“LIGHT’S EFFECT ON OUR CIRCADIAN RHYTHM HAS THE BIGGEST IMPACT ON BRAIN FUNCTION”

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Light exposure – or lack thereof – affects far more than just sleep. Allow us to shed a little illumination on the issue: sunshine enters your body through your eyes and skin, and the energy it provides directly influences your circadian rhythm, metabolism, blood composition, cell formation and protein synthesis – making it one of the most valuable health supplements out there. Scientists at Moscow State University, even found that our bodies contain numerous ‘switches’ that are activated by the energy transfer resulting from light exposure.

New research suggests light therapy could help protect brain health, too. In a recent paper, Turning On Lights To Stop Neurodegeneration, published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, researchers argued that “red to infrared light therapy… is emerging as a safe, effective therapy, capable of arresting neuronal death”.

But it is still light’s effect on our circadian rhythm that has the biggest impact on brain function. When light hits the hypothalamus, it stimulates the pineal gland to produce the ‘sleep hormone’ melatonin, and studies suggest that interference with this leads to shortterm losses in memory, creativity and our ability to learn new information.

The quality of the light you get is crucial. Light intensity is measured in lux. The dreaded blue light is the worst, while artificial light goes only a short way to topping up your health, often maxing out at 2000 lux. Midday sun, however, averages about 100,000 lux. Which means investing in a simple TRX rig (£137 trxtraining.com), and swapping the workout dungeon for the great outdoors, will keep your brain hooked up to the big smart pill in the sky. You might even hang on to your holiday tan, too.