You don’t have to wait until summer to sweat it out: a new sauna studio is coming to Sarasota early next year.

Perspire Sauna Studio, a nationwide infrared sauna studio franchise, is setting up the first one in Lakewood Ranch, at University Town Center, and it's scheduled to open early next year. 

An infrared sauna uses light to create heat. A traditional sauna heats up the air, whereas an infrared sauna heats the body directly without warming the air around you, penetrating skin, muscles, joints, and tissues to improve blood circulation and oxygen flow and help detoxify the body, according to Perspire's website. The guest experience also promises to be socially distant.

Husband-and-wife owners Gavin and Franciska Bray started out as members of the Laguna Niguel Perpsire studio in California and pursued franchising after falling in love with the concept and seeing a need for infrared sauna therapy in their community. Gavin has a background in pharmacy and corporate management, while Franciska comes from a yoga and public relations background, in addition to growing up in Hungary, which has a large spa and wellness culture. 

“When I work out, I rarely sweat and it doesn’t come naturally to me, so I’ve really learned to appreciate the benefits of a good healthy sweat, and that’s something I can’t wait to educate my neighbors about,” Gavin says.

In addition to the three studios coming to Sarasota, Perspire has 19 franchise locations open nationwide and is on track to have 21 studios operating by the end of 2021.

The new location will be located at 315 N. Cattlemen Road, Sarasota.