As seen on FIT Bodywrap, 3/20/17:
We all have moments in which we are down in the dumps. Perhaps we’re having a bad day, fighting off a cold or just can’t seem to catch up on sleep. We know that infrared heat can boost your energy, but it’s also a great mood enhancer!
When you are battling with anxiety, sadness, fatigue or frustration wrapping your body in soothing infrared heat can leave you feeling more relaxed, calm, warm and fuzzy! Well, maybe not fuzzy, but you get our point! 😉 We’ve compiled the top 3 ways an infrared session can improve your mood and provide wellness benefits at the same time!
Boost Your Mood with Deep Relaxation
When you’re in a funk attempting to “relax” is often a challenge. Your mind is racing, you aren’t focused and while this is very common there is a solution. Have you ever walked outside on a sunny day and noticed that your spirits are lifted immediately? Sometimes a little bit of heat on your skin is all you need. When you wrap up with infrared heat the soothing rays work to lower or balance your cortisol levels. Cortisol is the fight or flight hormone, made in the adrenal glands. This hormone raises your heart rate and blood pressure when you get stressed and high cortisol levels can lead to health problems, trouble sleeping, weight gain and more. During an infrared session, cortisol levels may remain the same or slightly increase. However, upon completion of an infrared session cortisol levels can drop quite drastically to leave you feeling heaps more relaxed than when you started your session. Infrared lovers often report a lower heart rate, reduced blood pressure and an overall sense of well-being after just one infrared session.
Improved Sleep Can Improve Your Happiness
If you’re waking up exhausted each day we’re willing to bet it doesn’t put you in the best mood. Cortisol affects your stress levels, but it also makes a difference in your sleeping patterns. We live and work in fast paced environments. With long to-do lists and trying to keep a work life balance many people struggle with insomnia, restlessness and don’t get enough ZZZ’s. Infrared can improve your trips to dreamland by lowering cortisol, which may calm down a stressed, or high heart rate and reduce high blood pressure. A 2009 study done on patients experiencing depression and insomnia found that frequent infrared immersion can increase serotonin levels which directly impact poor mood, sleep and behavior. The study participants also noticed lower MDA levels, which are a common marker for oxidative stress, which is an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body’s antioxidant defenses.
Detoxify Your Way to a Better Mood
Feeling sluggish may indicate high toxicity levels in the body. We refer to this feeling as toxic overload and symptoms include frequent illness, fatigue, congestion, mood swings, pain in the body and more. Infrared heat makes you sweat, and because it penetrates 1.5 inches into the body your sweat can carry out ammonia, sulfuric acid, nicotine, alcohol, mercury and other environmental toxins. When this accumulated waste is removed, it allows your body to function properly, leaving you feeling lighter and more refreshed. High toxicity levels can also stress the organs and tissues, drain your energy and alter your ability to get a good night’s sleep. Those who detox regularly report a sense of clarity and relaxation. This means an infrared session can help the body let go of more than just toxins, it can improve your mood, provide relaxation and jumpstart a healthy lifestyle.
While these are just a few, infrared sessions provide a wide range of benefits including weight loss, cellulite reduction, pain relief and skin rejuvenation. When your spirits are down practicing self-care is an excellent way to recharge your batteries. Infrared body wrap sessions are exceptionally helpful during your times of need because all you need to do to soak up the benefits is lie down and relax. Next time you’re feeling low take a trip to your local spa or salon and feel the power of infrared, sweating out those bad mood vibes may be exactly what you need!
Sources/References:
DJ, Betteridge. “What Is Oxidative Stress? – Pubmed – NCBI”. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. 2000.