Sauna Post Exercise - Sauna Blanket?

MachOne4

When I go to the gym I like to finish my workout with 10-15 minute sweat and relax in the sauna. Find it very relaxing and it seems to help my muscles and body after a an intense session.

I looked into getting a sauna set-up in my home but the costs are prohibitive. Even for a small 1-2 person unit. Traditional sauna and infrared saunas are retailing in the thousands of dollars.

However, a friend has told me to try using a 'sauna blanket'. Much cheaper and will have the same effect apparently. They use infrared heat to warm the body and look a bit like a sleeping bag.

Has anyone tried using them? They're a lot cheaper than a regular sauna. But don;t want to splash out if the thing is just a gimmick. They look pretty cheap. But if they do what they say on the tin, I might roll the dice.

Any advice....??



K.

Theoldguy1

How about these things?

earlybirdlady

I bought a LifePro sauna blanket during one of the Amazon sales. After having it for a few months, I will say it’s just ok. It gets warm but seems to have cool spots. I’ve even tried using the silver thermal wrap things it comes with but I’ve had mixed results. I find the best way to do it is after a workout when my temp is already up, it just helps to extend the sweat.

All of that to say that I’m not super impressed with it. But I also got a cheap one. There are others (higher dose I think?) that get great reviews. I would love to try one at some point.

MachOne4

earlybirdlady wrote: »

I bought a LifePro sauna blanket during one of the Amazon sales. After having it for a few months, I will say it’s just ok. It gets warm but seems to have cool spots. I’ve even tried using the silver thermal wrap things it comes with but I’ve had mixed results. I find the best way to do it is after a workout when my temp is already up, it just helps to extend the sweat.

All of that to say that I’m not super impressed with it. But I also got a cheap one. There are others (higher dose I think?) that get great reviews. I would love to try one at some point.

Hey earlybirdlady, thanks for the tips. I didn't know there were hot spots/cool spots. Could be a bit of an issue. But like you said, body temperature should be high before getting in.

You said you got a cheap one? And that maybe a better one would have better results? I looked up the Higher dose one you mentioned. It looks like it is ranked as one of the best. It and a couple of other brands. Check this review site out: https://homesaunaheaven.com/best-infrared-sauna-blanket/ Maybe you get what you pay for.

I'm still temptped to give one a go. Even the higher priced blankets are a LOT cheaper than a real sull-size sauna. And I like the idea you can roll it up and put ot away when you're finished. You said your not overall that impressed with yours. Do you think it has any effect on relaxing your muscles after your workout...??

earlybirdlady

@MachOne4 yes I’ve heard great things about the Higher Dose blanket and would definitely love to get one when I can afford it. And definitely yes - you get what you pay for!

Regarding effect on muscles, I usually use it on cardio/active rest days and it definitely has an overall calming effect. I pair it with a cold shower and feel great after. I haven’t tried it after lifting but usually my muscles don’t feel super sore until the next day or so. I think if you’ve found benefit in using the gym sauna after a workout, and you end up getting a high quality blanket for home, you’ll probably get similar results.

People differ on preference between regular sauna and infrared. My husband is regular sauna all the way, whereas I prefer the infrared. I think the only way to know which you prefer is to try both. Generally speaking, it will take you longer to sweat in an infrared than in a normal sauna, but I think the overall effects are pretty similar.

MachOne4

I like both the traditional sauna and the infrared. They're very different. But I find both work well post exercise.

The traditional sauna is MUCH hotter. So, it's probably better if you want intense heat and work up a lot of sweat. The infrared is much gentler but you can stay in it longer. I think it works well for heating and relaxing your muscles. Great for muscle recovery.

earlybirdlady

That has been my experience as well. Honestly as long as I get a good sweat I could go for either!