Health Benefits of Infrared Heat for Fitness and Yoga Classes

1 - Increased Flexibility - Because infrared heat is directly warming the muscles, it opens them up allowing for a greater range of motion.  A study at Auburn University compared athletes stretching in a training room to how far they were able to stretch in an infrared sauna.  Researches concluded participants were able to stretch as much as three times their normal amount in the infrared environment.  This will allow yoga students to open up, melt deep into the poses and gain confidence in their yoga abilities. 

2 - Increased Circulation - Infrared heat has been shown to stimulate blood flow by opening up the body's capillaries.  This has an incredible affect on the body and offers a variety of benefits.  It can help lower blood pressure, oxygenate the organs and rid the body of toxins. 

3 - Detoxification - Simply put, infrared heat will make you sweat.  Which is a good thing because sweating is the body's natural way of flushing toxins.  As bodies absorb infrared heat, water molecules begin to vibrate, which causes them to wring out impurities from the cells and expel them into the blood.  These impurities will then be released from your body as you sweat, creating a deep, detoxifying cleanse on the cellular level. 

4 - Weight Loss - The human body has an impressive temperature regulation system.  It wants to stay at a consistent temperature and it is willing to work very hard to ensure this happens.  As the body heats up, its natural cooling system kicks in, which takes energy and burns calories.  Infrared heat also increases metabolism between the blood and tissue, which also burns calories. 

5 - Pain Relief - Infrared heat directly penetrates tissue, muscles and joints, allowing them to heal and regenerate.   This is accomplished through a combination of the aforementioned increased circulation, oxygenation and detoxifications.  Infrared radiation is incredibly useful for pain relief for both minor injuries and chronic ailments.  It's no surprise then that infrared heat is often the preferred method of many physical therapists, saunas and yoga studios around the world.