood-neurotransmitters ­commonly ­released during intense exercise. These neurotransmitters relieve pain and may also produce a sense of well-being and euphoria. The relaxation following a sauna may also be due to other chemical changes in the brain. A reduction in stress hormones coupled with an increase in serotonin (associated with elevated mood, relaxation and sleep) results in a deep state of relaxation and improves sleep quality.

Pain relief and recovery
Therapeutic heat from the infrared sauna penetrates deep into the joints and muscles of the body. This results in blood vessels dilating and thereby improving removal of metabolic waste products and increasing tissue oxygenation levels, which promotes healing and recovery. Infrared sauna is used to aid in the therapeutic treatment of chronic arthritis (both rheumatoid and osteo), fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic back pain, bursitis, as well as to assist in recovery from muscle, joint and soft tissue injuries.

Enhanced immunity
Infrared sauna therapy creates artificial "fever" by increasing the body's set point for temperature. A fever is the body's natural defense mechanism to kill microbes and help rid the body of infections, such as colds and flus.

A German study observed 44 kindergarten children with half the children partaking in a weekly sauna. Over the following 18 months, the number of sick days due to colds, ear infections and associated illness for each group revealed the children in the sauna group had half the number of sick days when compared to the control group.

Whether it is for immunity, weight loss, stress reduction, detoxification or general well-being, infrared sauna therapy is an excellent tool for ­improved health. 

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