LED light therapy is designed to help with physical recovery, mood enhancement and more. The light bed at Pause, pictured here, is in a private room decorated with a cloud-like mural. (Photo: Hailey Evans)
By Hailey Evans
I wouldn’t call myself a wellness junkie by any means, but with the new year I resolved to make a more serious effort to take care of my body after a small gym injury and some physical therapy reminded me I’m only human. So when the folks at Pause West Des Moines invited me to preview the place before last weekend’s official opening, I was excited to try a few of the services they offer to promote recovery and healing.
The boutique wellness studio was founded in California before it franchised out to a few locations down South. The new West Des Moines location is the only one in the Midwest so far. Owners Josh and Nikki Russell decided to open it when they noticed a lack of holistic recovery options around the metro.
“There were places that offered some of these things like IVs, red light therapy or saunas, but they were all separate. Pause offers them all in one place,” Josh said.
This isn’t the Russells’ first foray into wellness entrepreneurship; they opened Aptitude fitness studio in Clive three years ago. So they know from experience that metro residents are active, whether that’s biking along the city’s trails or choosing from dozens of niche fitness classes. But a place like Pause is literally “a place to pause and take time for yourself,” Josh said.
Pause offers a suite of luxury therapeutic services, many used by professional athletes and backed by research to promote muscle recovery, reduce inflammation and encourage healing. You’ll find IV vitamin drips, Epsom salt float tanks, cryotherapy, LED light beds, compression therapy, an infrared sauna and cold plunge, and contrast therapy that cycles the two. During my visit, I tried out the LED light bed, along with contrast and compression therapies. There are also monthly membership options.
I grew up during the anti-tanning era of the 2010s, so I was nervous about lying under a bed of lights, but the staff (and science) assured me that LED was not the same as UV. I opted for the red light therapy that is supposed to stimulate collagen production and decrease skin inflammation, but Pause also offers lights for reducing anxiety (green) and acne cleansing (red and blue). Lying quietly under hundreds of red lights for 10 minutes with nothing else to do left me warm and oddly uplifted.
“There’s a mental health component, too. It’s not just for physical health,” said Nikki, who started contrast therapy after her doctor recommended it to help manage her stress and anxiety.
“So many of us overextend ourselves nowadays, either through exercise or stress or uncontrollable things like disease, chronic pain, work commitments or parenting. All these things can add up and weigh us down,” Josh said.
Taking just a few minutes to an hour out of your day to float, plunge in a cold tub, relax in a sauna or just sit quietly and meditate can make a big difference in people’s busy lives. While it’s not a cure-all, and one session may not magically change your life, the Russells agree that holistic rituals like those offered at Pause can be beneficial alongside a regular exercise routine. “We hope we’re bringing a new experience to Des Moines, to just relax and take care of yourself,” Nikki added.
For those who’d like to explore the options, the Russells are hosting a wellness event at Aptitude featuring services from Pause and other local businesses, including Fresh Fit Meals, Fierce Nutrition, Fleet Feet and Capital Chiropractic. The small admission fee will be donated to the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative.
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