Anne-Lise is sure that the IR SaunaPod can be a tool she can use to improve her health. She is one of 10 test subjects who will embark on an infrared health journey and share their experiences along the way.
She works full-time at a school, is a personal trainer, a nutritional therapist, and a mother of three girls. She enjoys exercising, as exercise also alleviates the discomfort that increases when she is too inactive. Her everyday life is otherwise full of activities, which she enjoys.
– I want to have the energy and surplus to be fully active every single day and to have the surplus to give a lot to others, which is an important part of me. But I always wake up tired in the morning and am low on energy throughout the day.
WEEK 0 - Anne-Lise struggles with ice-cold feet and fingers
– Without a diagnosis, I believe I have Raynaud's phenomenon, also known as "dead fingers," which is a condition involving episodic poor blood supply to parts of the body. My muscles are tight, and my tissue is tender and compact.
On days when she sits a lot, she can wake up so stiff around her back that she has difficulty breathing. Anne-Lise explains that she has always had pain and an accumulation of waste products in her legs.
– I usually say I have heavy legs, because that's how it feels.
Excited about infrared sauna
A while ago, she found an old heating blanket and was reminded of how much warmth matters. That's why she finds infrared sauna exciting. Her parents have an infrared sauna at their cabin. The last time she visited, she took the opportunity to use it properly.
– The internal warmth you get from an infrared sauna is magical. I rarely, if ever, feel that kind of warmth because I am mostly cold.
Anne-Lise doesn't refer to her health challenges as ailments or illnesses. They are part of her everyday life.
– That's my life. It's a part of me, she points out, and mentions that she focuses on finding good solutions for what can give her better health.
A nice end to the day
Getting rid of fluid in her legs is also a wish she has, so it can feel lighter to walk and run. Can infrared sauna help her with that? In a busy everyday life, there isn't as much time to exercise as she would like.
– I strongly believe that I will come out on the other side with a body that functions better after these ten weeks. Or, it's not something I believe. I'm quite sure that infrared sauna can become part of an everyday life with less muscle tension, and that I'll get rid of the pressure in my head and tension in my neck.
She has already planned her sauna routine.
– I'll take an infrared sauna in the evening. I think it can be a nice end to the day. It will also be exciting to see if I notice other, more peripheral things, like better concentration.
Anne-Lise is really looking forward to it.
– It's going to be absolutely wonderful. I rarely take time to slow down, but now I have to, and this gives me an extra kick. Now I actually have to take a time-out at least three times a week, she laughs.
WEEK 3 - Her legs feel lighter and she sleeps better
Anne-Lise has lost two kilos in the first three weeks of her infrared health journey. Her legs feel less heavy, and her tissue is less tense.
– I feel very relaxed. When my body aches after a long day and I sit in my infrared sauna, the ache completely disappears with the warmth.
She has less water retention, her neck is softer, and she sleeps better at night.
– I'm looking forward to enjoying the warmth on the days I use the sauna. It's really something I anticipate.
Evening sauna and increased heat tolerance
Anne-Lise has chosen to take a sauna in the evening, preferably every evening on the days she has the opportunity. This way, she has managed four sessions a week. She has incorporated the sauna into her daily life by setting aside time for it, as a lovely moment for herself.
– I started with 15-20 minutes and quickly went up to 30 minutes per session. I notice that my heat tolerance has increased. It has surprised me how well I handle the heat.
She has also experienced less dry skin.
– From having very dry skin on my legs, it's less dry now. My face was also peeling, but that has stopped. I don't need to go to bed with a heating pad on the evenings I take a sauna, and I sleep just as well. I struggle with always being cold, but that means I get good warmth in my body.
Enjoying every minute
Anne-Lise will continue her sauna sessions four times a week and introduce some new routines.
– I will listen to calm music so that the sauna sessions become a proper relaxation time, and I will sit for a minimum of 30 minutes at 65 degrees. I will get better at drinking enough water and adding lemon to my water. I also drink celery juice to support the cleansing process.
She enjoys every minute.
– The warmth I feel is absolutely magical for me. I hadn't imagined beforehand that I would like the IR sauna as much as I actually do. It's much more comfortable than expected.
She is very happy that she had the opportunity to participate in this health journey and is curious to see if she loses more water and generally feels warmer in her body in the coming weeks.
– I sweat for dear life inside the sauna, she laughs. – It's so lovely, and I feel a calm inside me afterwards.
WEEK 6 – More energy, better sleep, and a warmer body
After six weeks of her infrared health journey, she has more energy, is more alert, and has greater capacity. In a busy everyday life with work and family, she sometimes struggles with too little sleep, but her body handles it better now.
– Before, I used to crash much more after work. Now I have more energy despite little sleep, but I also sleep better on the days I take a sauna.
Increased blood circulation
From being cold, she is warmer at night. Sometimes she is even warm during the day, which rarely happened before.
– My muscles and tissues are softer, I have increased blood circulation and metabolism, and it's rare that my legs feel heavy. I have less water retention in my legs, which I both see and notice.
She finds that the sauna helps her with better detoxification of her body.
– I sweat profusely all over my body during sauna sessions, so a lot probably comes out, she laughs.
No Raynaud's since starting
Anne-Lise has also not had so-called "dead fingers," a symptom of Raynaud's phenomenon, since starting with infrared sauna.
– Whether it's a coincidence or not, I don't know, but it's very interesting and something I will keep an eye on going forward.
In addition, headaches and neck pain have been completely absent. The breathing difficulties she previously experienced with tight muscles are also gone.
– Now I have less pain and don't feel that exhaustion to such a great extent anymore. I think it's related to my muscles becoming softer. The headaches and neck pains have, when I think about it, actually been completely absent.
WEEK 10 – "It's almost too good to be true"
10 weeks of infrared sauna has helped Anne-Lise more than she could have imagined. Her Raynaud's symptoms have disappeared, she has more energy, less pain, lighter legs, and softer muscles and tissue.
– It's almost too good to be true. It means so much to have the energy I have now. It's simply magical.
Better sleep and circulation
She no longer sleeps with socks or a heating pad. She isn't cold all the time, wakes up refreshed in the morning, and gets deeper sleep.
– I haven't had Raynaud's in my fingers or toes since I started. I recently waded in cold sea and there wasn't even a sign of white toes. Has my circulation improved?
More capacity and faster recovery
– I truly love having so much energy and vitality in my everyday life. I'm not one to sit still. I want to accomplish a lot, and I have the capacity for that now. It's wonderful.
She notices shorter recovery time after exercise, less heavy legs, and softer muscles and tissue. Her skin has also become softer and more hydrated.
Sauna therapy and mastery
Anne-Lise shares that she previously had panic attacks related to heat, but the sauna has helped her master this. Now, the sauna sessions are a form of therapy that provides a sense of accomplishment, inner calm, and well-being.
– Infrared sauna provides an internal warmth that is incredibly good, calming, and uniquely comfortable.
Anne-Lise's conclusion is that the sauna has become a tool for better health, and this summer, it will accompany her on her camping holiday.
Text: Trine Dahlman
Read an update on Anne-Lise's health journey ONE YEAR LATER!
