How Red Light Therapy Can Help You Optimize Your Workout

Many people believe that red light therapy is only meant for professional or accomplished athletes. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth: virtually anyone can use over-the-counter red LED devices to soothe aching muscles, speed up recovery from muscle injuries, or simply improve general wellness. More importantly, red light therapy can also be used to help optimize workouts, regardless of one’s athletic ability or amount of exercise.

How red light therapy works

Red light therapy is a safe, non-invasive treatment that works by increasing blood flow and stimulating cell regeneration. In essence, red light devices such as dpl® Joint Wrap or dpl® Flex Pad help the mitochondria in muscular cells complete their respiration cycle more efficiently, resulting in less muscle fatigue. Improving the mitochondrial respiration cycle also leads to better activation and formation of the muscle stem cells that eventually develop into healthy muscle tissue. This means that individuals who use red light therapy on their muscles can experience long-lasting healthy muscle tissue as a result.

Optimizing your workout

For maximum effectiveness, red light therapy should be applied both before and after workouts. Each session produces unique benefits that contribute to both better preparation of the muscles as well as the subsequent recovery.

Before a workout

Applying red-light therapy before a workout improves your circulation and endurance and improves the overall effectiveness of the workout—while helping to decrease injury chance and contributing to an easier recovery post-workout.

After a workout

Since red light penetrates the skin to jumpstart tissue repair, it shortens the overall recovery time and reduces inflammation that damages cells and makes muscles sore. Red light therapy has also been shown to help grow muscles, contributing to better muscle tone.

The big picture

While there is little doubt that regular applications of red light therapy can contribute to the overall effectiveness of your workouts, there are also other long-term benefits. And while those can vary from individual to individual, many people have linked red light therapy with improved sleep, increased weight loss and even reduction of stress.

When you’re ready to try red light therapy devices, you have quite a few options available from dpl®. Choose your device according to the area of the body you wish to address, whether you want to carry the device with you to the locker room or gym, and how the device fits your budget. And remember: it’s always a good idea to consult with your physician before starting a new pain management or treatment regimen.