The Sun's Taking PTO, But We've Got Alternatives. (Holiday Hours Inside)
Happy Winter Solstice! A time when the sun decides to phone in the absolute minimum amount of daylight possible. While most wellness articles would now remind you that "winter is dark" (we know), let's talk about some actually useful science for optimizing your winter biology.
Your Body's Light Menu
Not all light is created equal. Natural daylight contains a full spectrum of wavelengths, but specific ones trigger distinct biological responses:
Blue light (found in bright light therapy and morning sunlight) suppresses melatonin and signals your brain to wake up
Red and near-infrared wavelengths penetrate deeper into tissues, stimulating cellular energy production in your mitochondria
Regular white light... well, helps you not walk into walls
The Winter Timing Hack
Research in Neuropsychobiology reveals your brain's sensitivity to mood-boosting neurotransmitters peaks during morning hours. A morning workout combined with bright light exposure (natural or therapeutic) creates a powerful reset for your circadian rhythm. The bright light therapy lamp at West Coast Fitness delivers the wavelengths your brain associates with "wake up and thrive" even when the sun's still hitting snooze.
Recharge Your Batteries
This is where red light therapy enters the chat. Those longer wavelengths penetrate deep into your tissue and interact with mitochondria - the microscopic powerhouses that generate energy in every cell of your body. When these cellular batteries get stimulated by red light, they produce more energy, supporting everything from muscle recovery to skin repair. Unlike bright blue light that keeps you awake, these wavelengths support cellular repair without telling your brain it's daytime.
Your New Winter Light Schedule
Grab any natural light you can get
Hit the bright light therapy lamp during your workout
Enjoy that mysteriously empty holiday-season gym
Add red light therapy after your workout
Head home and get back to watching Hot Frosty
Remember: West Coast Fitness has the full light spectrum covered. Between the bright light therapy lamp, red light therapy, and enough equipment to make your winter biology think you're thriving in the ancestral savanna rather than the Pacific Northwest gloom, we've got you sorted.
More lit than a Christmas Tree,
Your West Coast Fitness Family
PS: Our Salvation Army tree has been filled. Thank you to everyone who contributed!
PPS: Our Holiday Schedule
Christmas Eve - 7am-12pm
Christmas Day - Closed
New Years Eve - 5am-7pm
New Years Day - 5am-10pm
