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Better Sleep Through Infrared Workouts

There is a symbiotic relationship between working out and sleeping.  For better workouts you need better sleep.  For better sleep you need better workouts.  So goes the yin-yang of life in fitness.  It stands to reason that one should seek out the very best workouts they can find.  These workouts should yield better physical (and mental) results in less time, in other words, a higher level of quality.

That being said, try adding more heat and energy to your workouts (we call this 3D Training) if you are seeking to improve your sleep and reduce stress.

Let’s take a look at some of the science…

As reported by selfhacked.com, according to Dr. Michael Hamblin, a professor at Harvard who has published close to 300 papers, mostly on phototherapy, “…light therapy somehow releases the block that stops them from sleeping, by perhaps relaxing them.”  The article goes on to report that light therapy reduces glutamate which reduces overexcitement in the brain and that serotonin metabolism is positively affected as there are more serotonin metabolites in the urine when people are exposed to infrared.¹

From my experience, I can assure you that sleep is of a much higher quality when I am on a weekly workout schedule that includes 3 to 4 HOTWORX workouts.  I also know from personal experience that my sleep is not as good when my weekly workouts do not include infrared.

[Sorry to digress, but people often ask if infrared exposure can damage the eyes.  This is most likely due to confusion associated with UV light which is harmful to the unprotected eyes.  So, here is an important bit of information for your health that I discovered in this week’s research:  When asked whether infrared can damage eyesight, Dr. Hamblin believes that infrared is actually good for your eyes.  He points out that infrared can help with cataracts and can preserve retinal photoreceptors.  Look for a full blown article on this topic soon.]

Now back to sleep.

“The goal is to schedule your day to fit in 7-8 hours of sleep along with time for physical activity, to balance the effects of both.” ²

Since we know that our body recovers from workouts more efficiently with better sleep, then why not add an element to your workout environment that is backed by science to improve your sleep, such as infrared.

Sleep recharges your physical and mental batteries.  Sleep is vital to short-term muscle recovery.  Be diligent to plan for deep, uninterrupted sleep.  Always remember that quality sleep can be obtained through quality workouts.

Steve

¹ https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/interview-with-dr-michael-hamblin-harvard-professor-and-infrared-therapy-expert/² https://www.trifectanutrition.com/blog/importance-sleep-fitness
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Stephen P. Smith, MA
CEO and Creator of HOTWORX, Author, Former National Collegiate Bodybuilding Champion and Arena Football Player, Certified Professional Trainer

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