Perfect Fit Reflections: Health Services Week‑Two Diary

Building an Infrared Sauna and Red Light Therapy Routine

Hi, it’s Lauren again 👋🏻. After spending Week One just getting the lay of the land—figuring out the routines, the heat levels, and how the lights feel—this week I’m ready to dial in on how the infrared sauna and RLT impact my workouts and overall wellness. Week Two began with encouraging momentum. By Sunday, my lingering lower‑back discomfort had disappeared—even after a night on a friend’s sofa following her 50th‑birthday celebration. (Definite win: I woke up tired but feeling better than I did after celebrating her 25th!).

Tuesday: 7am Personal Training (60 min) + Infrared Sauna (35 min)

Before the Session
I arrived confident: no back concerns and eager for both a challenging workout and the restorative sauna that would follow. Tricia’s full‑body training session delivered; every muscle was thoroughly taxed and wobbly like jello after. My recently persistent left‑side hip/IT‑band tightness, however, remained noticeable, especially in the cool-down stretching.

In the Sauna

• Increased time to 35 minutes; cabin temperature reached 130 °F.

• Selected strong yellow chromotherapy, thought to support internal tissue vitality (thinking that perhaps it could help my IT band).

• Perspired more than Week One (I was sweatier going into the sauna this week, perhaps that’s why) but still felt comfortable throughout.

After the Session
I left the studio feeling relaxed rather than fatigued. Normally, when I have jello-legs leaving training, climbing the stairs in my house reminds me I have quads immediately; not this time. Soreness didn’t appear in my quadriceps and lats until Wednesday, lasting into Thursday. Hip/IT‑band tightness showed no change.

 

Wednesday: 5:30pm Red Light Therapy (20 min) + Barre

Before
Quadriceps and lat muscles were sore from Tuesday’s strength work.

The Session

• Stood with the light bars focused on my sides to target the left IT band for most of the time.

• Rotated occasionally for balanced light exposure to my front and back.

• Removed protective glasses this time and kept my eyes closed to allow light across the skin around my eyes.

After the Session
Felt calmly energised. Barre class immediately afterward went well. I had the endurance to get through all the typically gruelling final set of glute exercises this week. It could have been the RLT that helped, or maybe the restricted range of motion due to my hip issue—hard to know! I added foam‑rolling at home to reinforce flexibility work following RLT and Barre.

 

Thursday: 5:30pm Red Light Therapy (20 min)

Before
Feeling mental and physical lethargy after watching a 90‑minute Zoom recording.

The Session
Repeated Wednesday’s setup for consistency, even repeating the same 5:30pm time slot.

After the Session
Left the studio with improved clarity and an overall positive mood. Enjoyed making dinner for my family and a sunset walk with my daughter; hip mobility remained unchanged during subsequent stretching.

 

Week‑Two Reflections

• Back discomfort: fully resolved!

• Energy and mood: consistently steady and good; RLT sessions provide a noticeable lift.

• Muscle recovery: less residual fatigue following strength training when the sauna follows immediately.

• Hip/IT‑band tightness: stubborn, suggesting the need for additional strategies.

• Key takeaway: RLT leaves me feeling centered and lightly energized—like a mental reset button, while the sauna appears to moderate post‑workout fatigue.

Objectives for Week Three

1. Sauna prior to Barre to test whether pre‑class heat improves flexibility, particularly in the left hip/IT band.

2. RLT after personal training to compare effects against last week’s sauna‑after‑training sequence.

Stay tuned—let’s see what happens when I shuffle the schedule!