Recovery Treatment Part 2: It’s More Than Just a Day at the Spa.
After my morning in Wayne., I headed down to Philly for the second part of my day. I was on my way to my heaven on earth: Rescue Spa in Rittenhouse. The last time I visited Rescue Spa was in the beginning of March 2020, for my 40th birthday, days before the world shut down. And man, how I have missed this place! Rescue Spa was built around their transformative facials, which had always been part of my regular self care routine until Covid hit.
But alas, I was not at Rescue Spa for a world-renowned facial. Nope. I was there to try out the LED Light Therapy treatment. LED Light Therapy is said to reduce inflammation, relieve tight muscles and joint stiffness, and boost circulation. And because this is a treatment offered at Rescue Spa, there are also skin benefits such as evening out pigmentation, clearing up body acne, boosting collagen production and leaving your skin bright and glowing. For the full body LED treatment, I once again stripped down. A technician placed the Celluma DELUX blanket on my back and remained in the room to oversee the entire treatment.
By the way, everyone is required to wear a mask in the building. Obviously, the mask is removed if you are getting a treatment on your face.
When the blanket was turned on, the red glowing lights start to pulse through the treatment routine. The blanket felt warm but not hot. I just closed my eyes and pretended that I was lying on an island… alone …somewhere in the middle of the Caribbean.
Halfway through the treatment, I flipped over and the blanket was place on the front of my body. Once I was lying on my back, I did start to feel pretty hot. I was sweating and it was slightly uncomfortable. I tried to return to that deserted island in my mind but the sweat dripping off my stomach prevented me from enjoying that too much.
The typical LED treatment lasts 45 minutes, but I chose to do an abbreviated version for 30 minutes. It wasn’t that hot. Sitting in an infrared sauna is definitely hotter. I was just kinda waiting for something to happen or waiting to feel something after, which never occurred. I didn’t feel any better (or worse) than when I first laid down. I also didn’t feel any more relaxed. In fact, I found it to be the opposite of relaxing when I was laying on my back because of the weight and heat of the blanket.
I think the real benefits of this treatment cannot happen one or two times but something that you need to do on a more regular basis. And for the price of the treatment ($250 for 45 minutes), I don’t see how that is feasible unless you purchase one of these things and use it a lot at home. Other than looking cool in the pictures, I was more than disappointed by the results, or lack thereof.
Feeling bummed about the anticlimactic end to my LED Light Therapy treatment, I turned the corner into another treatment room for my Rescue Spa facial. You didn’t think I would book a sitter, sit through 76 traffic, and circle the streets around Rittenhouse to find a parking spot, to not get my very favorite kind of treatment? And while the facial didn’t really benefit my sore leg muscles, the mental recovery that goes with self care went a long way for me that afternoon.
A more relaxed Brooke (with a glowing face) is closing out the month… closing out the summer… and signing off…
See you in September and I will be focusing on fitness for the kiddies all month long as they head back to school. Hallelujah! Can I get a collective exhale from all of the parents out there?!