Awareness increased by media exposure
After numerous studies, which have revealed several health benefits, infrared saunas have been getting lots of exposure in the general media. Consumers are being persuaded to buy infrared saunas for their homes on major television shows such as Oprah, Dr. Oz, The Doctors, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Rachael Ray. This national visibility makes it easier for health professionals and sauna dealers to explain the many health benefits they have to potential consumers.
Infrared saunas are utilized by many holistic health practitioners for their wellness benefits, including doctors of integrative medicine, chiropractors, physical therapists, naturopaths and osteopaths; however, they are not only built for health clinics. Many gyms, spas and hotels have been incorporating infrared, instead of traditional saunas, into their amenity offerings.
Infrared saunas are also sold to individual consumers for personal use at home. They are easy to set up and are free standing, allowing them to be moved
easily around the home, indoors or outdoors. They plug into a standard household outlet and typically cost less than $10 in electricity per month with regular use.
For those who live in apartments or have minimal space at home, most infrared sauna manufacturers also offer compact ‘solo’ models that easily fold up into a 1 m2 (12 sf) area. These lightweight, portable models are also being purchased by massage therapists or other freelancers in the healing profession who want to enhance home visits with their clients.
New options and features
Certain infrared sauna bhttp://www.poolspas.ca/wp-admin/edit-comments.phprands are now also available in eco-conscious models. These saunas are made from 100 per cent Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Canada certified wood and are free of any glue, dye or chemicals.
In terms of their operation, most infrared saunas utilize only far-infrared heat, which is only one part of the infrared spectrum. However, in the last year, sauna manufacturers have launched full-spectrum infrared saunas to provide users control over their settings, which can now range from near-infrared light, which aids in pain and muscle relief, to mid-infrared light, which assists in fat burning and weight loss, to far-infrared light, which deepens the core sweat to detoxify the entire body.
Bio-feedback is another new feature offered by infrared sauna manufacturers. These saunas include a bio-feedback monitor that is programmed to wirelessly send data (e.g. heart rate, calories burned and core body temperature) to a personal-wellness website, which allows sauna bather’s to track their health goals. Another unique feature offered by some infrared sauna manufacturers is sound therapy technology. This feature uses sound waves to create a musical massage for the body, which encourages the bather’s muscles, joints, tendons and ligaments to resonate to stimulate the mind and body’s natural relaxation response.
Educate consumers now
With infrared sauna popularity on the rise in the health and wellness industry, now is the time to educate consumers on their medically proven benefits and the possibilities for greater health and longevity via regular use.
Michelle Robin, DC, is a holistic chiropractor and founder/chief wellness officer of Your Wellness Connection, a successful healing centre in Kansas. Honoured as the ‘Master’s Circle Chiropractor of the Year’ in 2007, Robin is a regular contributing writer to a magazine for executive business women as well as many community publications focusing on health and wellness. She is also the author of the book Wellness on a Shoestring—Seven Habits for a Healthy Life. She can be reached via e-mail at mrobin@yourwellnessconnection.com.
