Transcript: Infrared Sauna, Explained: Light, Heat, and Recovery

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Okay, let's start from the beginning in terms of infrared. So, anybody that's listening to this episode, they might not even know what infrared means. So, what does infrared mean and what is an infrared sauna? Yeah, this is one of our um most popular questions that we get. So, um really what is an infrared sauna? It's a sauna which is delivered by light. So infrared is actually the words mean below red. So what we're talking about is on the electromagnetic spectrum a light light wavelengths. So instead of uh delivering heat by way of uh hot coals or by convection like an oven, sort of like how traditional sauna work, we're actually delivering far and mid infrared wavelengths which happen to be hot uh which are absorbed into the body and um and and create you know various biochemical cascades of health benefits. Uh so it's working very differently to a traditional sauna by delivering light and that light is being absorbed into the body. And how does that differ from a traditional sauna? Cuz most people will understand sauners as extreme heats. You go in there, you know, traditional finish sauna, all these sorts of terms come out quite a lot. So how does infrared and and traditional kind of compare? Yeah. So a traditional sauna is you know very effective at delivering uh a very hot experience into a small room. So

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hot experience into a small room. So it's heating the air essentially um and then that air is heating your body quite superficially. So with an infrared sauna uh it is heating the body from the inside out. So you're actually absorbing heat and the wavelengths inside to the inside the body. So it's a very different mechanism. Um, and what uh and it also feels different. So, it it's it's working with all of the benefits that you get from heat therapy, but also delivering all the benefits of light, which some people might know as photobiomodulation photobiomodulation um or you know, just light therapy essentially. One of the reasons, so I've got a traditional sauna at home. My brother who lives next door to me has got a infrared sauna. He's actually got sunlight. Um, so one of the reasons I went for traditional Mhm. Well, first of all, I have access to both. So, it kind of made sense to have one of each. Uh, but one of the the benefits that I thought initially was was time because I can't sit in my traditional sauna for longer than like 15 minutes. So, in my head, I'm thinking, right, shorter, sharper sessions, same benefit. But what benefits are there in infrared sauners over traditional sauners? Why would someone go for that over the other? Yeah, that's a really great question. So, um firstly, traditional sauners are

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So, um firstly, traditional sauners are great at delivering that really high heat. Um but what people don't realize is often they can't be in there for long enough in order to achieve that horidic stressor that you're looking for and like driving heat shock proteins. So, uh there's a misconception that it's hotter, but actually you can't achieve um an increase in heat shock proteins because the body isn't in able to withstand that heat long enough. So, firstly, from a health perspective, um infrared sauners are able to deliver that heat and I think there is a bit of a myth that they're not as hot, but that's definitely not the case. So, we can mimic that traditional sauna uh feeling uh and and intensity, I would say, is probably a better word to use, intensity. Um, but you're getting all the benefits of heat, being able to then uh not just endure the sauna session, but in particular, you can enjoy it and stay long enough to get the the heat shock proteins and the the um the stressor, the hormitic stressor, but then you're also achieving all the benefits of the light therapy. So really, you know, we can go into a whole host of different health benefits when it comes to infrared, but what it all boils down to is our ability to uh really achieve a mitochondrial dischar recharge in the body and um really affect the body from a systemic perspective. So that has the knock-on effect of of we see benefits of sleep,

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effect of of we see benefits of sleep, of detoxification, of heart health, um reduction in stress, um all because we're able to get down to that cellular level. Mhm. Okay. And so for someone listening to this, can you just like describe a typical session of each like so, you know, cuz I know the feeling is very different. Um, you know, and and one of the things I just said now was actually the time was a benefit for me, but it was interesting what you said that actually you need a bit more time than 15 minutes a lot of the time to get to those benefits. Um, but can you just describe the feeling, the sensation, the typical session between the two? So, with a traditional sauna experience, you're walking in and you're immediately hit with that hot air and um it's it's quite overwhelming. And so, people either will, you know, people normally are sitting down and they're not necessarily laying down because it's it's not a relaxing experience. They're trying to uh often, you know, breathe. Their heart rate is being uh is raised and and um they're really just trying to get through as many minutes as possible. Um and for some people uh it's contraindicated you know people with heart conditions and often you know it's not that advisable advisable for people who have chronic stress or burnout to be in a traditional sauna because it's not going to be a part of their recovery. So, as opposed to if you walk into a

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So, as opposed to if you walk into a infrared sauna, what you're going to feel is, you know, that you've kind of walked into a space that feels like potentially the Bahamas or something. It is that feeling of being in the sun. And our bodies, you know, we have this um, you know, primal attraction to that sensation of of the sun and the heat. And it really is, our bodies recognize it instantly. Uh so it feels warming, it feels soothing. Um and then but towards the end of say a 25 minute 30 minute session having had your heart rate raised for that period of time people often then feel that okay this is now quite challenging and are pushing to either get out and so yeah it it it's but it's quite enjoyable for that period that they're in. And um although there is a level of intensity, it doesn't feel unmanageable. So So yeah, no, I agree with that. And you know, one of the things I noticed when I get in my heat sauna is actually stings your nose when you're trying to breathe, you know, it's it gets so hot that it's actually quite painful on the respiratory system a lot of the time. And and I get that, you know, I'm I'm clock looking most of the time, you know, cuz it's like, right, when can I get out of this hell? Yeah. So there is a bit of a debate online online where people are saying because uh uh infrared is not kind of doesn't have the typical features of a sauna that we shouldn't even call it a sauna. What do you think about that? Is there a defense in that aspect?

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that? Is there a defense in that aspect? I love that people care enough about this to be debating online. I mean I didn't have any idea but this is great. Well I think you have to go back to what is the definition of a sunna. Okay so the definition is we're in a small room. It's a small room that is heated to a high temperature uh for the purposes of recreational use or therapeutic use. So if you go back to the definition, well, yes, by definition, an infrared sauna is still a sauna. It's just that it's so much more than that. And you know, I like to call it sort of it's a next generation in in sauna because now we know we understand fully the benefits of of heat. And now we're we actually are able to add add um add light therapy to that. And you know there are also a number of practical reasons for having a infrared sauna as well that I don't think people realize. I mean it's much cheaper to run. It's much easier to maintain. It's simpler to install. There are less risks with you know having uh fire you know fire risks in your home. Um, and so it really can be very plugandplay and accessible to a lot more people as well. Okay. And another thing I've seen quite frequently in the sunlight sources is you're now introducing red light therapy. Yeah. So we'll talk about near, mid, and far infrared in a minute and the differences. Um, but most people will understand the term red light therapy.

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Yep. Why is it important at the minute to start stacking the different wavelengths in terms of red light and this infrared sauners? Yeah. Well, every wavelength um has different health benefits. Um and you know when in our quickfire that's what I was alluding to. So, um, a lot of people get confused, but what's really important is that depending on your goal for using light therapy or or an infrared sauna, uh, you need to understand what wavelengths are going to benefit me most. And but what's really great about our, uh, new pulse IQ sauna is that we have near, mid, far, and red light uh, all targeted wavelengths. And then the user is able to personalize the blend of those wavelengths according to what they want to use it for or what they want to use it for now as opposed to in the future or what different family members need need it for. And so I think that that's really powerful because it's not a one-sizefits - all situation. Um we we had um had near infrared in our sauners for a very long time which is actually an 88 880 nanometer uh wavelength which is slightly deeper than near uh red light. Um and um we've we've introduced red light as it's become you know as our customers have asked for it. Um but um it it all yeah it comes down to what the user wants to really use the sauna for.

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Mhm. Yeah. And we talk about red light, near infrared, mid infrared, far infrared. Just for simple, you know, idiots guide to what does that mean and and what's the difference? Yeah. Okay. So, if we go back to sci science lesson um on the electromagnetic spectrum, you've got different wavelengths of light um and you've got the visible spectrum and you've got the invisible spectrum. So um far, mid and near come into the invisible spectrum. So they're not visible to the naked eye. So they are just different wavelengths of of light. Far is is the longest wavelength. That one um is is a heat generating wavelength of light. Um now that one is specifically more associated with detoxification benefits, circulation benefits. And then you have mid infrared uh which is a shorter wavelength and actually it's a really interesting wavelength because it's um you know where sunlight are the only ones that can target mid infrared uh because of our patented technology. It's a very hot wavelength and it tends to be able to reduce down inflammation in the joints, muscle and tissue very well. Um and then you have near infrared which a lot of people will be familiar with um with uh the LEDs uh technology that is out there today with the panels and and um masks um which is a very short wavelength. It's it's um you need to be quite close to it um to absorb it.

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to be quite close to it um to absorb it. Um and that has essentially it's a bit of a wander uh wavelength. It's absorbed into the mitochondria. It delivers energy right into our cells. Um and then you have red light which is actually the shortest wavelength. It is uh 6600 660 nanometers. It works very well for uh skin um and other you know more superficial benefits in the body. Um but that is the first visible wavelength. So the others are the infra in the infrared and then you have the