Infrared saunas use waves of light to heat a patient’s body as well as the air around it, allowing them to sweat out toxins and shed calories at lower temperatures. While experts aren’t clear on how many calories you will burn sitting in a hot box, there is some evidence that the treatment has health benefits.
For instance, the Mayo Clinic recommends infrared saunas in aiding the recovery of rheumatoid arthritis and congenital heart failure, while another study conducted by The National Center for Biotechnology found they helped lower blood pressure. Proponents also claim that, unlike traditional saunas, infrared saunas heat the body in a way akin to natural sunlight.
Those hoping to get in on the trend have a few local spots to sweat it out. N°lighten in Hastings-on-Hudson offers 30- and 60-minute infrared sauna treatments as well as chromotherapy (a treatment in which colored light is used to heal or calm the body). Naomi Ortiz-Honor of N°lighten explains that infrared saunas “raise your core temperature up to three degrees during [a session], and for up to 45 minutes after, which in turn can kill cold and flu viruses and [help] white blood cells increase in the bloodstream.”
Natural Care of Westchester in Larchmont offers clients some time to sweat in their own FAR Infrared Sauna, which, according to their website, can help clear skin, increase blood flow, and reduce inflammation. Natural Care also offers the option of adding either a Himalayan scrub or castor oil to sessions.
