The older we get, the greater our risk of experiencing chronic fatigue, arthritis, falls and associated injuries, chronic pain in the back and joints, elevated blood pressure and sleep disorders.

Luckily, we have treatments today that prevent and relieve the symptoms of these conditions. And no, we're not talking about exercising enough and eating healthy. Of course, that's always important too, but today we want to introduce you to a new treatment. Because, did you know that infrared light therapy also offers a lot of health benefits to the elderly and those who don’t want to be old too soon?

What is infrared light?

Infra-red light or infrared radiation, like "traditional" light, is a form of electromagnetic radiation that we cannot perceive with our own eyes. Upon hearing the word "radiation", many people get rather anxious. That's because a lot of known forms of radiation are carcinogenic, think X-rays and gamma radiation.

These types of radiations have very short wavelengths and high energy contents which can damage cells, causing cancerous ones to develop.

However, as we discussed in a previous blog the characteristics of infrared are the opposite: infrared light has a very long wavelength and low energy content. As a result, infrared can penetrate your body without harming it.

Infrared therapy even has a lot of health benefits. Below, we'll take a closer look at them.

Infrared therapy: the anti-aging benefits

By now we have told you several times that infrared light is very beneficial for the elderly and the people who don’t want to be part of that group very soon. But what are those benefits? Well, infrared ensures a better immune response, less stress, more energy, improved blood circulation, increased sleep quality and less joint pain.

Better sleep

Sleep is super important. It gives your body a chance to fully recover and start the next day refreshed.

However, seniors often suffer from sleep disorders. You can tell by their sleep patterns: they get up very early and fall asleep again in the middle of the day. As a result, older people experience little deep sleep and chronic fatigue.

This often leads to the elderly suddenly having to deal with a lot of disorders. As an elderly person, it is therefore important to get rid of these sleep disorders quickly. On the other hand, as a younger person, it is important to deal with sleep problems as late as possible or never. But how do we do that?

To young patients with similar problems, a doctor often recommends more sports. As an elderly person, however, it is not always possible to exercise a lot.

But no worries, thanks to infrared therapy, older people can also improve their sleep! In fact, research shows that the regular use of an infrared sauna blanket or infrared lamp, for example, stimulates the secretion of melatonin (the sleep-inducing hormone) and therefore better sleep. As a younger person who is still able to do sports you can of course experience this benefits too!

Cardiovascular health: blood circulation

By creating heat at the level of your skin, infrared improves blood circulation, reducing your risk of heart failure. This is because when you are feeling hot, your blood vessels widen, allowing blood to flow through them better.

However, that's not the only thing the heat generated by infrared does; it also increases the production of nitrite oxide which relaxes arteries and blood vessels and prevents the clumping of blood (thrombosis). This last part is very important since older people are 40 times more likely to get thrombosis than younger people.

As we age, therefore, our chances of thrombosis gradually increase. Since an actual case of thrombosis often causes a remarkable drop in a person's well-being and fitness, we really must avoid it at all costs if we don't want to feel old too soon.

Stimulation of the immune system

During outbreaks of flu or corona, for example, it is always important to give the elderly extra protection. This is because as we age, the efficiency of our immune system decreases.

However, infrared therapy can help maintain the efficiency of our immune system. This is because infrared increases the energy of your cells including white blood cells. It is those white blood cells that fight viruses, bacteria and other foreign substances.

Moreover, by briefly creating heat in your body, infrared creates an environment in which viruses and harmful bacteria are less able to survive and antibodies are produced more quickly. This is also why infections and illnesses often come with a fever.

Reduces joint pain and improves bone strength

As we age, our bones become weaker, increasing our risk of joint pain and bone fractures. That's why seniors can fall faster and a bone fracture can have drastic consequences for them.

Infrared therapy, however, can help to improve and prevent these problems. This is because by using infrared, you increase both the formation of ATP (chemical energy source of the cell) and endorphins (happiness hormone). So not only do your bone cells have more energy (which makes them stronger), but you also experience less joint pain.

Less stress

Many studies have shown that high levels of stress increase our biological age. Therefore, if we don’t want to feel old too soon, we must avoid stress at all costs.

Infrared therapy can help with this. Because, as we told you above, infrared therapy stimulates the secretion of endorphins (the happiness hormone). In other words, thanks to infrared therapy you experience less stress and feel happier!

Conclusion

From reducing joint pain to improving sleep and cardiovascular health; infrared light has a lot to offer to older people and the anti-aging community!