What should you know about far infrared heat and its benefits?
If you are considering adding hot yoga or high heat performance training to your club, a question may be, “Where do I start?” You may have tried contacting your local HVAC professional — however, most are unfamiliar with the demanding needs of superheating spaces to temperatures of 95 to 122 degrees.
There are many choices available, such as traditional forced air, electric coil units, infrared tube heaters, unit heaters, high intensity electric infrared, far infrared electric panels and more. Before making a choice, you first must decide if high heat is right for your club. Second, you must determine what a healthy solution is.
Why a High Heat Space?
It is well-documented that heat helps relax the muscles, and provides a more thorough and efficient workout. Practitioners also experience improved flexibility and range of motion, release of toxins, weight loss, and increased stamina. Hot yoga and high heat performance training have also become the fastest growing trends in the fitness world.
Why is Far Infrared Heat the Healthy Choice?
The requirement for hot yoga is to maintain a high temperature consistently throughout the space during a class. Achieving such high temperatures and preserving a healthy environment are why far infrared heat has become an exceedingly popular and effective solution.
Conventional hot air systems have great difficulty providing a consistent temperature at floor level due to the nature of heated air to rise — or stratify — where it is just wasted. Far infrared heat is not subject to stratification, and can easily and evenly heat a room to the desired temperature. Although mounted high on the walls or ceilings, it heats from the floor up, directly heating bodies first, just like the natural effects of the healthful heat energy from the sun. This far infrared energy naturally resonates with, and stimulates, the cells of our bodies.
There are also additional benefits of far infrared heat. With no fans or high temperature heat exchangers, there is no noise, drafts, distribution of unhealthy bacteria or allergens, or dry, desert-like air. Far infrared radiant heat maintains natural humidity levels without the need for artificial humidification. This eliminates the odors from mold and bacteria present in many convectively heated facilities that require mechanical humidification to maintain comfort levels.
Far Infrared Heat Efficiency and Cost of Operation
With fast-acting far infrared radiant heat, the desired temperature in any space can be quickly and efficiently achieved. In addition, by incorporating a programmable controller, the temperature can be preset for scheduled sessions and set back for unoccupied time, greatly reducing energy costs.
Savings with the right far infrared heating system has been documented in a range of 34% to 73% over other conventional heating systems. Additionally, they are easy to install, needing no expensive ductwork. This, along with energy savings and no maintenance cost, provides for a system that is unequaled for any fitness application.
