"Revitalize Your Menopause Journey: How Recovery Tools Like Cold Therapy and Red Light Change Everything"
Managing Menopause
I am dedicated to helping women manage menopause through my coaching and blogging.
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I try to cold plunge everyday!
Red Light Therepy is so bennifial.
In today's fast-paced world, self-care and recovery are not luxuries but essential pillars of a vibrant, healthy life. For women navigating the journey of menopause, prioritizing recovery through proven methods like cold plunging, red light therapy, and dry sauna therapy can dramatically improve their quality of life, hormonal balance, and mental well-being. Over the last 2 1/2 years in my menopause journey, I have tried Everything! I mean Everything! The following three factors that have significantly impacted me, both physically and mentally, are: Cold plunge, Red light therapy, and Dry sauna.
Let us explore how these powerful therapies can support your menopause journey, optimize your health, and supercharge your self-care routine.
Cold Plunging: Revitalize Your Mind and Body
Cold plunging (also known as cold water immersion) has exploded in popularity — for good reason. Studies show that regular exposure to cold water can significantly reduce inflammation, boost mood, and enhance circulation Tipton et al., 2017.
Benefits of cold plunging for menopause:
Regulates mood: Cold exposure boosts dopamine levels by up to 250%, helping manage menopause-related anxiety and depression.
Reduces Inflammation and Speeds Recovery: Cold plunges constrict blood vessels and lower tissue temperature, significantly decreasing inflammation and muscle soreness — perfect for post-workout recovery or joint pain.
Boosts Mood and Mental Health: Cold water exposure activates dopamine, norepinephrine, and endorphins, which can elevate mood, combat depression, and reduce anxiety — all of which are often intensified during menopause.
Improves Circulation and Cardiovascular Health: By forcing blood vessels to constrict and then dilate upon warming, cold plunging strengthens blood flow and supports heart health and healthy blood pressure levels.
Enhances Immune Function: Cold exposure stimulates the production of white blood cells and improves lymphatic drainage, helping your body fend off illness and flush out toxins.
Supports Hormonal Balance and Sleep: Cold plunges help lower cortisol (stress hormone) and may support more balanced estrogen/progesterone levels, which positively affects sleep, weight, and energy — all vital during menopause.
I prioritize cold plunging in my routine, whether I use it to kickstart my day or recover after a workout. My ideal temperature for the plunge is 54-57 degrees Fahrenheit. I simply fill my tub, add a couple of bags of ice, and that creates the perfect cold plunge.
Red Light Therapy: Heal at a Cellular Level
Red light therapy (also known as photobiomodulation) uses specific wavelengths of light to stimulate mitochondrial function, reducing oxidative stress and promoting healing from the inside out. A study in The Journal of Biophotonics shows its profound effects on skin health, joint pain, and hormonal regulation Hamblin, 2017.
Benefits of red light therapy for menopause:
Boosts collagen production: Reduces signs of aging like wrinkles and sagging skin.
Balances hormones: Red light exposure supports healthy mitochondrial function, critical for hormone production.
Eases joint and muscle pain: Helps with menopause-related aches and stiffness.
I have noticed significant improvements in my skin, particularly in the neckline area. Additionally, I've experienced a substantial change in my hamstrings; this area, which has always been sore and tight, now feels much better.
Dry Sauna: Sweat Your Way to Better Health
Dry sauna therapy, mainly using infrared saunas, offers powerful detoxification benefits while promoting circulation and stress relief. Research from the Journal of Human Hypertension shows that sauna use can reduce blood pressure, lower inflammation, and improve vascular function Laukkanen et al., 2015.
Benefits of dry sauna for menopause:
Detoxification: Sweating clears toxins that burden the liver and disrupt hormone balance.
Stress reduction: Heat exposure triggers the release of endorphins, improving mood.
Improved skin tone and elasticity: Sauna sessions help maintain healthy, vibrant skin through increased blood flow.Red light therapy (also known as photobiomodulation) uses specific wavelengths of light to stimulate mitochondrial function, reducing oxidative stress and promoting healing from the inside out. A study in The Journal of Biophotonics shows its profound effects on skin health, joint pain, and hormonal regulation Hamblin, 2017.
Why Self-Care and Recovery Are Non-Negotiable
During menopause, the body undergoes massive hormonal shifts that can lead to fatigue, mood swings, weight gain, and inflammation. Without dedicated time for recovery, it becomes even harder to maintain physical and emotional resilience.
Self-care practices like cold plunging, red light therapy, and sauna sessions help to:
Reduce inflammation
Balance hormones naturally
Strengthen immunity
Promote better sleep
Enhance overall mental well-being.
Recovery goes beyond simply resting; it involves actively nurturing the body to restore balance. This is particularly important during menopause. Engaging in high-quality recovery practices can greatly improve your long-term health. You can find these recovery modalities at gyms and spas everywhere.
Final Thoughts: Embrace Recovery as Your Superpower
If you are in the thick of your menopause journey, remember that recovery is not optional. Cold plunging, red light therapy, and dry sauna therapy are powerful, scientifically backed tools to help you feel stronger, calmer, and more alive.
Self-care is not selfish — it is strategic. When you honor your body's need for recovery, you unlock a healthier, more energized version of yourself, ready to thrive in this beautiful new chapter of life. Consider adopting one of these methods, or find something else that works for you as part of your recovery routine. Along with my redlight, dry sauna, and cold plunging, I also dry brush and visit a massage therapist who specializes in fascia blasting and lymphatic drainage. Ultimately, any recovery routine can be beneficial—just remember to prioritize your well-being and choose what feels best for you.
My passion is helping women manage menopause through coaching and my blog. Through the Bodi platform, I have practiced mindset, nutrition, menopause, and fitness and have gained a new perspective on how to take on challenges and be successful. I Offer honest opinions based on my experiences and two years of research and education. While I will try to provide accurate, up-to-date information, please note that I am not an expert.
“I am simply a participant in the menopause."
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References:
Tipton, M.J., et al. "The physiological responses to cold exposure." Experimental Physiology (2017).
Hamblin, M.R. "Mechanisms and applications of the anti-inflammatory effects of photobiomodulation." The Journal of Biophotonics (2017).
Laukkanen, T., et al. "Association between sauna bathing and fatal cardiovascular and all-cause mortality events." Journal of Human Hypertension (2015).
