How Long to Stay in an Infrared Sauna

Infrared saunas definitely have their benefits, but to be able to take advantage of those benefits you'll need to know how to use the saunas properly. In a separate article, we've mentioned some of the things you should do and not do before, during and after your infrared sauna sessions. Among other things, in that article we touched upon the factors that will determine the appropriate length for your sauna sessions. Some of you, though, might want more detailed information which answers the important question of how long to stay in an infrared sauna.

Several factors will influence how long to stay in an infrared sauna, but one of the most important factors involves how your body is reacting to the sauna session. Always listen to what your body is telling you, because you don't want to overdo things by staying too long in an infrared sauna.

If you're a newcomer to infrared saunas, you should begin by setting the sauna to a fairly low temperature and ending your first few sessions after only five or ten minutes. In other words, start out gradually, even if you're in great physical condition. Starting out slowly like this will let you know whether your body can handle the infrared sauna sessions safely and comfortably, and it's a much better idea than pushing your body beyond its limits. If you start feeling as though your body is giving you warning signals, pay attention to them. For example, cut your session short if your heart starts racing or if you start feeling faint, dizzy, lightheaded or generally uncomfortable. If you start feeling claustrophobic, try opening the sauna cabin's door for a while.

The duration of the infrared sauna sessions your body can tolerate will gradually increase as you become accustomed to the sauna experience. An average sauna session lasts between 25 and 35 minutes, but some people like to extend their sessions to 45 minutes or even an hour. However, no matter how acclimated you are to infrared sauna sessions or what kind of physical condition you're in, you should never let your sessions last longer than 60 minutes.

The above information about how long to stay in an infrared sauna pertains to people in good physical health. If you're ill or you're experiencing some other kind of health issue, you'll need to be more careful with your infrared sauna sessions. People with health issues should always obtain their physician's approval before taking any infrared sauna sessions. Assuming your doctor approves your use of an infrared sauna, you'll need to build up your tolerance slowly. This means that at first, you'll need to keep your sauna sessions cooler and shorter than you might ultimately want them to be. Begin with sessions that last about five minutes each unless your body tells you that it can easily tolerate a bit more time. Track your heart rate (it should never go higher than an additional 50% of your resting heart rate) and your body temperature, which should not rise more than 4 degrees Fahrenheit during your sessions.

If you have health issues, your body might only be able to tolerate one infrared sauna session a week. That's fine if that's the case. You can always try to increase the length of time you spend in the sauna and how many sessions you have per week, but make sure you try to build up the length and frequency of your sessions very gradually. If you decide to build up your tolerance this way, 3 or 4 sessions per week that last about 30 minutes each will provide the optimal overall benefits. Once again, though, it's essential to pay attention to what your body tells you during your sessions. It's much better to have infrared sauna sessions that are shorter than you originally anticipated than it is to overdo things and run into problems as a result.

More considerations on how long to stay in an infrared sauna.

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