Sweat
Your Way to Great Skin
Review of Physiotherm Far Infrared Sauna
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by Livia Mercer
Recently I had the privilege of reviewing the Physiotherm
Far Infrared Sauna at Strength2Strength at Robina on the Gold
Coast. Let me just start by saying that I hate sweating, but
for some unknown reason I like saunas, probably because I
know they are good for me.
So when the company offered me 10 sessions to experience this
sauna that is taking Europe by storm, I jumped at the chance.
What Is a Far Infrared Sauna and how is it different to your
regular sauna? Your regular sauna uses very high temperatures
to heat the body and this can cause discomfort for a lot of
people. Anyone with a heart condition or respiratory problems
is unable to use saunas.
Some people just find it too stifling and find it too uncomfortable.
The Infrared sauna doesn't rely on high temperatures to heat
your body; it only gets up to about 40 - 45C and you can control
the temperature to whatever is comfortable for you. Infrared
light is part of the Sun's invisible spectrum and is simply
a form of energy that is directly transmitted onto objects
because of its specific wavelength. It has nothing to do with
ultraviolet light which gives you sunburn and damages your
skin. The Infrared rays penetrate your skin, giving you that
wonderful natural warmth. You can be exposed to Far Infrared
heat for hours and it will never cause your skin to burn.
Far Infrared heat is completely healthy and safe for all living
things. Before I started my first session I was told to drink
plenty of water.
My husband was most pleased to hear this as he is always telling
me to drink more. So I did my best and drank about 1 ½ litres
by 3 pm and I took a litre with me. What I wasn't prepared
for was how much I was sweating. When I first entered the
sauna I was surprised at how comfortable the temperature was.
The sauna cubicle is dry, there is no steam and it was around
40 degrees. So I settled back for a very relaxing 35 minutes.
Within 10 minutes I was literally dripping with sweat, and
I was told to keep towelling it off continually.
Sweating is, I was told the best way to detox the body. 'Elimination
of toxins such as metabolic by-products from our own cells
occurs through breath, urine, stool and sweat. As the skin
is the body's largest organ and one designed to aid in cleansing
and purifying (like a kidney), sweating plays a crucial role
in maintaining a healthy body.'(www.physiotherm.net)
I don't think I have ever sweated as much in my life. Needless
to say I didn't drink enough water, got dehydrated and had
the worst headache for the rest of the evening. That soon
taught me to drink more water! Apart from the headache what
I noticed most was how smooth my skin was all over my body.
This was due to the fact that when you sweat the body's capillary
network is dilated. Over my 10 sessions I have noticed a definite
improvement in my skin's texture, complexion and tone. Beauty
therapists often use Infrared therapy in conjunction with
more traditional treatments, to enhance the results of facials,
body wraps and exfoliation treatments.
The Infrared sauna is excellent for anyone in pain, suffering
from insomnia, wanting to de-stress, wanting to lift depression,
detoxify, boost circulation, boost the immune system and wanting
to control weight. Yes I did say control weigh as the sweat
production results in burning calories. (1 gm sweat requires
0.586 kcal) 'A moderately conditioned person can easily sweat
off up to 500gms or more in a session. This translates to
more than 300kcal - the equivalent to a brisk 30 minute walk.
While this weight loss can be regained by re-hydration with
water, the calories consumed will not. This is a valuable
system for those who don't exercise and those who can not
exercise, yet want an effective weight control and fitness
program, along with the benefits that regular exercise bring.'
(www.physiotherm.net)
This fact I found extremely interesting. Anything that doesn't
involve me exercising and still helps me loose weight, I like.
I was told that most people require about 3 sessions to really
start to sweat, and they were right. After the third session
I only needed a couple of minutes to get the sweat happening.
Even though I was sweating profusely the bottle of water I
took into the sauna stayed cold. And I really started to feel
the benefits of the detox. I was actually looking forward
to my next sessions which were two days apart. I also took
along my husband for a second opinion.
He does not like saunas. He finds them very uncomfortable
because of the high heat. He lasted the whole 35 minutes comfortably
and while dripping with sweat he said it actually felt very
cleansing. By my sixth session I was coming down with a cold
and I considered cancelling my appointment. However I read
in some of the literature on Infrared saunas that they help
with cold and sinus problems, so I decided to go ahead. While
I had to lower the temperature slightly, I felt absolutely
refreshed and rejuvenated by the end of my session and my
cold was definitely getting better. Over all, my experience
was fantastic.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Infrared sauna, not only for the
relaxation but also for the health benefits. For more information
go to www.physiotherm.net
© 2006-2007 Livia Mercer - The Beauty Review Online Magazine
About the Author:
Livia Mercer is the creator of The Beauty Review. A FREE monthly
online magazine for women who love beauty and cosmetics and
want REAL product reviews by REAL women. For a free, subscription,
visit: http://www.thebeautyreview.com.au
Keywords: sauna, Physiotherm Far Infrared, skincare, skin
care, beauty,tips,winter beauty,anti aging,antiaging
NOTE:
You're welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as
it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the
author" info at the end), and you send a copy of your reprint
to livia@thebeautyreview.com.au
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