Stretching in the Sauna and Infrared Cabin

Regular sauna use offers many health benefits. Stress reduction, improved skin, and the detoxifying effect of infrared rays are just a few examples.¹

How about making your time in the infrared cabin even more relaxing and beneficial? Learn what hot yoga and stretching exercises have to do with it in this article.

Why Stretching Exercises Are Good for Your Body

Stretching is undoubtedly beneficial for the human body. It keeps muscles flexible, strong, and healthy. This flexibility is precisely what we need to maintain the range of motion in our joints.

Without stretching, muscles shorten and become tense. If you then try to use these muscles in an activity, they are weak and unable to stretch fully. This carries the risk of joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.²

Mobility decreases rapidly with age, especially from about 55 years onwards, people steadily lose mobility in body parts such as the hip or shoulder joints.³

Regular stretching can counteract this. A 2012 study shows that a high level of activity is crucial for maintaining mobility. Especially in old age, stretching is one of the most effective ways to maintain the body's flexibility.

A greater range of motion positively impacts your quality of life in the following ways, among others:

• Higher athletic performance
• Lower risk of injury
• More stable joints
• Better blood circulation
• Relaxed muscles
• Upright posture⁴

Is it better to stretch before, during, or after the sauna?

It was once believed that stretching was necessary to warm up muscles and prepare them for activity. However, increasing research has shown that stretching muscles before they are warmed up may even be harmful.⁵

This is where the heat of the infrared cabin comes into play. A few minutes are enough to stimulate blood circulation, warm up muscle fibers, and make them looser and more supple. After just five minutes, you can start your stretching program while in the sauna.

It is also advisable to add an after-sauna stretch program after using the infrared sauna.

The sauna session can also be combined with a workout and seen as a warm-up aid. A few minutes in the infrared cabin before your workout can help you start better warmed up.

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The best stretching exercises for beginners

Everyone can easily integrate stretching exercises into their daily routine. Here are a few examples that can be performed even with little experience or space in the cabin:

• Neck Rolls

A very simple, yet incredibly effective exercise. Sit comfortably with your head straight and looking forward. Then gently tilt your head to the right and roll it first down and then to the left. Then bring your head back to the starting position and repeat the exercise in the opposite direction.

• Arm Stretch

For this stretch, first place one hand on your upper back and bend your elbow towards the ceiling. With your other hand, pull your elbow towards your head. Hold the position and then switch arms to feel the same effect on the other side.

• Chest Opener

Place both hands as high as possible on the side wall of the sauna. Now walk your feet back to the opposite side wall. Lower your chest and head through your outstretched arms to open your chest and stretch your spine.

• Thigh Stretch

In this exercise, lie on your back and lift one leg straight towards your head. The goal is to touch your toes. If this is too challenging for you, aim for a height on your leg that is comfortable for you to reach.

• Cat-Cow Pose

If you have a little more space, you can integrate this popular exercise into your stretching program. Here you get on all fours, so that your shoulders are directly over your wrists and your hips over your knees. Inhale slowly and as you exhale, round your back like an angry cat. Then let your head drop to the floor and form a C-shape with your spine.

• Glute Stretch

Sit in the middle of the sauna bench. Lift your left leg and cross your left ankle over your right knee. Keep your back straight and lean gently forward until you feel a pull in the back of your left hip and gluteal area.

If you need a stronger stretch, you can also gently push down on the bent knee. Keep your chest upright and lean your sternum towards the front of the sauna. This will prevent your spine from curving.

You can hold each of these exercises for about 30 seconds and repeat up to 3 times to notice a long-term improvement in your flexibility.⁶

While performing the exercises, you should feel tension, but never pain. If you do, stop stretching that muscle group and talk to your doctor.

Benefits of Yoga and Stretching in the Infrared Sauna

Regular stretching is as beneficial for health as the continuous use of an infrared sauna. Why not simply combine these two components?

The sauna is well-suited for stretching because the increased core temperature and improved blood circulation help to loosen muscles and joints and expand the range of motion during stretching.

Stretching improves blood circulation, increases heart rate, aids in meditation and stress reduction, and makes the body sweat, which further promotes the detoxification process.⁷

As you can see, the benefits of a sauna and stretching exercises work perfectly together here. For this reason, trendy sports like hot yoga, sauna yoga, or simply stretching in the sauna are now on everyone's lips. Some benefits include:

• Greater success with stretching exercises

As mentioned above, the elevated body temperature achieved in the infrared cabin helps you feel a bit more flexible. This, in turn, gives you an advantage in stretching exercises or yoga poses.

Those who usually find it difficult to perform familiar stretching exercises correctly may achieve greater success with certain exercises thanks to the soothing warmth of infrared rays.⁸

• Improved flexibility in old age

A 2019 study shows that regular stretching at moderate temperatures of about 50°C particularly improves hip joint flexibility, e.g., by practicing the chair pose. These initial preliminary results suggest that stretching exercises in the sauna could be a promising and practicable means of improving flexibility in older adults.

• Fat burning and detox

Stretching in the infrared cabin also has other positive effects that are often not really noticed. Stretching and yoga boost fat burning in the body, which in turn means you burn calories.⁹

Although it is not an aggressive form of exercise, your body has to work hard both from the heat of the sauna and the exercises themselves during stretching. This makes you sweat more and toxins are removed from your body even more effectively.

Even if it initially appears that these effects on your organism are relatively small, they may contribute significantly to weight loss and detoxification.¹⁰

• Stress Reduction and Meditation

Both yoga and infrared saunas have been shown to reduce stress levels. It's probably no surprise that these two holistic methods can therefore have a combined amplified positive effect.

Stretching is a relaxing form of exercise and is often associated with meditation. It is said to help combat stress and promote peace and serenity.

Those who manage to relax physically also give the mind a chance to rest. Stretching in the infrared sauna helps you to balance body and mind.¹¹

Fittingly, Clearlight offers a Yoga model with extra space for your yoga routine. Thanks to removable benches, you can enjoy the benefits of a full-spectrum infrared cabin with enough freedom of movement for yoga or space for up to 4 people on the bench.

Conclusion

Stretching in the sauna, whether it's light stretching exercises or a complete yoga program, can improve your flexibility in many ways.

In addition, you can achieve better results when stretching in an infrared sauna, as the heat helps to loosen muscles and joints.

Yoga and stretching in the infrared cabin therefore have a positive effect on your health and well-being in various ways. If you are looking for a safe, elegant and high-quality infrared sauna to integrate this type of training and meditation into your everyday life, we at Clearlight will be happy to advise you.

Disclaimer: Clearlight points out that this article is not to be understood as direct medical advice. You should always consult a doctor and seek advice before making significant changes to your lifestyle or existing pain treatment.  

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