If losing weight always makes it to your New Year's resolutions year in and year out, then you aren't alone. The struggle is real. National Library of Medicine Research shows that within two years of losing weight, you're likely to gain back more than half the weight you've lost. And that is, if you've been able to lose any, to begin with! There are so many fad diets and programs that promise you the moon and yet fail to deliver. Because the truth is this: There is no one magic pill. It takes several things effectively working together to lose those unwanted pounds. Infrared light therapy may be one of those potent ammos in your weight loss arsenal. The question is, "Can infrared and red light therapy for weight loss work at all?"
What is Red Light Therapy?
Red light therapy, also known as low-level laser therapy (LLLT), is a non-invasive treatment that uses specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light to penetrate the skin and stimulate cellular function. Unlike UV light, which can damage the skin, red light is safe and therapeutic, often used to enhance energy production within cells and support tissue repair. Red light body sculpting is a popular practice since it’s non-invasive and does not require surgery.
What is Infrared Light Therapy?
Infrared light therapy is the result of decades-long research and development. Light therapists were already trying to harness its powers as early as the 19th century. Fast forward to today, and infrared light therapy has become the rage in beauty, health, and wellness circles. This hi-tech innovation can give many amazing benefits, such as infrared light therapy for weight loss.
This breakthrough therapy uses invisible wavelengths of light that are sensed as heat. These longer wavelengths penetrate deep into the skin and tissues to promote circulation, muscle repair, and cellular regeneration. Delivering benefits similar to sunlight without UV that can damage your skin.
Factors That Affect Weight Loss
Before we go looking for answers to that, why, in the first place, do we need an entire stockpile of weapons (a.k.a. approaches) to lose weight?
The weight problem is a complex issue that's built on several factors. One, it can depend on how you fare in the genetic lottery. This "legacy" may affect how much fat you're able to keep and which areas it'll be lodging in. Genetics also plays a part in how fast your body converts food into energy and how well you burn calories during exercise.
Then there are the other factors to consider, such as your lifestyle choices. Unhealthy eating habits, consuming too much alcohol, and inactivity can make you build up more calories than you can lose.
Other factors like stress, sleeping poorly, even influences from your junk-food-loving and cocktail-guzzling family and friends can keep you from losing stubborn body fat.
Does Infrared & Red Light Therapy Work For Weight Loss?
Using infrared and red light therapy for weight loss can help with other effective ways to slim down, like savoring salads and working out. Such weight loss strategies work best together. When infrared light therapy is thrown into the mix, it makes the synergy of all these strategies even more potent. While infrared and red light therapy aren’t a magic bullet for shedding pounds, they can be helpful to support weight loss when combined with a healthy lifestyle. Plus, there are many additional infrared and red light therapy benefits as well that can help you build a healthier lifestyle.
How Infrared Light Therapy Helps You Lose Weight
1. The Effect of Infrared Light Therapy on Stress
Stress is a major culprit of weight gain. When you're all stressed out, bags of chips and tubs of ice cream can give you that emotional comfort that you so badly need. It's not only that, but constant stress can ravage your cells, disabling their ability to self-heal. The simple solution? Get rid of stress! You need to find an effective stress reliever to help keep you from stress eating.
And that's where infrared light therapy comes in. The invisible beams of infrared light can regulate brain activity, which may help reduce anxiety, according to the National Library of Medicine. The beneficial stimulation keeps the brain's health at optimal levels to manage biological functions, which may possibly soothe your frazzled nerves, keeping stress at bay.
2. Infrared Heat May Help Reduce Appetite
Infrared light waves are safer than those from the visible light spectrum because they carry less energy. But that doesn't mean they're less potent. These waves actually emit energy in the form of heat.
This heat energy is what you feel during infrared light therapy. When your body's temperature rises, the heat induces it to stay cool. Have you ever wondered why you feel like gorging yourself in winter but have a reduced appetite in the summer? That's because your body tries to compensate for the heat it goes through when the thermostat is raised! Adding infrared heat therapy (which is essentially infrared light therapy) to your regular self-care ritual may therefore help ease your hunger pangs!
3. Infrared Heat May Boost Exercise
By preheating the muscles, infrared heat can help increase circulation, warm up tissues more efficiently, and reduce the risk of injury. This makes it a powerful tool for priming the body before physical activity. A post-workout infrared sauna session may help you be consistent with your exercise routine by promoting muscle recovery.
4. Infrared Light Therapy, Sleep & Weight Loss
A lack of sleep can sabotage your waistline. When you often lack sleep and you frequently feel like a walking zombie, it's because you're running on low energy. That makes you want to indulge in cake, cookies, and other bad carbs to instantly spike up your energy levels. And that can spell disaster for your weight loss goals.
Infrared light therapy can help keep the weight off by promoting better sleep. The electromagnetic frequency from infrared therapy helps synchronize your brain wave patterns, which can induce your body to rest and even enter deep sleep.
What Should You Expect During Infrared Light Therapy?
If infrared light therapy is effective, then it must be painful. After all, no pain, no gain, right? Red X! Infrared light technology is non-invasive. Although it has deep penetrating powers that can enable cell regeneration because of its longer wavelengths, the energy that infrared light emits does not alter your cells in a way that damages them. In fact, it's just the opposite. The light and heat energy from the infrared waves can actually soothe and relax you. You may even fall asleep while in therapy, especially if you use an Infrared Sauna Blanket.
How To Make The Most of Infrared & Red Light Therapy For Weight Loss
Here are a few tips that can help you maximize the beneficial effects of red light therapy or infrared heat therapy for weight loss.
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Be consistent. Have your infrared light therapy at least 3 to 5 times a week.
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For a quick boost, 10 minutes can do the trick. But for enhanced benefits, keep each session at a minimum of 20 minutes.
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Pair with a healthy diet and active lifestyle.
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Choose a reputable infrared heat company that can provide you with high-quality products and services, like HigherDOSE.
The choice of HigherDOSE for your infrared light therapy needs is one decision you will never regret. HigherDOSE offers powerful yet gentle, non-invasive infrared light devices, such as the HigherDOSE Infrared Sauna and HigherDOSE Sauna Blankets. Elevate your wellness routines and find the right products to help.
Sources:
National Library of Medicine Research - Maintenance of lost weight and long-term management of obesity study
National Library of Medicine Research - Biological effects and medical applications of infrared radiation
