No Sweat!
Louise Hughes and Perspire Sauna Studio
Perspire Sauna Studio combines elements of traditional sauna with medically proven benefits of infrared and red light therapy. Why sweat when you can perspire?
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What comes to mind when you think of a sauna? Perhaps you're the kind of person who seeks a sweat-soaked retreat, surrounded by half-clad strangers in an impossibly cramped space. Or maybe you think of a relaxing spa day, a well-deserved getaway, with a blisteringly dry heat and all the associated pampering. What if there were an easily accessible experience that combines the benefits of traditional saunas with the medically proven benefits of infrared and red light therapy–and what if that experience also left you feeling, dare I say, pampered? Enter Louise Hughes, owner of Perspire Sauna Studio in Carmel’s Clay Terrace, with another location coming to Fishers District this fall. Founded in Costa Mesa, CA, in 2010, Louise explains that Perspire Sauna Studio takes a new approach to wellness, combining traditional sauna with clinically beneficial technologies of infrared (IR) and red light therapy (RLT).
Feeling strong and pain-free has always been important to Louise. As a lifelong runner, she’s always been curious about new technologies to help her run longer and recover more quickly. Louise first learned about IR sauna while prepping for her second marathon. “I was in my mid-40s at the time, and recovery days weren’t enough for me anymore,” she recalls. “My functional medicine doctor introduced me to IR sauna, and I was immediately intrigued to learn more about it. I was sleeping better, my skin was glowing, I had more energy, and my muscle recovery times were improved.” Grateful for the benefits she was receiving, she longed to share this new technology with others. At the same time, she longed for an IR sauna environment that felt less clinical and better reflected the life-giving feeling that comes from a day at the spa. She found that warmth in Perspire Sauna Studio. “I’d spent my career in IT consulting, operations and delivery, but I felt driven by my experience with IR sauna,” Louise tells me. “I wanted to own a business, to be passionate about it, and to do something that helps people feel better, and Perspire has been the way for me to fulfill this dream for the Carmel community.” 
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“Instead of superheating the room around you, and instead of steam, infrared therapy heats your body from within, penetrating into your cells to bring benefits to a wide range of health needs,” Louise says. Red light therapy has been shown to improve skin health, accelerate wound healing, and provide temporary relief from some chronic pain conditions. Infrared therapy reduces inflammation, promotes muscle recovery, offers pain relief, and may even improve heart function. “I have regular members who tell me that they don’t need to take their pain medication anymore or that their psoriasis has improved,” Louise says. She is careful, though, about overpromising. “Everybody is different, but I consistently see members with improvements in chronic pain, with speedier recovery of joints and muscles–and everyone always has a better night’s sleep after a session.”
After your first couple of visits, Louise and her team set your guest preferences. “Some guests like the red light, and others prefer having it off,” she says. “We also have chromotherapy, with different colors offering different benefits, so we preset preferred colors and set the room to the desired temperature.” Guests also enjoy the option to watch TV, Netflix, Hulu, or YouTube during their sessions. “Each room is private with a TV on the wall,” Louise explains. “If a guest has a favorite show, we keep track of what season and episode they’re on and we have it cued up and ready to go.” Of course, some prefer the blissful sound of ocean waves or relaxing music–and some prefer complete, meditative quiet. “It’s your 40 minutes. We want people to feel remembered and stress-free.” While Louise expected to enjoy owning a Perspire Sauna Studio and offering IR sauna to the community, she notes an unexpected benefit for her. Some of her guests come in for a recovery day, or to have some time to themselves, but others come in daily, recognizing the incredible difference that this is making in their lives and their treatment plan. “I had a guest who had just finished chemotherapy and signed up for regular sauna sessions,” she says. “She believes that an IR sauna routine will keep whatever had created cancer in her environment from coming back. You read about it, and you understand the research, but when members come in and share their stories, that’s where I’m truly amazed and inspired.” |
Find Perspire Sauna Studio in Carmel at Clay Terrace, and look for the new location coming to Fishers District on 116th later this fall. Follow each location, respectively, on Instagram and Facebook at PerspireCarmel and PerspireFishers, and visit them online at
www.perspiresaunastudio.com/in/carmel and www.perspiresaunastudio.com/in/fishers.
www.perspiresaunastudio.com/in/carmel and www.perspiresaunastudio.com/in/fishers.