Most saunas have tight rules and knowing what to wear is in an infrared sauna can determine how much of the benefits you enjoy.
The general rule of the thumb is that whatever you wear, make sure it is the absolute minimum.
You can wear clothes in an infrared sauna, but make sure they are loosely-fitting and are breathable. Lighter clothes are better because they don’t block sweat pores.
The best infrared sauna clothes to wear are loose cotton t-shirts and shorts, or sauna exercise suits like the ones below.
Among the clothes you can choose include yoga clothing, breathable swim suits, light shorts and shirts, a light towel, and loose dresses.
How To Choose Sauna Clothing
The quick answer to what to wear in an infrared sauna is keep it as scanty as possible. To enjoy all the benefits of the sauna, wear as little clothing as possible. In fact, if you’re in there alone, stay naked.
If not, then wear loose, breathable clothes to allow pores on your skin to eject sweat and undesirable chemicals.
When choosing sauna clothing, follow these tips:
LOOSENESS
In an effort to allow the body to sweat properly, go for cloths that touch the skin as little as possible.
Tight cloths will only block the skin pores and reduce the effectiveness of the sauna session.
LIGHTNESS
The cloths also need to be light given that they will inevitably touch the skin. In that case, they shouldn’t block the pores owing to being light. The sweat should be able to pass through it.
BREATHABILITY
Besides looseness and lightness, the sauna clothing also needs to be breathable in that they allow the hot air to reach the skin directly and provide proper sweating.
EASE OF REMOVAL
At times when in the sauna, the temperatures may get too uncomfortable and the sweating becomes too much.
In such a case, you have the option of leaving the room, or reducing the amount of coverage on the skin. If you choose the latter option, it is preferable that you have cloths that can be easily shed off.
Tip:Don’t wear accessories; earrings, necklaces, bracelets and other accessories are to be avoided as they easily overheat and scar your skin. Smart devices like smart watches are very sensitive to heat and may even explode in the sauna.
If you keep these tips in mind, you will enjoy and even benefit from these sauna sessions in a great way.
Other Sauna Tips
Aside from the clothing, other aspects to consider when using an infrared sauna include the following:
1. TRY THE DIFFERENT COLORS
Infrared saunas employ different colors of the rainbow as they have different effects on the body.
This chromotherapy (color therapy) is meant to give you exactly the mood you desire. For instance, yellow works as a stress reliever while green relaxes the body and mind.
For maximum benefits, bathe in each color for at least 5 minutes.
2. HYDRATE PROPERLY
Before using the sauna, you need to drink at least a liter of water. A typical sauna session involves lots of sweating hence the need to keep the body optimally hydrated.
If you leave the sauna feeling thirsty, then you didn’t hydrate enough before going in.
This also means you should avoid any dehydrating foods and rinks such as alcohol, soda, coffee or heavy baked foods before the sauna session.
3. ALLOW YOUR BODY TO COOL DOWN
The time you spend in the sauna only has benefits when the body is allowed to slowly cool down to its natural temperatures. This means you should avoid cold showers after the sauna.
You need at least 15 minutes relaxing at room temperature before getting into the shower. This too should be a preferably warm shower or bath.
4. KEEP AWAY FROM TECHNOLOGY
You will find out that infrared saunas do not allow phones or other forms of technology in them.
The primary reason behind this is that the heat will likely mess up the electronics in your device. The other reason is that they are a distraction from the sauna session.
It ought to be a calm and meditative time and not one for social media.
5. PLAN YOUR SESSIONS PROPERLY
Sauna sessions are meant to relax you in the best possible way. You can take advantage of them to align them to your schedule.
If you have trouble sleeping, for example, go for a sauna session a few hours before bedtime. If you tend to have crazy mornings at work, go for a session before you start your day.
You can use the sauna sessions to meditate for the best results.
6. TAKE A SHOWER
No matter the time you choose to go to the sauna, always take a shower before going in. After the shower, do not apply anything on the skin.
Oil and other substances may clog the pores thus reducing the effectiveness of the sauna session.
Even after the session, take a warm shower and apply as little of anything on the skin as possible. Preferably, apply nothing since you will still be sweating for a while afterwards.
Avoid a cold shower after the sauna session as it makes the pores on the skin close up. This way, you can’t sweat and get rid of the bodily toxins.
The tips in this article are the best for enjoying the sessions in your sauna. Do not fall victim to the idea that heavy clothing helps you sweat more. Heavy clothing only overheats your body and prevents the toxins in the sweat from being wiped away.
Your skin will only reabsorb them afterward.