8 • Fitness & Wellbeing


Seeing red W


hether it’s red light masks or LED facials, light therapy has been at the


forefront of skincare technology in recent years, and now it’s coming for our wellness routines. But from exercises classes and saunas to at- home devices touting head-to-toe benefits — does any of it work?


FOR YOUR BRAIN LIGHT, made by health tech company Neuronic, is a £1,695 helmet you wear at home for a few minutes a day, which emits near-infrared light through the scalp, known as transcranial photobiomodulation (PBM). It claims to support clearer thinking, focus and cognitive performance from home. But what does the science say? “The mechanism here is not


mysterious,” says neuroscientist Dr Ramona von Leden. “Near- infrared light at these wavelengths has been studied for years. What the field still needs is larger, longer trials with consumer devices. “The early findings on attention,


processing speed and sleep are encouraging, but the honest position


Health, Fitness & Wellbeing - brought to you by APL Media • Wednesday 7 October 2026


Are the benefits of light therapy any more than skin deep? Words: Mattie Lacey-Davidson


is that they’re early. I would rather people understood exactly where the evidence is than were sold something it is not.”


FOR YOUR FITNESS Popping up in exercise studios across the UK are classes that use infrared light to heat the body while you work out. “This can increase heart rate and cardiovascular demand, as well as allowing muscles to relax and lengthen,” explains Eloise Skinner, fitness instructor and author (eloiseskinner.com). The science here isn’t new; it’s


much the same as any hot exercise class — common in yoga and Pilates — but the heat is generated with different technology, with the bonus perhaps of supporting recovery.


FOR RECOVERY, ACHES AND PAINS “Red and near-infrared light can help muscle recovery and soreness, particularly when used around exercise,” says Dr Alka Patel, a longevity and lifestyle medicine physician (dralkapatel.com). “There is good human evidence


here, although I would still put sleep, protein and progressive training


INFRARED SAUNA/GETTY


ahead of the gadget — red light can support recovery, but it cannot compensate for poor recovery.” Jake Newport, CEO at Finnmark


Sauna, adds: “There are several areas where the research around infrared is particularly interesting. Recovery is one, pain is another. “We know heat can have an


analgesic effect and can ease feelings of stiffness, and research looking at infrared across musculoskeletal


conditions and chronic pain has reported reductions in pain across a number of conditions.” But from infrared sauna to at-


home infared blankets and LED panels, not all technology on the market has been tested and proven. “What we’re seeing is promising,


particularly around pain, recovery and cardiovascular health,” Jack adds. “I expect we’ll understand much more as that evidence base grows.”


BODY TECH TO TEST 1. PBM red light and infrared bed


at Third Space, London, £50 for 12 minutes, thirdspace.london 2. Infrared sauna at Kontrast, Leeds and Manchester, from £12 a session, kontrast.co.uk 3. Red light body panel, £179, and infrared sauna blanket, £199, from Stylpro, stylpro.co.uk


ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE A step beyond talking


For couples who have built a life worth protecting, Sarah Tilley is exploring what the next generation of couples therapy might look like


There’s a particular kind of relationship crisis that doesn’t look much like a crisis at all. Careers are established, the children are growing, the home is comfortable and, from the outside, life looks good. The couple still loves one another; they may even be best friends. But somewhere between building a family and building a life, intimacy has quietly gone. Many of the couples who come


to Beautiful Space are thoughtful, successful people who have already done a great deal of work on themselves. They don’t need to be taught how to communicate. What they need is to understand why, despite years of conventional therapy, they’re still stuck. Beautiful Space takes a different


SARAH TILLEY


starting point: disconnection isn’t just something couples talk about, it’s something they carry in the body. Stress, unresolved conflict and the accumulated weight of family history settle into the nervous system long before they surface as arguments. So the work begins there — with breathwork, mindfulness and time in nature that bring the body back to


a baseline of calm, alongside simple daily practices like mood check-ins and journalling, which help couples notice patterns before they become entrenched. This is where neuroplasticity


comes in. The brain’s wiring for conflict — the old reflexes of defend, withdraw, blame — isn’t fixed. With the right conditions, couples can rewire those patterns, replacing reactivity with genuine repair. Beautiful Space’s approach is grounded in a formal research partnership with Imperial College London, situating the work within an evolving evidence base rather than treating it as anecdote. Midlife and menopause often bring these


Beautiful Space takes a different starting point: disconnection isn’t just something couples talk about, it’s something they carry in the body


For further information


E: info@beautifulspace.org Visit: beautifulspace.org


Te brain’s wiring for conflict — the old reflexes of defend, withdraw, blame — isn’t fixed. With the right conditions, couples can rewire those patterns, replacing reactivity with genuine repair


questions into sharp focus, as children leave home, bodies change and couples find themselves asking not just “Can we save this?” but, “What could this become next?” The result isn’t just fewer


arguments. Couples describe feeling more able to stay present with each other under stress, more curious than defensive and, often for the first time in years, more at ease in their own relationship. Beautiful Space — a modern


approach to couples therapy, intimacy and relationship wellbeing.


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