Shhhh..... I'm Working Out

Relax Your Way to Great Health in a Far-Infrared Sauna

Ask most people what they want out of life and chances are you will hear a common goal – “to be healthy”. Of course, when our health is failing, little else seems to be important; but what does “to be healthy” mean? Is health simply an absence of illness - or is there more to it? Unfortunately for most adults the notion of waking from a restful night’s sleep with energy and vitality that carries them through the day is only a distant memory from childhood. They are not “sick”, but a persistent lack of energy can hardly be interpreted as good health.

Good health means having the energy to live your life to the fullest. Whether something as simple as walking with a friend, playing golf or taking a yoga class or participating in more demanding activities like skiing, cycling or playing tennis, your energy level will either expand or reduce your options. Advancing age should not equate to diminished vitality because a simple fact is that your vitality is absolutely within your control at any age. The key is to arm yourself with the right tools. Enter the far-infrared sauna.

Traditional high-heat saunas have existed for thousands of years. While the Finns are credited with inventing the Sauna (pronounced “sow-nah” as in ‘now’), many other cultures have used the sweat lodge for everything from bathing, to religious ceremonies. In the past whole rooms had to be dedicated to the construction of indoor saunas, or entire out buildings were required, with either wood-fired or electric heaters. But now, modern technology has produced a means of creating a deeply satisfying and cleansing sweat quickly and comfortably in the form of the far-infrared sauna. While still made of wood, far infrared saunas are free-standing structures that assemble in minutes, can be easily moved on demand and use less electricity than a hair dryer.

But what does a far-infrared sauna session feel like? Beverly documents the experience using her Armana Luxury Solocarbon™ far-infrared sauna.

As I approach the sauna, I know already that I’m about to experience something unique. The sauna looks very different from the big rooms I remember from my youth. This one is about seven feet wide and five feet deep. It is big enough for up to four people but tonight I have it all to myself. I open the beveled glass door, expecting to feel a wall of hot air blast my face but there is none, just a soothing, gentle warmth.

Before settling in, I turn on the Blaupunkt™ stereo that is installed right inside the wall of the sauna and suddenly the space if filled with the lush sound of a Teleman flute sonata. This is going to be just what I needed after the hectic day I’ve had – a sanctuary.

I lay my towel on the deep wooden bench and position the movable back rest against the side wall. I recline against the backrest, put my feet up and close my eyes, allowing myself to just breathe and relax.

The gentle heat feels remarkably like the sun shining on a warm summer’s day. With my eyes closed, I can almost hear the sound of children at play in the pool. I’m instantly transported to our holiday last summer in Marbella.

I exhale a deep relaxing sigh of contentment and notice that the air does not burn my nose or lungs. It occurs to me that my niece who suffers from asthma would do well inside this kind of sauna. I’ll have to remember to invite her the next time she visits us.

Far-infrared is an invisible part of the light spectrum that heats objects directly without heating the air between. It is far-infrared that is responsible for the heat we feel from the sun and is completely separate from the harmful UV rays or radiation that are also a component of sunlight. Far-infrared energy is essential to our health and is part of our daily lives as every living organism emits and receives far infrared. Where topical heat only penetrates 3 mm. into the skin, far infrared penetrates up to 35 mm. for deep whole body detoxification. Because of this direct penetration, the air inside a far-infrared sauna is effective at temperatures 100°F cooler than a traditional sauna.

The temperature gauge on the wall reads 120°F and I’ve only been inside the sauna for five minutes but already my whole body is glistening with tiny droplets of sweat. I put my hand on one of the large carbon heaters that line all four walls of the sauna; it feels pleasantly warm to the touch. Anyone could use this sauna and would never have to worry about burning themselves. The heat is gentle but I can feel it going deep into my muscles and joints. My skin is not hot, just warm and it seems impossible that my body is responding so quickly with such a profound sweat.

I look at my arms and can see droplets forming on what seems to be every pore of my skin. I didn’t even know that my forearm could sweat! I take a drink of cool water, wipe my face with a hand towel and close my eyes again.

I can feel my neck and shoulder muscles (the place where I store all of my tension) releasing. Days of accumulated stress melting out of my body with each breath that I take. I am going to sleep wonderfully tonight – I always do on the nights I sauna.

It has been ten minutes now and rivulets of sweat are making their meandering paths down every part of my body. I use my hand towel often to wipe my face, hands and arms and almost instantly can see new beads of sweat beginning to form.

In the old style sauna, this would be the point when I would begin staring down the fifteen-minute sand timer…a battle of wills: my survival instinct to get out now and save myself vs. my mind which tells me that I should stay in for the full fifteen minutes to make the whole experience worth while.

“So many people have missed out on the tremendous benefits of using a sauna on a regular basis because they simply could not tolerate the high heat,” says Kim Sterling, president of Soleil Saunas Inc. “We are so pleased to hear back from customers who thought they didn’t like saunas raving about our Solocarbon™ Armana saunas. They truly are the perfect sauna for everyone.”

I swivel in my seat and sit upright, allowing my back to rest directly on the wooden frame immediately in front of the large carbon heating panels. My feet rest on the floor where there is also a heater beneath the wooden grate. I can feel the far-infrared waves penetrating gently and deeply into my feet; easing the aches and tension away. I’m feeling relaxed yet energized – a marvelous sensation!

I have now been in the sauna for twenty minutes. My hand towel is heavy with sweat but there is absolutely no odor. The far-infrared is reported to kill bacteria, so it is comforting to know that my sauna will smell brand new every time I use it.

As I sit there “sprit zing like a fountain”, I look around the sauna and admire its construction. Tongue and groove walls, floors, ceiling and benches give the sauna a beautiful furniture appearance and make the deep benches comfortable to sit on. Cut glass recessed lights adorn the ceiling so I can read if I choose. There is accent lighting along all three sides of the roof that I sometimes turn on just for ambience in the bedroom. I can see the television across the room and smile to think of my husband watching the news each evening when he gets home. Well, it’s not Teleman, but to each his own.

The timer is now at twenty-five minutes and I can feel my entire circulatory system working with my heart beating slightly faster as though I were out for a brisk walk. This must be the passive cardio-vascular exercise effect I’ve read about. Sitting here for only thirty minutes is giving me the same heart workout as running three miles; without the risk of injury – just sitting here comfortably with my eyes closed. Modern technology – we’ve finally invented the couch potato workout!

When we first got the sauna we were worried about my husband’s blood pressure. As it turns out, the sauna has been the best thing he’s ever done for his health. In only three months, his cholesterol is down, his blood sugar is down and his pressure is back to normal. He’s so much more energetic now, but we won’t go into those details here 

Physicians laud the medicinal value of the far-infrared sauna as data confirms regular use has a profoundly beneficial effect on the human body. A 2001 clinical study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reported 25 patients exhibiting an early stage of arteriosclerosis were treated in a far-infrared sauna for 15 minutes once a day for two weeks. The results were impressive: significantly lowered blood pressure, significant weight loss, increased blood flow and lowered cholesterol and triglycerides.

I’m feeling deliciously warm right to my core. The weather today was gray and rainy and during my errands, the damp cold had permeated my entire body. Now, I feel like I’m sitting on a beach in Hawaii – how lovely to take a vacation in my home whenever I want!

The timer has turned the sauna off. My session is finished. In only thirty minutes, I have run 3 miles, burned about 600 calories and released all of the tension from my neck and shoulders. This sauna has become my treadmill, my masseuse and my sanctuary. I can hardly wait for my next session. Shhhhh…. I’m working out!

In 1981 a Journal of the American Medical Association study reported “A moderately conditioned person can easily sweat 500 grams in a sauna, consuming nearly 300 Kcal – the equivalent of running two to three miles. A heat-conditioned person can sweat 600 to 800 Kcal with no adverse effect. While the weight of water loss can be regained by re-hydration, the calories consumed will not.” It is logical to assume that regular sauna use can assist in weight loss.

A strengthened immune system, radiant skin, better sleep, whole body detoxification and improved cardio-vascular health - the far-infrared sauna can assist in all of these goals. Dr. Rachel West, director of The Healing Centre of Beverly Hills uses Solocarbon™ saunas in her clinic, “I have many clients who are ‘addicted’ to the positive healing benefits of far-infrared therapy and I have seen many people’s health and appearance improve through the use of our far-infrared saunas. We get thank-you letters from all over the world.”

Good health is a choice – one that you can make. If you are seeking alternative therapies for existing conditions or preventive solutions to maintain your active lifestyle, consider regular Solocarbon™ far-infrared saunas as a critical component in achieving optimal health and wellness.

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