A far infrared sauna offers a comfortably warm place to relax and ease stress. These saunas are also being studied for potential physical health benefits. If you plan to use one of these saunas, how long should you stay in it? Keep the following in mind the next time you use a sauna.
First-Time Sauna Use
Go in at a low temperature the first time, around 26C or 78F. If you have never been in a far infrared sauna before, you should also keep your sauna time shorter at first. This allows your body to adjust to being in an environment that’s comfortably warm, but probably hotter than what you’re used to. Your first sauna visit should be around 15 to 20 minutes long, and you should only do a few sauna sessions per week to begin with. Once you’re used to being in the sauna, you can gradually increase the amount of time you stay in and the number of times you use it each week. Keep in mind that far infrared saunas are designed to cause you to sweat without making your core body temperature increase. This helps you to feel more comfortable in these saunas compared to traditional saunas. The bottom line is you can breathe normally and still sweat profusely.
Post-Workout
Some people prefer going to a sauna after working out. If you’re going to be using one after exercising, you should wait for 10 or 20 minutes before going in. While you wait, you should drink water to help you rehydrate after working out. Your body can lose a considerable amount of fluids while exercising. Once you’re rehydrated you can safely use a far infrared sauna.
Comfort Levels
Since infrared saunas use ceramic heating elements, they don’t require your lungs to overheat in order to induce a sweat. Therefore you shouldn’t experience any discomfort from overheating and the vast majority of people who don’t like the heat from a traditional sauna, love the gentle heat of an infrared sauna. However, you should leave the sauna if you do start feeling lightheaded or dizzy. You should also leave the sauna if you develop a headache or other symptoms of overheating or dehydration. If you have underlying health conditions or any health concerns, you can talk to your doctor about using an infrared sauna safely. Make sure you mention that you can use it below 98F.
Maximum Time
While far infrared saunas don’t increase your core body temperature, there are still limits to how long you should use them. To be safe, you should limit your overall time per day in the sauna to a maximum of 40 minutes. This gives you plenty of time to enjoy relaxing in the sauna without putting you at risk of becoming uncomfortable or losing too much fluid through sweating. Remember to keep hydrated. Keep in mind that when you have your own sauna at home and you can use it multiple times per week at your convenience. You don’t need to get out all the sweat in one session!
Visit SaunaRay for a New Far Infrared Sauna
If you’re thinking about getting a far infrared sauna for your home, please contact SaunaRay. Our handcrafted saunas are made from high-quality, environmentally sustainable wood. Visit us online to browse our selection of far infrared saunas.