Harnessing The Power Of Infrared Saunas For Energy And Vitality

Kendra Gensemer

Hi. So glad to be here.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

Today we are going to talk all about sauna and why this is important to mitochondria energy and healing your body. Really excited to have you here. Sauna is one of those treatment modalities that I wish everyone had in their home and everyone had access to. So we are going to talk about why this is so important. The good news is everyone can have access to saunas. Well, let me introduce you to our audience before we get started today. You are the education expert and consultant for the scientific advisory board at Sunlighten which is the world’s leading manufacturer of infrared, saunas, and light therapy. That is impressive.

Kendra Gensemer

Thank you, Laura. I’m. This is my favorite thing to talk about. So it is a privilege to be here and do that with you. I did not really know anything about infrared when I started working here. I had been using an infrared sauna to exercise in because I knew I liked the heat. It made me feel good. And then I came to work here. And so I approach everything with a prove it to my mentality and am driven to understand what this invisible thing really does for the body and in the body. So I embarked on reading every piece of research I could find. I fell in love with a couple of milestone research papers by the world’s foremost expert in infrared light, Dr. Michael Hamblin. And then I got to be involved in getting him to join our advisory board and so he has taught me a lot. It is a privilege to learn about this very real thing that we get to recreate from nature that does so many wonderful things for our body.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

I’m so glad that you said that you were a skeptic to start with because I think a lot of people wonder about this. Is it really helping me? Is this something that will really support it? So let us unpack this for our listeners and our viewers. Let us explain what a sauna is and what infrared is because what you have is a combination of sauna and infrared. And then we will talk about why this is important for energy production. Why this is important even as we age, it becomes more and more important to support these pathways in our body. So why don’t you start by telling us what is a sauna and what is infrared?  Let us get those two things together because your saunas are special. They are infrared saunas.

Kendra Gensemer

They are special. And everyone kind of associates a traditional sauna with the Finnish culture is probably the most well-known. Where you get into a really hot environment, a room, or a barrel, and oftentimes it is hot, steamy. It is known for super high temperatures that make you really uncomfortable and you can only be in them for a little bit of time before you have to get out and then you leave feeling somewhat drained and ready for a nap. Well, infrared saunas are taking that idea and that concept of a warm environment but the source of heat is something very special. In a traditional sauna it is heating the air around you and your thermal regulatory system is being activated to regulate your body temperature. In an infrared sauna, the infrared wavelengths that are being emitted from the heaters are actually coming like from sunlight, the best rays of the sun that help plants grow. 

Those are coming into your body and that is where the skeptic in me really did not understand how that can happen. So the science explains infrared has three different wavelengths near mid and far. It is part of a spectrum of light that actually we are using every day. We are using it right now on these computers, our cell phones harness electromagnetic energy, and those invisible wavelengths. Our bodies are actually like solar panels and we have the cells that are called chromophores, meaning light bearers, cells that are thirsty for light energy. When these very specific wavelengths come into our bodies, they are reaching those cells that drink them in and it activates wonderful things for our entire body system. So it is not just our thermal regulatory system trying to keep our temperature down. It is also doing things for every system in the body that then gives you energy and makes you not feel drained, but it is more full of life and vitality.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

That is amazing. So tell me such an easy way to understand it. And I love how you said this is a spectrum of light that is outside. If you go out in the sun, you get this same spectrum of light. So why is an infrared sauna better for energy than a traditional sauna? This is a hotly debated topic, traditional versus infrared. And you have got your traditional camp over here. You just go into a hot, either dry or wet heat, and sweat it out versus this infrared. What is the difference there? And why would you say that infrared is even potentially a better or superior form of using a sauna?

Kendra Gensemer

You know, Laura. We do think it is very special. And for some people who are looking for that intense experience that pushes themselves. A traditional sauna might be a great choice. If you really, really, really want to sweat. We actually created a sauna to meet people where they are. One of our saunas reaches a higher temperature like that and creates a more intense experience. And we have a unique blend of wavelengths that does that. We also have saunas that do not have to get as hot for you to benefit. You get the benefits of the light, energy, and heat at the lower temperatures which many people, depending on your heat acclimation, how used to heat your body is a form of heat acclimation. So the people who want that super hot experience may have a greater tolerance for heat and need a higher temperature to evoke a sweat. But if you want to feel energy and get mitochondrial stimulation from near-infrared that you can only get from an infrared sauna then a traditional sauna is not going to give you that, what you are looking for.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

That is good. So also what is coming up for me is there are some people watching this interview right now who have chronic health conditions, a chronic disease. And getting into a traditional sauna at that high level of heat could be actually.

Kendra Gensemer

Very detrimental.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

Very difficult and detrimental. So for people who have chronic health conditions or people who are in their older years, we have a spectrum of people viewing the summit from their thirties and forties all the way up to people in their eighties and nineties looking at how to improve their quality of life. It sounds like an infrared sauna could be a lot more gentle for people who are not kind of seeking an extreme experience.

Kendra Gensemer

That is a perfect way to put it. We call it an experience that you can enjoy, not endure, and still all get so many benefits of that light energy, interacting with your mitochondria. Helping stimulate energy production instead of your body having to work to maintain a temperature.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

Okay. So we have lots of experts on this summit, you know, PhDs and academics talking about how mitochondria work and how mitochondria reproduce and mitochondrial biogenesis. And we have great talks on hormetic stress. And so that is not what this talk is because you have got all that on this summit. We have all those high-level academics talking about that. What we want to do here is connect to how a sauna can really support all the things you are learning from these speakers on how to solve your chronic health problems. So could you tell us some of the foundational benefits of using an infrared sauna? Make this applicable to our audience. Who might want to be getting a sauna and using it for themselves on a regular basis? Who would benefit?

Kendra Gensemer

There are so many benefits that it is kind of almost unbelievable and I will start with one of the most researched is the benefit to the heart. In Japan, Infrared sauna therapy is a standard treatment for chronic heart disease and it has been for 30 years. So without a doubt, we know that infrared and light strengthen the cells of the heart. It increases circulation which delivers oxygen and nutrients better to your body. It temporarily lowers blood pressure. All of those things are foundational, well-researched. Detoxification is another key foundational benefit. We know that infrared elicits a freeze-up of some heavy metals and plastics that are permeating the environment. So it is a great way to support all your efforts to detoxify from the chemicals of the modern world. Sleep, better sleep, which also brings more energy. It helps support your immune system so your body will be primed to work and overcome illness, relaxation, and mental health. Another big one is anti-aging, longevity, vitality and skin health, muscle recovery, and pain relief. We have many great stories of people finding relief from years of pain.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

It sounds like pretty much everyone could benefit. Some questions are coming up for me on traditional versus infrared. People want to know how hot does this get? What is considered a low-heat, medium-heat, or high-heat sauna? And how far could you push the sun as if you really want to go super hot? But what is the spectrum of heat we are talking about here?

Kendra Gensemer

Well, you could use an infrared sauna at the lowest level that would not even be warm, and still, the infrared light is coming into your body and benefiting you. 

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

So room temperature, you are saying you could be in their room temperature and turn on the infrared and get a benefit.

Kendra Gensemer

My own personal recent experience of using it at a very low setting was having flu symptoms and body aches. And I stayed in there at a very low level and it was still relieving my body aches. I usually like to be in around 130. After about 30 minutes between 30 and 40 minutes is an optimal time, something magic breaks loose and I just start sweating in that last 10 minutes at 130 degrees.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

130 is pretty hot. I can remember getting soreness, trying to get to 150, and being like, this is really hard. I mean.

Kendra Gensemer

Yeah, our sensitivities are so different because some people just do not do it for them. So we have got our hottest sauna, I believe goes to 165, which is very hot.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

I have never gotten that hot before. I have never made it that far. 150 is my highest.

Kendra Gensemer

We recommend 110 to 125 130, 140 anywhere within that range I would call a great beneficial temperature.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

Now I think there is kind of a myth out there that saunas are unaffordable. People can not get access to them. You have to spend, you know, over $10,000 to get a sauna. And really, sunlight has kind of flipped the script on that as far as I know, because you do make saunas that are personal and portable all the way up to large saunas that fit multiple people. So you have got all kinds of options. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Kendra Gensemer

Yes, we do have a wide range of sizes and capacities. So from a sauna dome, which we call our personal portable sauna, all the way up to a five, four, four-person. Yeah, we have a wide range of price options.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

That is so good. And then in terms of materials, can you talk to us about how your products are manufactured? Because as a detox specialist, I have concerns about retoxing while we are detoxing. That whole concept of as you are emptying the bucket of toxins, you do not want to pour more toxins in. And unfortunately, we are getting volatile organic compound off-gassing from the furniture that we are having in our home, from the mattresses we are sleeping on, and from the cookware we are using in our kitchen. And we do not want to go into a sauna and get hit with toxins while we are in there. And you are really in a vulnerable state because your body is opening up and flushing out. Your pores are open, your skin is pouring out sweat. And that is kind of a vulnerable state because toxins can come in just as easily as they can come out. So what can sunlight do to make sure that people are not exposed to toxins?

Kendra Gensemer

That is a great way to put that, Laura. And it is our top priority in Sunlighten, we do all kinds of protective measures and have external tests done on viruses and we make sure we are sourcing our wood very responsibly and that the materials we put into our sauna are our top priority. We also do everything we can to mitigate EMFs and electrical concerns, so our sun is very safe. And we do manufacture them ourselves. We design them, we manufacture them, and we control every aspect of the entire process, every detail that is unique to us and something that is a major investment for us. We also wanted to create the best quality sauna, so our wood is extra thick. They are easy to put together because we have created a special magnetic locking system for which seals in that it creates a solid seal so there is no escaping or air is not going in or out. And it is a very solid construction. 

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

Okay.

Kendra Gensemer

We take a lot of pride in all of that.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

Yeah. High-quality craftsmanship. And what I’m hearing is there is third-party testing on your material to confirm that they are not toxic. That is really important. That is important when companies do that because that is a cost to the company to bring in that kind of third-party testing to prove what we say. We are lucky to have this kind of seal of approval on this product that is saying something. You are standing behind your products in that regard.

Kendra Gensemer

Absolutely.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

Yeah, it is a really big deal. So I want to unpack this concept of helping people get into a parasympathetic state. So, before we got into this interview, you were talking about how peaceful and loving it is to be inside of a sauna. And that got me thinking I spent so much time trying to get people out of a fight or flight response because when that sympathetic nervous system is ramping up, it is really hard to get into the healing state. People can not resolve their fatigue. They can not resolve their autoimmune issues. They can not resolve their symptoms and rebalance their body if they are constantly in this stressful high fight or flight sympathetic process. And so based on how you are explaining this, I’m thinking that getting into a sauna and being in a sauna each day is part of stimulating that parasympathetic and getting people’s stress levels to come down and self-care. Can you talk about that?

Kendra Gensemer

This is our niche. I like to think of it as the opposite of the Peloton energy, and that is push, push, push, go, go, go, which is great. Go do that and then come get in your infrared sauna and let your body chill out. And it is an incredible whole. It is counter-cultural because our culture is a push to accomplish that. In order to do that and to support that, we have to rest. And there is no more productive or beautiful rest than in an infrared sauna, except maybe when you are asleep in your bed. But I think I like my sauna even better.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

I love that. So in a nutshell what we are talking about here is stimulating mitochondria, repair, stimulating mitochondrial biogenesis, and stimulating mitochondria energy production. And we are also talking about the benefit of reducing toxins in the body. So assisting heavy metals and toxicants from industrial chemicals and pesticides and herbicides and all of the things that we are exposed to which have lots of talks about that on this summit. So this is a tool that you can use with your detox protocols. I mean, mold, and toxins as well. We even talk about how.

Kendra Gensemer

Absolutely. Right.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

So Mycotoxins are definitely on the rise. I have seen more in my practice than ever. I have seen more heavy metal tests on people. I’m seeing more heavy metals than ever. I can not believe how much you can see.

Kendra Gensemer

Yes. And it is in surprising places. And we think, oh, I do not smoke. So I’m not going to have cadmium in my system. But it is produced by industrial places, businesses, companies that are putting it in the air and we are breathing it in the air and. I’m so glad you are talking about that with your people.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

Yeah. I mean we get most of our heavy metal exposures these days from the air that we breathe. And I mean, that is a whole nother topic about clean air. So you need to have clean air to breathe. And so it is going to help us with mitochondria, it is going to help us with detox, it is going to help us get us into a parasympathetic healing state.

Kendra Gensemer

Amazing, isn’t it?

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

Yeah, you can use it for self-care. When you think of an appliance or something that you need in your home to support your healing journey, this is a really important tool. All practitioners have a practitioner and all experts are mentored somewhere. I have people who taught me what I know and I have practitioners I work with to take care of my health and my family. And I sat down with one of my mentors one day and I said of all the things, there are so many devices out there that I can get, like biohacking type devices that I can spend my money on. And I said, what is the one thing that you would bring in? And he said, sauna. He literally said this to me. Sauna is probably one of the most important things you could ever spend your money on in terms of having what I would call biohacking or like the word, the concept of bio elevating a little bit more, but biohacking. And, a sauna has so many uses. So before we wrap up here, I would love to know what other practical recommendations or tips you would recommend to our viewers? We’ve covered a lot of ground in terms of the sizing, the different levels of sauna you can have. What they are made of, what you use them for. Are there any other practical tips you would recommend?

Kendra Gensemer

I like to imagine my life with the addition of something that I would like to have. So when you are imagining, can I do this for myself, where would you put it? How would you integrate it into your life? I just think that is a great way to approach a big decision like this. And from my own process of deciding how I will integrate this into my life and it can be a challenge because life is busy. But getting into a routine and thinking of it as a routine as adding one more layer or stacking a habit that I already had, like loving to get up early in the morning. I have just added in a little sun and time in the morning to and layering that with meditation and getting my mindset for the day and it has been so easy to incorporate and I do want to do it. And we hear that over and over again that once people start doing it, it is not a habit that is difficult to create. It is one that they want to add more to.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

It is. Well, you have made it easy for people to get access to saunas. So we have a link with your company name, right here on the summit. On every page of the summit, you will see Sunlighten and so go ahead and click that link if you want to learn more. And that is going to take you to the Sunlighten website. And when you get on the Sunlighten website, tell us what they will experience there. What should they look for? What should they do to get more information?

Kendra Gensemer

Well, when you get to our website, go to the get pricing form, fill out the information, and our team will reach out to you and help you find the right sauna for you. We do take a really consultative approach to this. There is a lot to think about, so we love to speak in person and help you find the right site for you.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

Okay. Excellent. And you also have a special for summit viewers. You have $600 off a summit. All they need to do when they do that consultation is mention the mitochondria summit and then they will get access to that. That is it. They do not need a coupon code. There is absolutely nothing.

Kendra Gensemer

And they just use that link. Right there.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

And I and I want to share with our audience, too, that if you are seriously thinking that you want a sauna, it is really important to get on the phone and talk to someone. There is so much to know about all the different features and options of saunas, which I think is why they just do not have you go and just buy one off their website because you might end up. I think it just prevents returns and frustrations because people think, Oh, I thought I was getting this, but I want this. So you really want to talk it through with someone because of all the different options and features that are available. And I know I have been on the phone with you guys and I have met you guys so many times at different conferences and it is never a pressure, ever. You guys are there to educate and teach. And if and when it is right, you are there to help fit people into the right sauna. So this is absolutely no pressure because I know people think that I do not want to fill out an application and get on a pushy sales call. And that is never been my experience with Sunlighten. And it is just all about educating consumers.

Kendra Gensemer

It is so frustrating these days to not be able to reach a person. You can reach a person with Sunlighten and we really care and want to help.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

I have met with you all so many times, and it is just been nothing but a supportive experience. It is never been a push. Yeah, how come you did not buy this? It is not that. 

Kendra Gensemer

I’m glad to hear that.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

You guys are going to help us feel comfortable with what we can, what we want to achieve in our health, and what will fit in our environment. Because that is the thing, too. You do not want to end up buying something that is too big for your environment and then be unsatisfied with that as well or something that is too small. And you realized I wanted something bigger that I could get into with my spouse or my kids or what have you. Yeah. So this has been so enlightening and so helpful. Thank you so much, Kendra, for sharing this information. And we are grateful that you came on this summit with us to share information and make it so accessible to people. So thank you so much for your generosity too.

Kendra Gensemer

Thank you so much for inviting us.

Laura Frontiero, FNP-BC

Until next time, everyone take good care. Bye now.