Saunas and heat therapy have been around for thousands of years; Onsen’s in Japan, dry saunas in Finland, hot baths in Turkey and Native American sweat lodges. Even before we had scientists working in laboratories and publishing research papers our ancestors knew that heat therapy and sweating was good for us. And this has now been confirmed by an overabundance of clinical evidence. More recently infrared sauna’s have been increasing in popularity as they have been shown to provide even more health benefits than traditional saunas. So, we’re pleased to bring you the top 5 reasons to use an infrared sauna in Singapore.

The first, of the top 5 reasons to use an infrared sauna in Singapore, is for detoxification. Chemical fertilisers, pesticides, fungicides, rodenticides, insecticides and herbicides on your food; chlorine, fluoride and other people’s medical drugs in your tap water, carbon dioxide and pollution in the air, industrial chemicals and heavy metals in your cleaning products, the list goes on.

There’s no escaping it the world is a toxic place, particularly if you live in a city. And toxicity leads to all sorts of problems such as hormonal imbalances (stress, period pains, difficult menopause, stubborn fat); brain related issues such as fatigue and brain fog, skin issues like eczema and psoriasis and arguably more serious issues like cancer (think smoking, radiation and pollution for example).

These toxins create a massive burden on your organs of detoxification such as your liver, which is just not adapted to deal with this toxic onslaught from the environment. An infrared sauna has been shown[1][2][3] to be one of the best ways to detox from these environmental toxins through sweating[4] and to bring the body back into balance.

The second, of the top 5 reasons to use an infrared sauna in Singapore, is remove stubborn cellulite. Cellulite is not just fat. Cellulite is fat + toxins. Excess toxins that the body cannot process are rendered inert and stored in fat cells. Babies – who are born perfect and toxin free have perfectly smooth skin even if they are a bit chubby! Adults, who have accumulated toxicity over time, have cellulite.

This is why it’s so difficult to get rid of cellulite with diet and exercise alone. Your body won’t dissolve the fat as it’s binding up the toxins no matter how hard you try. Infrared heat mobilises fat cells to release toxins through sweat. So if you have a lot of cellulite that’s been difficult to shift with exercise and dieting then using an infrared sauna is going to be a far more effective sauna weight loss strategy.

The third, of the top 5 reasons to use an infrared sauna in Singapore, is that saunas are AMAZING for your heart:

• A study in Finland showed that compared to men who never use the sauna frequent sauna users are 50 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular-related causes[5].
• A trial involving 149 patients with advanced congestive heart failure demonstrated that two weeks of infrared sauna therapy improved the patients' endurance, heart size, and disease status compared to those who received standard medical care[6].
• In another study researchers found, in patients with an abnormal heartbeat, that two weeks of infrared dry sauna therapy reduced the number of abnormal heartbeats in a 24-hour period by 73%. The control group,  that received conventional medical therapy, showed no changes[7].
• Coronary artery disease is the most common cause of death in most western countries. A randomized controlled trial found that that 15 infrared sauna sessions given over a three-week period improved the patients' vascular endothelial function. But no improvements were observed in the control group that received standard medical care [8].
• And there’s more! Infrared sauna sessions have been shown to significantly improve peripheral artery disease, dyslipidemia (high cholesterol), hypertension, endothelial dysfunction and left ventricular dysfunction[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17].

 If you’d like to know more about the benefits of sauna bathing for your heart then we’ve written about it in full here: www.levitise.com.sg/2020/02/22/can-a-full-spectrum-infrared-sauna-help-prevent-heart-attacks-in-singaporeans.

There are also great short term reasons or “spot healing” sauna sessions that you can use for immediate benefit which is why this is forth on our list of top 5 reasons to use an infrared sauna in Singapore. For example if you “indulged” a little too much over a festive period then the day after too much drinking a sauna session will do wonders to help you sweat out the acetaldehyde and other damaging by-products of too much alcohol consumption.

If you have any food allergies (like nuts, shellfish), food intolerances (such as gluten or dairy) or just ate a bunch of junk, highly processed foods then a sauna session will help you remove the toxicity from your gastrointestinal tract and ramp up your immune system to fight foreign invaders.

Woke up with a stiff neck? Developed sore back and shoulders working too much at your desk? Maybe you’re an active person and get stiff after running, cycling, cross fit or other sports? Whatever the reasons saunas are great for reducing inflammation and alleviating pain and stiffness in your body. This really just makes common sense but there are several studies on this as well that we highlighted in this blog post: www.levitise.com.sg/full-spectrum-infrared-sauna-for-muscle-soreness-and-recovery. This is why muscle pain relief is the fifth most popular reason to use an infrared sauna.

Prolonged heat exposure induces similar responses to those experienced during exercise. Heart rate beats per minute may increase anywhere up to 150 beats per minute, similar to a moderate to high intensity training session[18][19]. In addition sauna use increased blood pressure during the session but it falls lower than the baseline post session In addition to long term benefits of heart rate and blood pressure sauna use also improves endothelial function, left ventricular function and reduces inflammation – just like if you were regularly exercising! 

So there you have it, the top 5 reasons to use an infrared sauna in Singapore

1. Detoxification
2. Cellulite reduction and weight loss
3. Cardiovascular heart health
4. Spot healing for hangovers and food intolerances
5. Muscle pain relief

Bonus: And a free workout!

If you loved this article and want to read more then do check out these:

• Can an infrared sauna help with weight loss
• Can a full spectrum infrared sauna help with muscle soreness and recovery
• Permanently cure chronic fatigue with infrared saunas and lifestyle modifications
• Can a Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna help prevent heart attacks in Singaporeans
• The importance of detoxification for health, happiness and longevity

 To your health, happiness and longevity,

The Levitise Team

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