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Medically Reviewed by | Heidi Wright, BSN, RN, PCCN
If you spotted something new during your most recent trip to the gym, you’re not alone. Across the country, Planet Fitness gyms are rolling out a new member benefit: the Planet Fitness Total Body Enhancement Machine. Known to insiders as the Beauty Angel RVT30 red light therapy machine, this machine, which closely resembles a stand-up tanning booth, delivers LED light to the user while they stand upon a vibrating platform.
You might be asking yourself if it’s worth standing in line at the gym to try it out and what using the machine actually entails. If you’re unfamiliar with red light therapy (RLT) you’re probably completely confused as to why this strange, glowing-red vertical coffin even exists.
Be confused no more. The team at Mito Red Light will unpack what RLT is, how it works, and explain the benefits of using it regularly. We’ll also look at the Planet Fitness Beauty Angel’s specs and what it will cost you in terms of membership upgrades.
What Is Red Light Therapy?
We can say a lot about RLT. It’s an ancient form of photomedicine that has been relied upon in the medical field for decades. NASA discovered that both RLT and near-infrared light (NIR) therapy could help them address wound-healing issues with astronauts while they were in orbit. Since then, the technology has taken off, and we now have access to photobiomodulation (the fancy way of saying light therapy) in medical facilities, at medspas, and even in our own homes.
While we could build an entire slide deck about the origins of RLT, we’ll give you the crucial bullet points.
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RLT and NIR therapy is science backed in its ability to help manage and treat certain physical ailments, rejuvenate the skin, address chronic pain, speed up workout recovery time, help with sleep regulation, improve mental cognition, and even support hair growth.
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RLT is part of the visible electromagnetic spectrum of light with wavelengths that measure between 620 nanometers and 700 nanometers. NIR is part of the invisible light spectrum with energy wavelengths measuring between 800-900 nanometers. Just so you know, infrared light, which is considered heat therapy, has wavelengths that measure over 1,000 nanometers.
Planet Fitness’s Total Body Enhancement Machine is capable of delivering red light wavelengths within the 620 nm-700 nm range. Now, let’s dive into why that matters.
How Does Red Light Therapy Work?
If looking at that ominous red light machine makes you wonder whether it’s a legitimate therapy or snake oil, that’s understandable. The good news is that there’s plenty of data to support both how RLT works and the benefits it produces.
The Mechanics
Every tissue and organ in your body is made up of cells. If your cells are performing at peak condition that translates to you performing at peak condition. As we get older, our cells begin to lose their function, which researchers believe is the foundational cause for aging, and the underlying reason why so many of us develop age-related illnesses.
RLT uses non-invasive light emitting diodes (LED) to stimulate the mitochondria in your cells. Mitochondria are responsible for creating cellular energy, which is needed so that your cells can operate properly. Specifically, RLT enables your mitochondria to produce cellular energy (called adenosine triphosphate or ATP) more efficiently.
What Are the Benefits of Red Light Therapy?
You know what it is, you know how it works, and now you’re ready to learn what it does. The benefits of RLT range from anti-aging to workout recovery and practically everything in between.
Anti-Aging
The skin rapidly shows signs of aging, largely due to a decrease in collagen and elastin production that happens as early as age 20. Couple that with decreased skin cell turnover, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of resiliency. RLT targets fibroblasts, cells responsible for the creation of collagen and elastin, helping stimulate and support them for an increased production of collagen.
Hair Loss
Struggling to keep your thinning hair from thinning further? RLT can help.
By targeting skin cell turnover, RLT can help support healthy hair growth and improve blood circulation to the scalp. RLT is a non-invasive and holistic way to target your hair loss and stimulate hair growth without interfering with hormone levels or undergoing surgical procedures.
Pain Management
Joints throb and muscles ache, and dealing with pain can be distracting and debilitating. RLT can help. One of the most highly regarded benefits of RLT is its ability to target muscles and joints by penetrating the skin and reaching deep layers of fascia, muscle, and bone to help reduce inflammation and soothe aching joints and strained muscles.
It’s important to note, however, that only NIR light with wavelengths of 800-900 nm can penetrate the skin and reach these tissues.
Sleep
Most of us don’t get the sleep we need. Adults need, on average, between 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night, depending on activity levels. While some light forms, like blue light, can interfere with your ability to get sound sleep, red light has been shown to support deep, sound sleep.
Using RLT before you go to bed can help you prepare for sleep faster and stay asleep longer, which can translate into a better, healthier lifestyle.
Workout Recovery
You don’t need to be an athlete to enjoy the performance recovery speed that RLT provides. By targeting muscles immediately after a workout, you’ll increase blood and oxygen to your muscles, helping them repair faster and be ready for another workout sooner. That means more time in the gym or on the court and less time sidelined by delayed onset muscle soreness.
Mental Clarity
Brain health is an ever-emerging and broadening field of medicine, and new research suggests that RLT may have neuroprotective benefits. By stimulating mitochondria in brain cells, RLT is thought to help support neurogenesis (the creation of new nerve cells) and neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to reorganize and create new neural pathways after an injury, and in response to learning.
These benefits are largely preliminary inasmuch as we are still continually learning how RLT interacts with our cells and bodies, and discovering new uses for this technology. It’s exciting to consider that there are additional benefits that have yet to be unveiled, but that’s an almost certain possibility.
Planet Fitness Total Body Enhancement: Hero or Hype?
The benefits of RLT make using it an easy decision, but it’s important to understand that there are differences between different wavelengths of red light and near infrared light, and that not all red light therapy machines are created equally.
- Red Light Therapy. With wavelengths between 620 nm and 700 nm, red light can offer anti-aging skin benefits, improved sleep, improved mood, and support hair growth (with the right, RLT-targeting device).
- Near Infrared Light Therapy. With wavelengths that measure between 800 nm and 900 nm, NIR light is able to penetrate the skin more deeply, resulting in the ability to target deeper tissues like muscles and joints. You’ll be able to target pain in these areas and improve workout recovery times.
- Infrared Therapy. Infrared light uses wavelengths that measure over 1,000 nm. This type of light is used in heated therapy treatments, like infrared saunas.
Now, let’s look at what Planet Fitness’s Total Body Enhancement machine offers.
The Specs
Planet Fitness’s Total Body Enhancement machine is frequently called an infrared sauna, but this is a monomer. The Beauty Angel RVT30 itself only produces red light with wavelengths between 620 nm and 700 nm. It does not offer NIR light therapy, which means it cannot penetrate the skin and reach muscles and joints. If you’re looking for a post-workout muscle recovery machine, this isn’t it.
The LED lights in the Beauty Angel RVT30 are another issue. The lights are located at the ends of the vertical tube lights, which means they aren’t targeted directly at your skin. There are a total of 30 bulbs distributed around the unit, but there are four gaps where the panels of the machine attach to one another where no lights are present.
The key to getting the maximum benefit from RLT is to have as many high-powered lights as possible positioned closely together to avoid “dead space” and to ensure the areas you are treating are receiving direct light.
The Vibration
Planet Fitness’s machine also offers a vibration pad located beneath the user’s feet. This pad vibrates for 12 minutes, or the length of the entire session. While there’s some research that shows vibration can help cause muscles to continually tense and release, simulating a low-impact, total-body workout. However, more research is needed to determine whether or not these claims are entirely valid.
The Session Itself
If you decide to try the RLT machine at your local Planet Fitness, here’s what you can expect. You’ll likely need to schedule a time or wait for availability. Since their rollout in late 2023, they’ve become incredibly popular, and most locations only have one unit. Importantly, not all Planet Fitness locations have these units, so call ahead to find out if yours does or if one is headed your way.
Each session lasts 12 minutes. You’ll disrobe to the level of your own comfort, but keep in mind that the more exposure RLT has to your skin, the more beneficial it can be. The LED lights do not produce heat, but the unit is outfitted with a cooling system in case it gets stuffy. No UV lights are present in this machine, and it’s considered completely safe for use. That said, it’s still a good idea to use eye protection in case of light sensitivity.
You can use the Planet Fitness Total Body Enhancement machine as frequently as every day, but you’ll need to upgrade your membership to the Black Card level, which is an additional $25.00 per month on top of your current membership fees.
Bottom Line
If you want the most benefits RLT can offer, we suggest investing in a higher-quality device that offers both red light and NIR light diodes. With the presence of both, you can target muscles and joints in addition to the skin. Higher-quality devices will also use more LEDs in a format that does not waste space, allowing you to get even more exposure every time you use your device.
Why Mito Red Light?
At Mito Red Light, we offer both custom-fitted red light therapy panels as well as flexible, wearable devices that allow you to get the benefits of RLT and NIR light therapy while keeping you hands-free and mobile.
We include more diodes per square inch than any competitor, which cuts down on dead space and makes our devices more effective. Our devices are specially formatted with Enhanced Spectral Energy Output™, a technology that delivers energy across all spectrums of red and NIR light, giving you access to more wavelengths and more benefits.
In addition, we offer an exclusive 60-day risk-free trial, a better offer than any of our competitors, so you can not only try our products but experience benefits too.
Ready to try Mito Red Light? Check out our Store Locator to see where you can find and try our devices.
Red Light Your Way
If you’re already a member at Planet Fitness, go ahead and give their Total Body Enhancement machine a visit. This is a great way to experience red light therapy and determine if it’s something you’d like to commit to. When you’re ready for real benefits and a more cost-effective machine, head over to the Mito Red Light website and pick the device that works best for you.
DISCLAIMER: Mito Red Light devices are not clinically proven to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical conditions. Mito Red Light devices are Class II general wellness devices aimed at affecting the body through topical heating and supporting cellular function. The scientific studies referenced in this article are for informational purposes only. To see a list of precautionary warnings and contraindications, click here.
Sources:
NASA Research Illuminates Medical Uses of Light | Spinoff.NASA.gov
Transcranial near-infrared light in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases | Frontiers
Hallmarks of aging: An expanding universe | NCBI
LED Lights: Are They a Cure For Your Skin Woes? | Health.Harvard.edu
Red Light and the Sleep Quality and Endurance Performance of Chinese Female Basketball Players | PMC
