When it comes to losing weight, diet and exercise will be your main focuses, but other pursuits can make your weight loss more effective. One complimentary technique that can help some patients lose more weight is red light therapy. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at why red light therapy can be an effective complement to a comprehensive weight loss program.
Can Red Light Therapy Help With Weight Loss?
Red light therapy has a number of unique benefits that we’ve talked about on the blog in the past, but one angle we haven’t explored is how light therapy can help with weight loss. Now, don’t get us wrong, you’re not going to be able to subject yourself to concentrated light exposure and watch the weight melt off without any other action on your end. Red light therapy is not a magic cure for obesity and certainly should not be your main pursuit when it comes to losing weight. However, when paired with exercise, diet and sleep improvements, red light therapy can help to maximize your weight loss.
Red light therapy works by energizing your body on a cellular level. Specific light waves penetrate your skin and reach cells deep inside your body. This light energy ends up making its way to the mitochondria, which is the powerhouse of the cell. This makes it easier for the mitochondria to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the energy carrying molecule that helps to fuel numerous cellular processes. But how exactly does this aid in weight loss?
- Cellular Efficiency – When your cells are energized, they can perform certain functions more efficiently. They can repair themselves more easily and they can become more efficient at burning fat.
- Exercise Recovery – We’ve promoted red light therapy as a means of recovery after exercise, and efficient exercise recovery can make it easier for you to continue seeking out exercise, in turn fueling weight loss. Red light therapy can help your cells get better at removing lactic acid buildup, which is a byproduct of muscle development during exercise. Lactic acid buildup oftentimes contributes to that feeling of soreness we experience after exercise. If you can limit soreness, it will be easier to keep pushing yourself physically.
- Hormone Production – Red light therapy has been shown to increase the production of a hormone called Leptin in our body. Leptin is a hormone that helps to control our appetite and regulate energy sources, while another hormone called Ghrelin controls the release of growth hormones and increases your appetite. When Ghrelin production exceeds Leptin production, not only will you have more feelings of hunger, your body is actually less effective at burning stored fat for energy. Red light therapy can help to boost Leptin production, limiting cravings and helping your body burn fat.
- Energy And Sleep – Finally, red light therapy can help to boost your energy levels so that you have the energy to pursue regular exercise. Red light therapy can also help to improve your sleep routine as your body becomes more efficient at flushing toxins from its system while you are asleep, helping you feel more restored when you wake up. Feeling energized and refreshed upon waking up in the morning can make it easier for you to stick to your diet and exercise goals.
If you’re hoping to cut a few pounds and want to see if red light therapy could help build on the diet and exercise changes you’re already pursuing, reach out to the team at HyperCharge Clinics today.