Infrared Saunas & Keeping Muscle as You Age

As we get old, our bodies change, and we start to lose muscle, known as sarcopenia. This is normal but can make us weaker and less able to move well. The good news is, there are ways to fight this. One new method is using infrared saunas. We’ll look at how infrared sauna in perth can help stop muscle loss, aid with recovery, and keep muscles strong.

1. What is Sarcopenia?

Sarcopenia means losing muscle mass because we're getting old. It usually starts when we hit 30 and gets faster after 60. Not moving much, not eating well, and some illnesses can make it worse. With less muscle, there's a higher chance of falling, breaking bones, and losing the freedom to move around.

Sarcopenia can cause:

- Less muscle power
- Lower performance and stamina
- Slow healing from injuries or workouts
Though working out, mainly strength training, helps, using infrared saunas in Perth might give extra help in preventing muscle loss and speeding up recovery.

2. How Infrared Saunas Work

Infrared saunas use light to warm your body directly instead of just heating the air. This deep heat can be good for you. It increases your blood flow which helps get more air and good stuff to your muscles, making them work better and heal faster.

Also, these saunas boost proteins that guard our cells and help fix tissues. This is extra helpful for old muscles that might get hurt more easily.

3. Benefits of Saunas for Stopping Muscle Loss

a) More Blood Flow

The heat in saunas makes your blood vessels get bigger, which makes more blood go to your muscles. This helps bring air and nutrients there, which helps muscles fix and grow. It also cleans out bad stuff from the body, which is great for muscle health.

b) Less Muscle Swelling

As we age, muscle swelling can stay longer and cause pain and stiffness. Infrared saunas help lower this swelling by boosting your body's natural defences. Time in a sauna can mean less stiffness and pain, letting you move more and keep your muscle mass.

c) Quicker Healing and Fixing Muscles

Saunas help heal small muscle tears from exercise. The heat and better blood flow speed up this healing. This is really important for older people who can get hurt more in workouts. Also, the heat helps relax tight muscles, lowering injury risks and helping you move better.

4. Using Saunas with Strength Training

While lifting weights is best for keeping muscle, adding sauna sessions can boost this. Here's how:

a) Better Workouts

Using the sauna before you exercise can make your muscles looser and ready to go. This helps you use your full movement range easily and lessens injury risks.

b) Faster Recovery

After a hard workout, saunas help your muscles heal quicker. This lets you train more often and harder.

5. Saunas and Bone Health

Besides helping muscles, saunas can also help your bones. They do better with good muscle mass around them. Though saunas can't cure weaker bones on their own, they help by bettering nutrient use and lowering swelling.

Heat also lowers pain from joint troubles, which helps you stay active and keep muscle mass. Staying active helps stop both muscle and bone loss as you get older.

6. Mood and Saunas

Feeling good is key in fighting muscle loss too. Aging can cause worry, sadness, or stress, which hurts your health. Sauna use in Perth has been tied to better mood because of the body's happy hormones that come out with heat.

Spending time in a sauna can drop stress and lift your mood, which might help you keep active and fight sarcopenia.

7. Tips on Sauna Use for Muscle Health

To benefit from saunas, remember:

- Regularity: Use the sauna 2-3 times a week.
- Timing: Before or after workouts, depending on what you need.
- Drink Water: Keep hydrated as saunas make you sweat.
- Temperature and Time: Keep it at 110-130°F (43-54°C) and stay for 15-30 minutes. Don't overdo it.

Sarcopenia comes with aging, but it doesn't have to change your life much. Using infrared sauna in perth, along with regular strength training and good eating habits, can help you keep your muscles strong. If you're serious about supporting your muscles, think about getting regular sauna sessions to help stop sarcopenia effects and keep your body strong and healthy for a long time.