Trinny Woodall has revealed the curious routine she uses to start her day, involving multiple red light therapy devices, a vibration plate and a pair of dumbbells.
‘This is actually my morning sometimes. All these things contribute to different [aspects] of my life,’ Trinny said, wearing a red light therapy helmet, mask and neck device while standing on a vibrating plate and doing hammer curls. ‘I’m nearly finished,’ she said, trying not to burst out laughing.
Describing some of the equipment’s purposes, she began, ‘This vibrating plate is really good to help me have a poo in the morning.’ Moving onto the red light devices, she then explained, ‘This [scalp helmet] is mainly stimulating red light. They all have different types of lights. I’ve used face the most.’
Other skincare actives enhance the effects of her face mask. ‘There’s a glow in your face when you use it with exfoliants or with a peptide. So I’ll do exfoliant first, then I’ll put the peptide on after. I feel the overall skin health is better.’ The benefits are worth looking slightly ridiculous. ‘I just believe in the concept of light therapy [even if] I might look like an idiot, moron or crazy person.’
When a friend asked, ‘Can you do LED after you’ve microneedled?’, Trinny confirmed, ‘Yes, it’s one of the best things to do.’
Trinny Woodall//Instagram
Why Trinny’s routine actually worksHammer curls
Trinny is known for enjoying an arm workout, and hammer curls are a key exercise in any upper-body session. They target muscles in your upper arms and forearms like the long head of your bicep, building strength and muscular endurance. The movement also improves your grip strength, which research shows is an indicator of overall health and longevity, particular in older adults.
Red light therapy
‘Red light (633 nanometre) activates fibroblast cells in the dermis, increasing collagen synthesis,’ says Dr Hany Abi Ghosn, dermatologist and aesthetic medicine specialist who sits on the advisory board at Omnilux LED. ‘Meanwhile, near-infrared (830 nm) penetrates deeper to enhance cellular ATP production, stimulating elastin production that improves firmness, reduces fine lines and skin density in the face and neck.’ It also reduces sun damage and promotes luminosity by accelerating cellular turnover and enhancing tissue repair.
Dr Barbara Kubicka, aesthetic doctor and founder of cosmetic medicine treatment centre Clinicbe, adds: ‘On the scalp, it can promote increased blood flow and prolong the anagen phase of the hair cycle, potentially supporting improved hair thickness and growth.’
Vibration plate
In terms of functional strength, a meta-analysis found that vibration therapy enhanced leg muscle strength in older adults.
Vibrating plates can also improve joint health. ‘One study on osteoarthritis found that whole-body vibration reduced pain, improved physical function, and enhanced muscle strength,’ says health coach Robin Laird. This makes sense, since micro-vibrations improve blood flow and massage fascia and ligaments.
When it comes to bones, research reports that vibration plates can improve density in adults over 55, especially in the thigh bone (femur), though the results are smaller than with high-impact exercise. This is especially important in post-menopausal women whose lower oestrogen levels accelerate bone loss.
As for the digestion benefits that Trinny reported, some research has even shown that low-intensity vibration therapy of 12Hz helped reduce symptoms of chronic functional constipation.
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