THE HOT ZONE
Contactless, Personalised, Fully Immersive Sauna Experience
What is the difference between infrared sauna and steam/traditional sauna?
Traditional steam/hot rock saunas raise the temperature of the air in the sauna cabin to warm the body. Far infrared (FIR) saunas use the safe warming properties of the sun's far infrared spectrum to warm the body rather than the air within the cabin. This process is called conversion. FIR warms only the object and does not raise the temperature of the surrounding air. To understand how infrared heat works, picture yourself outdoors on a summer day with the sun beaming overhead. Your body feels warm from the sun, and you become hot. Then a cloud passes overhead, blocking out the sun. The temperature outside has not changed, but you feel cooler in the shade. Your body was being heated by the sun's far infrared rays. Infrared heaters warm the body in the same manner as natural sunlight.
Is Infrared safe?
All life requires FIR heat from the sun. FIR heat is not ultraviolet radiation but a narrow band of energy within the 5-to-15-micron level. This type of energy travels 40 - 45 mm deep into the body. The sun is the primary source of radiant energy but not all this energy is beneficial. Sunlight also contains harmful ultraviolet rays which are not present in the far infrared sauna. FIR heat provides the healthy benefits of natural sunlight without any of the dangerous effects of ultraviolet rays.
The healthcare industry has used infrared heat lamps as a source of FIR heat for many years (Eg to warm prematurely born babies) however the heating lamps were cumbersome, extremely hot, and difficult to maintain at a constant temperature. The recent development of ceramic and carbon fibre infrared heaters created a new and convenient source of FIR heat.
If we don't spend enough time outdoors, then we may not receive enough infrared in our bodies. While far infrared penetrates and heats our body and causes us to sweat, the composition of chemicals found in the sweat is quite different from that produced by a steam bath, traditional steam/hot rock sauna, or exercise. The sweat of people using a far infrared sauna will not only contain water but will also contain cholesterol, fat-soluble toxins, heavy metals (such as mercury, aluminium, and arsenic), nicotine, sulfuric acid, ammonia, and other undesirable elements. Normal sweat produced by other methods, including exercise, is mostly water and sodium chloride (salt).
The regular use of an infrared sauna has a cumulative effect on the body, meaning that using it on a regular basis magnifies its benefits.
So How Do I Set My Baseline Temperature?
The best way to establish your baseline is to start your sauna at approximately 45 -50 degrees and run it for 30 minutes. You should get a nice sweat on but it shouldn't feel like you're working too hard or staring at the clock waiting for the session to end.
Commonly Used Sauna Protocols
Pain Relief
It’s one of the main reason our clients choose our sauna experience. Pain... from a physical accident that was never given the time to heal properly or from chronic inflammation. Here are some recommendations to help ease joints, reduce inflammation and reduce pain.
Sauna Session
- 45 – 55 degrees
- 30 – 45 minutes
- 1 – 1.5 litres of water
- Up to 3+ times per week
The closer you are to the heaters the deeper the heat can penetrate. So, get comfy, nice, and close to the heaters – use a backrest to separate you if you find the heaters too warm. Don’t overwork your body. If you catch yourself counting down the time, it’s too hot or you’ve been in there too long. You don’t always need to push your-self to get the benefit of sauna.
Stress / Sleep and Mindfulness
Good sleep and reduced stress dictate how our body functions. Good quality sleep consolidates our memory, repairs muscle, improves motor function and removes plaque from the brain. But for many, a good night’s rest is a luxury.
Sauna Session
- 5 deg less than your normal baseline temp
- 10 minutes longer
- Relaxing or no music
- 1L water
- 3+ times per week
After sauna try and refrain from using your phone or putting the TV on. Use this time to sip some tea and relax.
Weight Management
Weight management is such a charged topic. Let’s not overthink it. We need to work the body. We need to change our mindset. We need to act. Let’s get to it.
Sauna Session
- 55 - 60 degrees
- We want to work the body harder than a typical sauna session
- 20 - 30 minutes depending on your comfort levels. We should be pushing for the last few minutes, counting down the time, and breathing heavy. We want the body to be working, in a slight discomfort. Heat stress is great for weight management
- 1 - 1.5 litres of water
The Cold Shower And It's Added Benefits
A cold shower afterward does amazing things for the body. The hot to cold creates thermogenesis in our brown fat stores which helps assimilate these harder to move fat stores. The cold makes our body release norepinephrine and dopamine which leaves us with a natural feel good ‘high’ and improved mood. When exposed to even more mild cold temperatures of 14 degrees, the cold activates cold shock proteins. CSPs have been shown to regenerate brain synapses which leads to increases memory function. The short is if you go from sauna to cold shower or pool. it will help you clear away fat. increase our circulation and improve our mood and memory. A pretty good deal for just 30 seconds of discomfort
Post workout
Sauna Session
- 20 - 30 minutes
- 45 degrees
- Moveable heater on trained area
- For non-athletes. don’t push yourself in this session. This is a recovery session, not a workout. If you are an athlete and want that extra bit of cardio work, then raise the temperature and duration as you see fit.
Insight: Don’t set the temperature so hot as to create a 2nd workout for the body