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What if I told you there was a relaxing, low-stress activity that could reduce your risk of serious conditions like heart disease, dementia, and stroke? You might think I’m referring to some type of exercise or mental activity, but it’s actually much simpler (and arguably more enjoyable) than that. I’m talking about using a sauna.
Many people think of saunas as a tool for relaxation, but you might be surprised at just how beneficial heat therapy is for your body. Studies have linked regular sauna use with reduced risk of cardiac events, stroke, dementia, and more. The practice has also proven beneficial in easing chronic pain, boosting the immune system, and, of course, reducing stress.
However, to reap these health benefits, most experts say you’ll need to use a sauna at least four times a week — but ideally daily. The easiest way to make it a regular habit? Having an infrared sauna right at home.
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Peak Saunas
You can reap the benefits of heat therapy in the comfort of your own home with this stylish infrared sauna. It features medical-grade red light therapy, full-spectrum infrared heat, and smart app control, allowing you to adjust its settings right from your smartphone.
This at-home sauna really lets you crank up the heat, with a max temperature of 150°F, and with your purchase, you’ll get lifetime access to the brand’s Peak Wellness Club, which encourages regular sauna use with audio-guided sessions, goal tracking, and even a community leaderboard.
Plus, right now you can save $200 off the purchase of any sauna using code WELLNESSCLUB at checkout.
What are the benefits of using a sauna?
Many people view saunas as a place to relax after a workout or destress after a long day, but there are a number of scientifically proven health benefits to regular heat therapy.
“Sauna is more than relaxation, it is a controlled physiological stressor that activates adaptive repair pathways in the body,” explains Dr. Emilia Vuorisalmi, a Finnish doctor who specializes in hormones. With consistent use, saunas can have positive impacts on your heart health, brain function, and stress levels.
“The benefits of heat therapy include improved cardiovascular health, with a lower risk of sudden cardiac death, lower blood pressure, and better circulation,” explains Dr. John K. Smith, board-certified physician and surgeon at the Olympus Cosmetic Group in Oklahoma. “Additionally, the heat stress from a sauna can promote endorphin release, improving stress and anxiety, as well as promoting improved brain function with a lower risk of dementia.”
How often should you use the sauna? Research suggests there are benefits starting at just once or twice a week, but ideally, four or more sessions a week is recommended.
“For most healthy adults, two to four sessions per week provide noticeable benefits, while four to seven sessions per week are associated with the strongest long-term health data,” says Dr. Vuorisalmi. “Typical sessions last ten to twenty minutes, with cooling breaks between rounds. Consistency is more important than duration — sauna works through repeated, moderate stress, not extremes.”
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Saunas offer cardiovascular benefits and can help promote relaxation.
What is an infrared sauna?
Most of the at-home saunas that you’ll find are infrared saunas, which use infrared light to provide heat therapy. They use infrared wavelengths to transfer heat to the body more directly through radiant energy and typically operate at a lower temperature than traditional Finnish saunas.
Additionally, in a Finnish sauna, you often pour water on hot stones to create steam, but with infrared saunas, heat is generated by wall panels, keeping the humidity lower. This often makes infrared saunas more tolerable for people who don’t like being hot — but it will still get you sweating in no time.
You can reap the benefits of heat therapy and red light therapy right in the comfort of your home with an easy-to-install one-person infrared sauna.
Don’t forget to use code WELLNESSCLUB for $200 off!
Want to share your sauna time with a loved one? This two-person version is spacious enough to use with a companion — or simply gives you more space to spread out as you sweat.
Prices were accurate at the time of publication. Curious about how we test and choose products at AOL? Here’s a quick explanation, from our editors.