Giving your immune system a boost is more important than ever now that we understand how deadly viruses can be. Eating healthy and exercising are both great ways to stay in shape, but adding other activities, like infrared saunas, helps, too.
Infrared saunas are an innovative technological wonder. Who knew that sitting still and relaxing in professional saunas like those at iCRYO could be such an easy way to get healthy?
What is Infrared Sauna Therapy?
When you step outside during the day, you enjoy the relaxing rays of the sun. Infrared rays are part of this spectrum – the harmless part. There are many benefits from infrared that we can’t get naturally because we need to avoid the harmful ultraviolet rays.
In infrared therapy, you get all of the natural benefits without the harmful UV rays. This method is so safe, it’s used in neonatal units around the world.
A Little Background on Your Immune System
There are research-backed scientific reasons why infrared saunas help increase the immune system.
When this system is depleted through things like lack of sleep, stress, minimal exercise, or an unhealthy diet, it’s easier for germs to seep through your body and take over.
Sometimes there isn’t much we can do about being unable to exercise or sleep well. But we can use other external sources, like vitamins and infrared saunas, to make up for those deficiencies.
Why an Infrared Sauna Can Help
Infrared saunas work by producing heat, which in turn stimulates your body to activate certain cellular functions, such as:
- Ramping up your white blood cell count – White blood cells, frequently termed “nurse cells,” are your body’s natural protection against foreign organisms. When you are exposed to higher levels of heat in the infrared sauna, it stimulates your cells to make more of these white blood cells. Extra infection-detecting cells mean that your body can fight illnesses earlier and faster.
- Increased circulation – The hot temperatures in an infrared sauna sink into your body on such a deep level that it pushes your blood to circulate faster. This increased circulation sends nutrients throughout your entire system, flushing out harmful toxins through perspiration. This is called detoxification. If you don’t sweat often or enough, your body is holding on to those toxins and other impurities. These chemicals and toxins come from daily exposure to the environment and what you eat and drink. Without sweating, they can sit in your body and make you sick or cause pain and discomfort. This toxin flush is beneficial to the immune system, and the increased circulation is great for your heart, too!
- Fakes out your immune system – The body’s natural way of fighting infection is through a fever. High temperatures are the warning system for your immune system to kick in and start fighting off germs. When you’re strategically exposed to high temperatures in an infrared sauna, it triggers your immune system to kick in and eliminate any cells that may have been undetected otherwise.
- Creates healthier looking cells – In addition to ramping up the white blood cell counts, the extra temperature create benefits at a cellular level in other ways, too. Cell regeneration is your body’s way of getting rid of old or damaged cells, and without the right stimulation, regeneration doesn’t happen frequently. This lack of new cell creation causes wrinkles and dry or damaged skin and lowers the immune system’s ability to fight. But the hot temperatures in the infrared sauna stimulate the cells to regenerate. When your weak cells are being replaced with new, strong ones, every part of your body begins running efficiently, including your immune system. As a bonus, those damaged cells aren’t sticking around, causing you to age quicker.
- Eases pain – Infrared saunas are a relaxing way to reduce tension and stress in your muscles and joints. The heat penetrates your body deeply, pushing oxygen through to all of your joints and extremities. As your body relaxes, tension on your nerve endings reduces, too. This diminishes pain levels, decreases muscle spasms, and gives your body the time it needs to work on recovering from injuries or trauma. During this period, your immune system is recovering and fighting foreign invaders, too.
- Lowers your stress levels – Of course, our infrared saunas are also the perfect relaxation chamber. Infrared therapy takes away outside stress by comforting you in a warm, peaceful area, where everything else is a distant thought. As you bask in the heat, your stress reduces. Since stress is one of the key factors known to lower your immune system, this is beneficial both mentally and physically.
Relax and Help Your Body Recover with Infrared Therapy
The benefits of infrared saunas are incredible, plus you get to relax while you work on helping your body fight off infections and reduce pain and discomfort.
Schedule your iCRYO infrared sauna session now for preventative care.
