Have you already started working on your summer body? Bikini season is only a month away, which means that you need to level up your fitness routine. If you’ve been struggling with stubborn fat, sore muscles, and a lack of energy, we might have a universal solution for you – red light therapy.
This non-invasive treatment method has been proven to help with versatile health issues, improve our cell’s regenerative properties, and aid faster tissue healing. Red light works on a cellular level, enhancing our body’s health from within, which is why it has become popular among professional athletes and those who work hard to stay in shape.
This article tells you what you need to know about red light therapy before you consider trying it out.
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Red Light Therapy 101
Let’s start from the very basics – red light therapy, also known as photobiomodulation, and low-level laser therapy includes exposing yourself to LED panels that emit light wavelengths between 650nm-850nm. On the visible light spectrum, this diapason belongs to red and infrared lights (thus the name “red light therapy”).
Compared to other visible lights, red and infrared waves can penetrate the skin deeply and stimulate cell activity. This is achieved by red light’s power on mitochondrial metabolism. Thanks to RLT, mitochondria release increased amounts of an energy-carrying molecule – ATP. More ATP available in our cells, the more robust they are, and the better endurance they have towards external stressors.
What does it have to do with your fitness? Keep going – we’re getting there!
Red Light Therapy Fitness Benefits
As we’ve established, red light therapy works on a cellular level, making it a truly profound treatment for versatile concerns. When it comes to fitness, you probably know that in order to achieve the best results, you need to alter different parts of your life including physical activity, sleep, diet… See the connection between the two? Yup, getting in shape requires a complex approach, just like the one red light therapy offers.
Let’s see how it works in more details:
Red Light Therapy Speeds Up Muscle Recovery
One of the essential parts of getting in shape is having a consistent workout routine. However, it is much easier said than done, especially if you’re just getting started. If your body is not adjusted to heavy physical activity (or physical activity in general), it might take you weeks of sore muscles to get used to. And what’s fun about feeling sore all over the body?
If the muscle soreness is something that demotivates you, red light therapy can be a fantastic addition to your routine. It promotes the production of nitric oxide – a colorless gas naturally produced in our body that is responsible for relaxing the inner muscles of our blood vessels. Having more nitric oxide in our system means that our blood circulation is improved, which helps lift the tension off the sore muscles. What’s more, having better circulation promotes delivering necessary nutrients to your muscles, aiding in quicker recovery.
Red Light Therapy Helps With Weight Loss
If weight loss is part of your fitness journey, you might be struggling with stubborn fat that just won’t go away! The fat tissue sitting in our lower abdomen, inner thighs, and upper arms are usually the hardest to get rid of, regardless of how much you exercise.
The good thing is that several studies have proven that red light therapy can help with burning fat. Improved cellular functions result in quicker metabolism and improvement in food digestion. It also aids in dissolving stubborn fatty tissue that you’ve been struggling with for a long time.
Red Light Therapy Improves Your Sleep
Sleep is undeniably one of the most important things for us. If you don’t have your sleep quality in check, your body won’t be able to keep up with your fitness efforts.
Red light has a soothing effect on our brains, which helps us relax. Most importantly, it has been proven to accelerate the production of the sleeping hormone melatonin, which is responsible for sending a signal to the brain that it is time to sleep. Studies suggest that red light therapy can help us fall asleep faster, sleep better, and wake up well-rested and energized the following day.
How To Use RLT For Ultimate Results
When it comes to fitness and weight loss, many people want to know whether to use red light therapy before or after a workout. If you decide to use it before physical activity, your muscles will be more prepared to take a hit. On the other hand, having an RLT session after exercise will help your muscles repair faster. Therefore, both approaches are effective. Which is the right one for you boils down to your preferences.
We recommend you ease into red light therapy. Start with 2-5 minute sessions 2-3 times a week and gradually increase the length and frequency. Another great thing about red light therapy is that it has no proven adverse effects. So you can confidently try different approaches until you find the one that’s the most convenient for you.
