I Did a 5-Day Infrared Sauna Detox

Remember when it snowed a week ago!? For the first time since 1893, the paper said, Missoula saw its first snowfall in September. It was snowing, windy and pretty miserable for days where it was Summer just the week before. It got me thinking about February and how I had squandered the last bits of Summer. 

I was stressed out. I was working day and night trying to hit a deadline for this eBook I was writing. I was working long hours, eating whatever was closest to me and skipping the gym to work into the evening. A few days of that and I was feeling pretty burned out.

One of the sections in the eBook I was writing was on Infrared Sauna. I was trying to explain what it was, what the benefits were and how to design an infrared sauna protocol for whatever benefit you’re looking for.

Now, I love the sauna. I would do it just for the relaxation but it got me thinking about using the sauna more strategically. If I was going to write about it, I should use it to my own benefit, right?

I thought it might help ward off the winter weather, ease me back into the routine of exercise and maybe take the edge off some of the deadline stress I was experiencing.

I got all that and more.

About our Infrared Sauna
Our Infrared Sauna is one of the best available on the market. It’s made by a company called Sunlighten and it’s a 3-in-1 model, meaning it uses all three bandwidths of infrared light - near, mid and far. Each of those has different characteristics and different benefits and can be tailored to fit very specific benefits.

It’s located in its own private room with a shower, towels, water and you can book it so it's private to you. That’s nice because most people who regularly sauna do it at their gym, which isn’t private, which can be annoying. You can read more reasons to sauna at the Lab here or get more info about infrared sauna here.

5-Day Infrared Sauna Protocol

Before you sauna:

• Read and understand who should not use an infrared sauna.
• Drink 8-24 ounces of water to prepare your body to sweat.
• Take a hot shower and dry off vigorously with a towel to open your pores.
• Set the temperature to a comfortable level. The optimal range is between 100 and 130 degrees.
• Select a program. The sauna has preset programs for all kinds of benefits. You can select one from the menu or leave it on a full spectrum for the widest range of benefits. The staff can show you how to do this your first time.
• Listen to your body. If you become dizzy, nauseous, dehydrated or feel anything is off during your session, you should stop immediately.
• Bring water in with you and remain hydrated throughout your session.

Have a plan.

Here’s a sample protocol you might use. You can build more tailored protocols based on the benefits you’re looking for but here is a general protocol:

Day 1: Book a 30-minute session. Do two rounds of 10-15 minutes each. Step out of the sauna for a few minutes in between rounds or whenever you feel the need. 

Day 2: Book a 30-minute session. Do two rounds of 15 minutes each.  Step out of the sauna for a few minutes in between rounds or whenever you feel the need.

Day 3: Book a 45-minute session. Do two rounds of 20 minutes each.  Step out of the sauna for a few minutes in between rounds or whenever you feel the need.

Day 4: Book a 45-minute session. Do one round of 40 minutes. 

Day 5: Book a 45-minute session. Do one round of 40 minutes.

Other considerations

• Don’t be surprised if you don’t sweat. You’re training your sweat response and it will become more active.
• You will probably notice that you start to sweat about twice as fast each time. If you notice the first bead of sweat forming around 40 minutes, the next time you might notice it starts around 20 minutes.
• The goal is to work up to 40 minutes. You should do that as fast or slow as your body allows. Some people are more heat-tolerant than others. Again, listen to your body.
• Drink at least 24 ounces of water and electrolytes after each sauna session. Maintain a high level of hydration throughout your protocol for best results.
• Consider taking a cool shower after your sauna session and letting your body cool down naturally.
• Consider coupling your protocol with proper diet and exercise. You will find that you get better results when taking a holistic approach.

My Results

I did 40 minutes a day in the infrared sauna for five days and I got a bunch of amazing results:

• Stress Relief: I made my deadline (with time to spare!) and really enjoyed the break in my day that the sauna sessions created. After the first day, I was looking forward to my next session and was proud that I was doing something for myself. My sauna session was my favorite part of every day and I always left feeling calm, focused and full of energy.
• Sleep: As I write this on the last day of my 5 day experiment, it’s 8:15 AM. I’ve been writing for the last two hours because I couldn’t sleep anymore. It’s been like this the last two days. 6 AM rolls around and I’m wide awake, feeling refreshed and excited about the day. I get up, make coffee and get to work. 
• Energy: Getting that quality sleep left me with more energy throughout the day. I felt good and I wanted to do more. I went out for a trail run on day 2, I felt so good after that I ran the M the next day and Marshall Mountain the day after that. I started stretching and rolling on a foam roller every night before bed. I started meditating first thing every morning and have a 5-day streak going.
• Skin: When it gets cold, my skin gets really dry and itchy. I was starting to feel the effects of that when the snow fell but getting a good sweat in every day totally cured it. My skin is soft and full of moisture, which is a really weird thing to say as a dude with a huge beard but nonetheless, worthy of note.

There are lots more things here that I could say but those were the major benefits that I noticed. All around, I feel pretty amazing and I want you to be able to feel the same way. I got to looking at our packages and pricing and realized we really don’t have an offer that makes sense for people looking to do a detox protocol in our infrared sauna. So, I created one.

You can get access to our infrared sauna up to 1 hour a day for 5 days to do your own detox protocol for just $125. You can buy that online right now and book your first appointment if you’re looking to get started! 

Start Your 5-Day Detox