Heat Therapy + Exercise
Leverage the Principles of Thermotherapy to Optimise Wellbeing
Whether your sauna routine is often pre-exercise to prepare the body by loosening the muscles, increasing flexibility and range of motion or post-exercise to facilitate recovery and repair, pairing an infrared sauna session with movement may just be the simple key to experiencing maximum results.
Read on to learn how this duo supports your body and nervous system on every level.
Benefits for Health + Physiology
INCREASES CIRCULATION
On one hand, movement gets the blood flowing, delivering fresh oxygen and nutrients to your muscles and brain. On the other hand, infrared sauna sessions keep this blood flow circulating by raising your core temperature. These two practices put the cardiovascular system to work to pump oxygenated blood throughout the body and foster a healthy circulatory system — vital for cellular health, glowing skin, performance and optimal functioning of the body.
BOOSTS ENDORPHINS
A significant increase in ‘feel-good’ hormones can be experienced post exercise and post heat exposure thanks to the release of dynorphins and endorphins. These mood-boosters act as natural painkillers, helping to relieve muscle soreness and alleviate aches and pains. Endorphins also function to enhance a sense of relaxation, reduce stress and elevate energy levels to promote overall health and wellbeing, physically, mentally and emotionally.
ACTIVATES THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
Exercise stimulates, heat therapy soothes. Physical activity triggers the sympathetic nervous system, commonly known as the ‘fight or flight’ response, whilst sauna sessions encourage the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, otherwise known as the ‘rest and digest’ state.
Pairing the two activities helps to create a healthy, balanced stress response and foster a regulated nervous system.
SUPPORTS DETOXIFICATION
Whilst exercise manually moves lymphatic fluid around the body, drawing waste and toxins from the cells, sweating in an infrared sauna helps to physically release these toxins, along with heavy metals and other cellular waste, via the lymphatic system, liver and kidneys.
The cellular detoxification that occurs from increased blood flow, sweating and infrared wavelengths gently flushes the body — helping to cleanse the tissues, fortify the immune system and encourage clearer, more radiant skin.
SOOTHES MUSCLES AND JOINTS
Near, mid and far infrared wavelengths penetrate deep into the tissues during an infrared sauna session, warming the body from within. Through increased circulation and oxygenated blood flow the body experiences an enhanced healing process to ease inflammation, reduce soreness and speed recovery after exercise. This internal heat also relaxes and loosens the muscles, fibres and tissues to promote flexibility and an increased range of motion. Further to this, flushing out lactic acid and other metabolic waste products during infrared heat exposure helps to significantly reduce Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and accelerate muscle repair.
Support your body, facilitate recovery and repair + regulate your nervous system.
To capitalise on the body’s heightened adaptivity whilst not causing excessive strain, it is recommended to have a brief infrared sauna session pre-exercise and up to 30 minutes post-exercise. This ensures the body’s responsiveness and thermoregulation processes are supported and not overwhelmed. As is expected for both activities, it is paramount to remain hydrated before, during and after pairing infrared sauna use with your form of movement — be sure to replenish lost fluids with plenty of clean water.
The beauty of pairing two holistic practices like this is the contrasting forms of therapy that can be experienced; with an array of healthful benefits on the body, movement and heat therapy are vital tools for enhancing overall health and vitality.
For more information on our infrared sauna sessions, or to book, click here.
written by brooke josland