Increasingly, pro athletes and health and fitness leaders are discovering the extraordinary benefits of red light therapy. As we’ve covered in this article, the natural, non-invasive treatment shows incredible promise in its ability to increase muscle mass as well as improve endurance and performance. Not only that, red light therapy can also speed up post-workout muscle recovery and reduce healing time after injury. In fact, the research is so overwhelmingly positive that some scientists are wondering whether the treatment should be monitored by international regulatory authorities. As it stands, red light therapy has got the green light, and athletes are catching on, including soccer star Aline Reis.
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The Brazilian footballer’s illustrious career has taken her all over the world and has earned her numerous accolades, both as a goalkeeper and a coach. A top player for the University of Central Florida, she has the most goalkeeping wins in Knights’ history. She was also the first UFC player in 13 years to earn NSCAA All-America acclaim, and was named Team MVP for all four seasons of her tenure at the school. She holds a record seven C-USA Defensive Player of the Week awards, and was inducted into the UFC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019.
After graduation, Aline retired her soccer gloves in order to pursue opportunities in coaching. She worked as Director of Soccer Operations at UFC while pursuing her master’s degree, and as goalkeeper coach for UCLA. Ultimately, however, her love for playing led her back to the field.
Aline has since played professionally in Finland and Hungary, as well as for soccer clubs Ferroviària and Guarani FC in her home country. She also played for the Brazilian National Team, with her official debut taking place at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, where she kept goal in front of more than 40,000 fans.
Aline joined UDG Tenerife in the Spanish 1st Division in 2018 and continues to this day to be an important member of “las guerreras” of the Canary Islands. While the laid-back beat of island life suits her, it hasn’t dulled her ambition. In fact, the soccer star played in her very first FIFA World Cup in 2019, and has no plans to slow down anytime soon.
Besides her love for the game, Aline has a keen interest in the academic side of sports. She studied education and behavioral/social sciences at UCF, with a minor in coaching and health sciences. She also has a master’s degree in sport and exercise science.
This academic curiosity, along with a strong desire to be constantly improving as a soccer player - and as a healthy individual in both body and mind - is ultimately what led her to discover red light therapy and its many benefits. We sat down with Aline to talk about how red light therapy helps her in her soccer career as well as in her day-to-day life. Here’s what she had to say
How does red light therapy help you?
As an athlete, I look for optimum performance on the field, while maintaining a healthy lifestyle and wellbeing off the field. For this reason, red light therapy is an essential part of my daily routine.
Do you have a particular red light therapy regimen that works best for you?
I use red light therapy at least twice a day. When I wake up on sunny days, my day starts with a long walk with my dog outside in the sun, but on cloudy and rainy days, I make sure to do a 15-minute RLT session in the morning before I leave for my training with the team.
Luckily, we have great weather in Tenerife, so most of the time I have my first RLT session of the day right after my training session with the team. This is an ideal time for me to do the red light because it helps me get out of “fight-or-flight” mode and relax, both physically and mentally. Red light therapy helps me get a huge boost on recovery right after training.
Another time I put my red light on is when I am doing mobility and stretching exercises. I feel like the red light helps me to push further and get more out of my workout.
To finish off a great day, a RLT session 15 minutes before bed is a must for me. I feel like it sets the right tone for my sleep as it helps me get in a very relaxed state of mind. Every night I do the red light, my body eases into its sleep cycle more naturally. I not only fall asleep quicker, but also stay in a deep sleep longer.
How did you discover red light therapy?
I am a very curious person. I’m always interested in learning more about my body and discovering tools that can help me live a healthier life. Besides valuing my wellness and wellbeing, I am also an elite athlete, always looking for things that are
going to help me be on top of my game.
A while ago, while doing some research on circadian rhythms and how light can influence our lives, I got really interested in red light therapy. The more I learned about it, the more I realized how important a tool it could be for optimum performance and recovery.
What makes Rouge your go-to device?
The next step was finding a reliable, quality brand that offered powerful devices, free of EMFs*, affordable for personal use and that shipped to an island in the middle of the Atlantic. I did a lot of research on the internet, looking for the best company to fulfill my needs. That’s when I was lucky to find Rouge. Besides the quality device, powerful enough to get full body sessions without unwanted EMFs, I found out that Rouge shipped worldwide.
*Rouge panels are tested and are as low as any electronic device can be at 0.00g per 4 inches.
Have you discovered any unexpected benefits of red light therapy?
I initially started RLT with performance and recovery in mind. I knew it would improve circulation, muscle recovery and growth, reduce inflammation and joint stiffness, and help with my tendonitis and pain relief. But with consistent use, I realized other things were improving as well. I started falling asleep quicker and sleeping better and also noticed that some scratches and cuts on my skin from training were healing faster.
Would you recommend red light therapy to anyone? What would you say to someone who is on the fence about purchasing a device?
I would recommend red light therapy to any human being interested in improving their health. Research has shown that red light therapy can improve your health at a cellular level, helping your mitochondria produce energy in a more efficient way. Even if you don’t remember what mitochondria is, all you need to know is that the list of RLT benefits is long, from improved body functions, better recovery, and sleep and beauty benefits.
Whether you’re a professional athlete looking to take your game to the next level, a student or an office worker looking to live their days to the fullest, red light therapy can be a game changer for you like it was for me.
Ready to incorporate this game changer into your health and fitness regimen? Check out Rouge’s family of red light therapy devices and get started today!
