What is a Wellness Pod?
A wellness pod is an, enclosed egg looking like bed designed to provide a variety of health and wellness benefits through multiple health technologies.
These pods are becoming more common in spas, gyms, and wellness centers.
The pods come in various forms, such as the Cocoon Wellness Pod and RelaxSpace Wellness Pod, each with some different in features.
So what do Wellness Pods actually do?
What Do Wellness Pods Do?
1. Infrared Heat
Wellness pods often use a combination of infrared and dry heat to promote sweating, like a sauna.
Heat gets your cardiovascular system working, increases the production of healthy hormones like growth hormone, and is rumored to help detoxify the body by eliminating toxins through the skin.
Infrared heat is a light-based heat that penetrates deeper into the body, providing benefits such as improved circulation, reduced muscle tension, and increased flexibility.
2. Vibration Therapy
Many wellness pods include vibration therapy, which involves gentle, rhythmic vibrations that massage the body.
While more research is needed, vibration therapy may help soothe sore muscles, improve circulation, and reduce joint and back pain.
3. Chromotherapy (Light)
“Colors have certain biological and psychological effects on people, and I think it’s about time we start taking advantage of it,” says Mohab Ibrahim, PhD, MD
Chromotherapy, or color light therapy, is another common Wellness Pod feature that uses different colors of light to:
- Improve mood
- Limit seasonal depression
- Reduce pain.
For example, red light therapy is known to enhance cellular metabolism and relieve tension, green light to reduce pain, and blue light to increase alertness.
4. Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy involves using essential oils to stimulate the olfactory system, which can reduce stress, increase relaxation, and improve mood.
Some wellness pods allow users to choose from a variety of scents.
5. Halotherapy (Salt Air)
Salt air therapy, or halotherapy, involves breathing in air infused with tiny salt particles to improve lung and skin health.
This is often achieved using Himalayan salt.
6. Video
Many Wellness pods offer travel and nature videos, guided meditations, and breathing exercises displayed on a screen.
Health Benefits of Wellness Pods
Based on the above features and linked research, wellness pods are reported to improve health by:
- Detoxification
- Stress Reduction
- Improved Circulation
- Pain Relief
- Weight Loss
More Wellness Pod Research is Needed
While the benefits of the different wellness pod features are well researched (sauna, vibration therapy, chromotherapy, etc.) the specific use of a wellness pod with all of these features in one has not been well studies.
More research is needed to confirm the benefits of wellness pods and understand them better.
Check out my day at a Wellness Center here.
