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How Red Light Therapy Helps Me Overcome Seasonal Depression and Depression In General

“I used to feel tired and unmotivated waking up before the sun. Now I sit in front of my red light therapy device for 10-minutes in the morning and it gives me the energy to start my day. It’s like a sunshine supplement” 

vital red light device full body therapy

If you’re like most people, you probably start your day with a quick routine that gets you out the door and on your way to work or school. But what if there was a way to improve your morning routine and get more out of it? Believe it or not, incorporating red light therapy into your morning routine can have some amazing benefits for your mind and body. In this blog post, we will explore how red light therapy can enhance your morning routine. 

What is Red Light Therapy?

Nowadays, red light therapy is (almost) considered a mainstream, standard practice for elite professional athletes, world-class training centers, and the leading medical experts.

The 101 on red light therapy is this: Red light therapy, also known as photobiomodulation or low level laser therapy, involves shining red and near-infrared light onto the skin and tissues. This type of light has been shown to improve cellular function and stimulate the production of ATP (energy) in the mitochondria of our cells.

The key point: You may need a refresher from high-school biology class— your overall health depends on your mitochondria— they are called the “powerhouse of the cell” for a reason. Your mitochondria make up 90% of the energy in your body. And when your mitochondria are stimulated with red light therapy, they are able to work more effectively and boost your overall energy levels.

Why use Red Light Therapy?

We need sunlight to be healthy. You already know that. But with the days getting shorter, it is hard for most people to get enough natural light to not only be healthy, but thrive. This is where red light therapy comes into play. Red light therapy harnesses two specific wavelengths of the sun, red and near-infrared light. You can think of it as a “sunshine supplement”. With red light therapy, you get a predictable dose of natural light anytime, anywhere, even if you were living in a small New York City apartment. This leads to some pretty amazing benefits. 

What Are the Benefits?

Red light therapy has been shown to improve skin health, increase muscle recovery and athletic performance, enhance mood and cognitive function, reduce pain and inflammation, improve sleep quality, and much more.

Red light therapy basically gives you the power to work out harder, faster, and with less pain. By getting your cells to create energy on a high octane level, you can achieve maximum performance.

Muscle tissue (including your heart) has more mitochondria than any other place in the body because it is used to power all sorts of movement. This means that your muscle tissue is particularly responsive to high doses of red and infrared light. 

Using red light prior to working out is a way to pre-condition your body to support increased strength and stamina. While using red light directly after exercise can speed the recovery process, accelerate muscle adaptation during workout, along with reducing pain and inflammation from a strenuous workout. Here you can find a meta-analysis that includes the findings from 46 human-clinical trials as it relates to red light therapy and fitness.

Using red light therapy in the morning will make your mind sharp and head clear. New research is also showing how shining red light on your head and brain cells may improve cognitive functions like memory and executive function. The study showed that people were able to perform difficult tests with less cognitive effort and difficulty — meaning that people could be able to perform tasks that require more brain power easier.

 Another study found red and near-infrared light therapy also increased executive cognitive function in young healthy adults, providing hope that further studies find that red and near-infrared light therapy may provide a hopeful treatment in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease, as well as prevention.

Red light therapy has shown immense potential as a natural treatment to pain and inflammation without the risks of pharmaceuticals. Red light therapy alleviates chronic inflammation by increasing blood flow and by increasing the body’s natural antioxidant defenses. 

Inflammation is natural and can be beneficial, but chronic or uncontrolled inflammation can lead to pain and other problems. Red light therapy sessions help me manage inflammation so that I can heal more quickly and efficiently with every 10-minute treatment.

Mental health is A huge problem in society today. And many people do not want to take pharmaceuticals, so they are turning to red light therapy. New research is showing how shining red light on your head and brain cells may improve cognitive functions like memory. 

RLT can also help eliminate fatigue (partially by working to support the thyroid), support a balanced mood, and even help with depression and anxiety. In a recent study, 74% of participations saw a remission in their depression or anxiety after 30-days of red light therapy treatment. 

Mental health is A huge problem in society today. And many people do not want to take pharmaceuticals, so they are turning to red light therapy. New research is showing how shining red light on your head and brain cells may improve cognitive functions like memory. 

RLT can also help eliminate fatigue (partially by working to support the thyroid), support a balanced mood, and even help with depression and anxiety. In a recent study, 74% of participations saw a remission in their depression or anxiety after 30-days of red light therapy treatment. 

Ever wonder why you feel so good after watching the sunset? This is because during sunset, the sun is emitting the highest levels of red and near-infrared light. In the evening, these wavelengths signal to your body that it is time to wind down and prepare for sleep.

In clinical studies, red light has been shown to have beneficial effects on sleep and other physical properties that help promote relaxation and rest in the evenings while offsetting harmful blue light exposure during the days. Clinical research is also showing that red light therapy can improve sleep quality and duration, and help people produce more of their own melatonin – also known as the sleep hormone.

Yes, very similar to the viral meme of “sunning your balls,” red light therapy directly on the balls has been proven in studies to increase the activity of the Leydig cells in your testes. These Leydig cells are responsible for testosterone production and fertility.

Red light therapy has been shown to enhance testosterone secretion, via increasing ATP production in the leydig cells of the testis. Another study in humans suggests red light therapy can increase testosterone levels and sexual satisfaction. 

How does it work? Think of the red light “waking up” the dormant cells that have been lazy. Oftentimes these cells are lazy because they see no reason to be turned “on” due to the constant low-level stress in your life. And don’t worry – red light therapy does not emit heat or have UV rays like the sun — so your little guys are safe down there. If you were wondering this is in fact what is happening when you “sun your bum “

Mitochondria play a central role in weight loss as well, so using red light after working out has been proven to accelerate muscle recovery, stimulate metabolism, and even reduces the appearance of cellulite. 

RLT is quickly becoming the next big thing in the weight-loss world with even the most well-known gyms like Equinox using Vital Red Light devices. In a recent clinical trial, using red light therapy was twice as effective in burning fat when combined with working out. Doing 10 minutes of red light therapy after exercise is the best way to do it.

Red Light has been used in luxury spas for years because of the skin benefits. Using red light therapy on your face has been clinically proven to improve skin complexion while promoting skin rejuvenation. 

Therapeutic red light treats the root cause of many skin issues by stimulating natural collagen production, reducing inflammation, and enhancing blood flow. Because of this, red light therapy can be used for ant-aging, fine lines & wrinkles, acne & acne scars, sunspots and stubborn skin conditions such as eczema, rosacea, psoriasis and sunspots.  

What Are the Benefits?

Adding red light therapy to your morning routine can not only improve your physical and mental well-being, but it can also provide an extra boost of energy to start off your day. Give it a try and see the benefits unfold!

Common Questions

We get a lot of comments about people being skeptical about how red light works. And we get it. But let’s take a look. There are a lot of wellness trends and fads, but Red Light Therapy has endured the test of time. 

It was first used by NASA in the 1980’s and since then is a favorite among health experts, celebs, and even pro athletes. Red Light Therapy is effective because it reaches deep into the body where most other therapies cannot reach on their own. 

Once deep inside the body, red light can stimulate blood flow, increase cellular energy, and enhance collagen levels. This is great for overall health AND for beauty.

What can you expect as far as results?

☑️A relaxing sensation as soon as your first sit in front of light due to increased circulation 

☑️Within the first few days you will notice your skin is smoother and healthier 

☑️You’ll see improved sleep, mood, and overall energy levels

Many people come to red light because they want to look better (no shame in that 😁), but they stay committed to using it because they see improved sleep, mood, and energy levels. When you use red light therapy daily, you are giving your body the energy necessary to heal, revitalize and repair. Red light therapy is BOTH elite skincare and full body wellness. 

A topic that comes up very often and one that is worth mentioning at the outset is the comparison of red light therapy vs. natural sunlight. Red light therapy is not a replacement to sunlight. Natural sunshine is an indispensable component of health.

But RLT does provide the body with two of the most critical wavelengths of the sun – red and near infrared light. These wavelengths of light are naturally emitted by the sun in the highest amounts during sunrise and sunset. Sunlight contains a broad spectrum of light – blue, UV, infrared, red, near infrared and more. Each of these wavelengths serves a specific purpose. As it turn out, red and near-infrared light have the unique ability to boost mitochondrial function and energy production in your cells – which leads to systemic health benefits in the body.

All Vital Red Light therapy devices are backed by clinical science, are 3rd party tested, have the lowest EMF output, and are guaranteed to be effective. 

Vital Red Light complies with the strictest safety standards in the industry today. You can rest assured that all devices are ethically manufactured, contain quality materials that are environmentally friendly, and do not emit a high dosage of harmful EMFs like most of the other Red Light Therapy companies on the market. 

Your next question about red light therapy after asking, “does red light therapy work?”, is naturally going to be – is red light therapy safe? Red light therapy is FDA cleared, safe and free of ultraviolet (UV) rays. Unlike using other laser therapies or tanning beds, red light therapy does not use UV light (which can cause skin damage). With every Vital Red Light therapy treatment, you can rest assured that you are getting the right dose of light without any negative side effects. There have been hundreds of studies around the world that provide the safety and effectiveness of red light therapy on all parts of the body.

Our mission is to inspire healthy habits and wellness practices so you can feel your best everyday. When our founder Jake was sick with Lyme disease, he turned to light therapy. When he saw the benefits, he found a team of engineers and experts to make a low-cost, highly effective red light therapy device so that everyone could bring the power of light to their own home. 

Today, Vital Red Light is one of the world’s most trusted manufactures of premium red and near infrared light therapy devices. Our devices are being used by thousands of individuals across the world to improve their health in the comfort of their own home. Professional athletes, medical professionals (dermatologist, chiropractors, sports medicine, aestheticians), top beauty professionals, and world-class gyms & health clinics all trust Vital Red Light as their source for red light therapy devices. Read our story here.

Explore Reviews

Check out some reviews from over 10,000 customers here. Trusted by Equinox Gyms, Revolve, and 412 functional medicine doctors. Explore the #1 most trusted Red Light therapy device to de-stress, relax, and sleep deeper. 

“Vital Red Light helps with a variety of wellness benefits for the mind and body.”

A simple black square on a white background, reminiscent of the calming focus achieved through red light therapy.
The image displays the word "REVOLVE" in bold, black capital letters on a white background, subtly suggesting how life and emotions revolve much like one's journey through Red Light Therapy for seasonal depression.
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glamour magazine
Black text logo with the word "Equinox," where the 'O' is stylized with a diagonal line cutting through it. The crisp design on a white background subtly echoes the relief brought by red light therapy for seasonal depression.
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“Vital Red Light helps with a variety of wellness benefits for the mind and body.”

A smiling group of six people gather under soft kitchen lighting, holding a large tray of cooked food. They're excitedly discussing their recent introduction to red light therapy, adding health-conscious conversations to their shared culinary experience.
Logo featuring large, overlapping letters "U" and "S" with a black rectangle displaying the word "WEEKLY" in uppercase white text, subtly reflecting the revitalizing essence of red light therapy.
byrdie logo
glamour magazine
Black text logo with the word "Equinox," where the 'O' is stylized with a diagonal line cutting through it. The crisp design on a white background subtly echoes the relief brought by red light therapy for seasonal depression.
forbes mag list

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The Vital Charge features a rechargeable lithium ion battery that lasts up to 4 hours for continuous red light therapy treatment. Take this lightweight, portable device with you everywhere you go
Vital Pro is a targeted red and near-infrared LED light therapy device that improves skin, inflammation, mood, energy, recovery, sleep & much more.
The most immersive light therapy experience that you can buy, The Vital Elite is designed for full body treatments across large areas of the body, such as the back or chest & abdomen.
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