I can wait to start sharing my wellness journey with you. First up? An infrared sauna. This was A-MAZ-ING! Even scheduled a second session before I was out the door.
I had been eager to try an infrared sauna for at least 6 months. I first read about them in a fitness magazine which gave a laundry list of health benefits, including increased energy, improved circulation, skin purification (yes!) and pain relief.
After hearing me mention this one too many times, my husband purchased a 10 session infrared sauna package for me as a Mother’s Day gift. (so sweet) He even offered to join me for my first session.
As an avid cyclist, he was interested in the benefits for muscle tension and metabolism. As for me? It was all about the skin benefits. I was hoping for improvements in skin complexion, tone, elasticity and overall appearance. I was all about how the red light stimulates collagen and elastin production and the sweating helps with skin cell turnover. Hold on….let me say ‘stimulates collagen production’ again…yep, that’s what I am talking about.
We went to a local spa that has both an infrared sauna and a salt cave (stay tuned for a post on the salt cave soon!) The sauna was by Jacuzzi and comfortably fit both my husband and I. Not knowing what to expect, I wore a workout bra and calf length leggings. Mistake number 1. The leggings were too much. I didn’t anticipate how much I would sweat. I plan to wear a bathing suit next time.
We did a 30 minute session and had it set for a max temperature of 135 degrees°F (57°C). This was recommended by the spa owner since it was our first experience. Thank heavens for her because I am not sure we would have tolerated much higher.
The radiant energy of an infrared sauna heats your core temperature first, which means you’ll sweat from the inside out, pushing all the toxins out of your skin and body leaving it looking and feeling healthier.
The first 12-13 minutes were a breeze. It was hot, don’t get me wrong, but it was tolerable and we were not sweating too much. I think I even commented to my husband that I found it very relaxing and enjoyable.
I spoke too soon. Once we hit 15 minutes, we were both sweating A LOT. I’m talking sweat dripping from my face, down my back, my hands…everywhere. (hence why a bathing suit would have been better!).
The last 8 minutes we sat in silence. I don’t know about him, but I was too hot to talk, sweat was pouring out of me, and I was trying not to look at the timer every 5 seconds in hopes that the session was almost over! The last 2 minutes seemed to last forever. We almost tackled each other for the door when the session ended.
We stepped out of the sauna and dried off. (damn it…this is when I wish I had a change clothes since mine were soaked!)
You know what happened next? The most amazing feeling! We felt refreshed and cleansed. We felt energized. So much so, that we looked at each other and said “we are doing this again!”.
And my skin was glowing.
I plan to go weekly for the next 2 months.
If you have not tried an infrared sauna, FIND ONE near you. And tell me about your experience!
Best…
Donna
