Frequency’s Badges of Health
Cardiovascular Badge
The Cardiovascular badge is earned by components of the building that support and strengthen the cardiovascular system.
Cardiovascular health refers to the functionality and fluidity of the cardiovascular system, which consists of the heart, blood vessels, and circulatory system. The cardiovascular system is also responsible for fueling and detoxifying cells, thus affecting the entirety of the body. Cardiovascular health is a crucial aspect of both physical and mental wellbeing - it reduces the risk of heart diseases, strokes, and other cardiovascular conditions, and has the ability to improve mental health (1). Prioritizing cardiovascular health can prevent such health conditions, keep systems running smoothly, and improve overall quality of life, making it a crucial area of focus.
Frequency® aims to improve your cardiovascular health by introducing elements to Frequency® buildings that require low-to-no effort for you to utilize. Additionally, adopting healthy habits such as regular exercise, a balanced diet, and stress management can help keep the heart and blood vessels healthy. Exercise and healthy physical stress, in particular, help improve blood flow and strengthen the heart. improving quality of life and reducing the risk of serious health events.
Amenities with this badge
Cold Plunge
Cold water immersion, also known as cold therapy, has been shown to aid the cardiovascular system by reducing inflammation and insulin resistance while increasing insulin sensitivity and reducing or positively transforming fat tissues (2). Cold plunging provides a controlled environment that simulates the body's natural response to cold stress and helps it adapt accordingly.
Sauna
There is a strong correlation between sauna use and a reduction in the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and all-cause mortality (3). Sauna use provides a controlled environment that simulates the body's natural response to heat stress and helps it adapt accordingly.
Air Quality
Air quality is a critical factor of cardiovascular health. Air pollution has been shown to increase the likelihood of cardiac events, making it crucial to ensure that indoor air quality is optimized (4). Proper air filtration can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and improve overall health.
Respiratory Badge
The Respiratory badge is earned by components of the building that support the health of the respiratory system.
The respiratory system is responsible for collecting and distributing the oxygen that fuels our cells, removes waste, allows us to talk and smell, and stops harmful irritants from entering our bodies. Therefore, supporting respiratory health has many benefits, including reduced risk of respiratory infections, asthma, and lung cancer, along with its overarching impact on our health and wellbeing. A healthy respiratory system impacts not only how often you get sick but also your quality of life.
Healthy indoor air should feel more like taking a deep breath in the forest and less like taking a deep breath in a movie theater. When you take a deep breath in the forest, the humidity is pleasurable, the air feels clean and crisp, and you feel energized and at peace. Contrarily, taking a deep breath in a movie theater may feel claustrophobic and cause feelings of fatigue and brain fog. The air may be contaminated, the crowd of people may be dense, and the ventilation may be poor, leading to a higher level of carbon dioxide in the room.
Frequency® aims to create an indoor experience of simple relief, one that is as close to taking a deep breath in the forest as possible. In this environment, talking and smelling are easy tasks, chest tension is reduced, and breathing is easy and accessible. You feel balanced, focused, and interconnected as your lungs are fit to exchange the air that fuels you and everything around you.
Amenities with this Badge
Cold Plunge
A study found that those who frequently immersed their body in cold water had 40% less upper respiratory infections than a control group (5). This is partially due to the increased circulation in the nose and throat, allowing the body to heal itself faster.
Sauna
Sauna bathing eases breathing and improves lung function by increasing the volume of air that lungs can hold and exhale. Regular sauna use reduces the risk of respiratory disease, from pneumonia to the common cold (6), and benefits those suffering from chronic respiratory disorders like asthma or bronchitis.
Green Walls
Green Walls improve respiratory health by cleansing the air and releasing both oxygen and water vapor. They also provide 200x better air quality control than house plants (7).
Air Quality
Improving air quality reduces the incidence of allergies, asthma, and lung cancer by reducing the amount of harmful particles in the air. Good air quality is vital to the functioning and health of the respiratory system.
Water Quality
Ingestion of chemicals and germs that contaminate water systems have been linked to pulmonary disease. By filtering this building’s drinking water, exposure to those pollutants is prevented, and these diseases are avoided (8).
Circadian Rhythm Badge
The Circadian Rhythm badge is earned by components of the building that promote a healthy cycle of sleeping, eating, and waking.
Our body's biological clock has evolved over millennia in response to the same basic sensory signals. Our ancestors woke up when the sun rose, went to bed when it set, and gathered for meals at times aligned with the consistent rhythms of their days, developing an internal routine aligned with sunlight. Despite the great differences between our modern lives and those of our ancient ancestors, we are still governed by this biological clock. Because of the very foundational impact that circadian rhythm has on the hormones that govern our energy and rest, it’s important to be aware of and responsive to the factors that influence this rhythm.
Sunlight is the ultimate anchor of this system, as it’s been one of the few constants throughout our human history. Ideally, we want to sleep when it is dark, wake up when it’s light, and be in the outdoor sunshine as much as possible. Because that's not always realistic, we have implemented tools and strategies within Frequency® buildings that mimic the natural conditions which promote a healthy circadian rhythm.
Amenities with this badge
Air Quality Control
Air pollutants are the source of multiple issues within the body, causing symptoms that lower sleep quality. By filtering the air, these symptoms are avoided and a healthy circadian rhythm is promoted (9).
Lighting
Interior lighting is a vital component of maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm. Tools like SAD lamps that mimic sunlight and low-light night-lights as an alternative to bright lights at night enable adherence to natural exposure to light and darkness (10) (11).
Cold Plunge
Cold plunging influences stress reduction, relaxation, and sleep by activating and strengthening the Autonomic Nervous System. Because cold plunging also triggers a surge of norepinephrine (12), “essentially adrenaline”, which our bodies produce naturally in the morning, cold plunging can be used to stabilize circadian rhythm by serving as a consistent internal wake-up (13). Additionally, cold plunging may reduce the likelihood of sleep disturbances associated with mental health issues, as it provides an extended flow of dopamine without a subsequent heavy crash sequence.
Temperature
Our body is used to specific temperature fluctuations throughout the day. A drop in temperature accompanies the desire to lay down for the night, while a rise in temperature corresponds with the rising sun, signaling that it's time to wake up. By customizing the temperature schedule of your home, you can develop a more natural circadian rhythm (14).
Color
The color of a room can impact how energized you feel. For instance, blue has been linked to an overall sense of calm compared to other colors, all of which trigger unique emotions. Overall, studies show that sleeping in a room with blues and muted colors primes the mind for sleep (15).
Resilience Badge
The Resilience Badge is earned by components of the building that support and strengthen resilience.
Resilience can be thought of as grit or tenacity - the ability to withstand and adapt under pressure. Though it may be easier to think of resilience as a character trait, there is also a way to track resilience more objectively, through heart rate variability (HRV) - the variation in tempo and timing between individual heart beats. Whereas the heart rate is the average amount of heartbeats per minute, heart rate variability refers to the change in time between successive heart beats. In more meaningful terms, it reflects your body's ability to react and adapt to stressors within the span of a single heartbeat. A heart that is able to make quick adjustments to stressors has high-functioning HRV. High-functioning HRV is important because it manifests as resilience. A lack of resilience means that you have trouble calming yourself when you’re stressed, and that you’re not easily adaptable to changes in your personal life and environment.
Fortunately, there are habits and practices that are shown to improve HRV, meaning that you can reliably improve your own resilience. The equation for raising resilience comes down to three simple elements: occupying healthy spaces, caring for your basic needs, and training your stress response. Additionally, lifestyle habits like exercise stress your body in a manageable way and will, over time, strengthen your ability to bounce back quickly. Chronic stress can be negative, but measured and intentional periods of safe stress are great ways to grow resilience and raise HRV. HRV is also responsive to good practices in your mental, emotional, and spiritual life. Research shows that good emotional practices like gratitude journaling and mindfulness practices like meditation and intentional breathing are also linked to increases in HRV. Frequency aims to help strengthen resilience by removing barriers to your ability to occupy a healthy space, care for your basic needs, and train your stress response.
Amenities with this badge
Cold Plunge
Acute cold exposure activates your parasympathetic nervous system. Your sympathetic system (fight or flight) is triggered when your body adjusts to cold, training your parasympathetic system (rest and digest) to perform in response to greater levels of stress (16). Planned, continual exposure to acute cold will allow your body to grow accustomed to making the necessary changes to bring your body back from a fight or flight response to a relaxed state, which will prepare your body to cope with unplanned stressors.
Sauna
Studies have demonstrated that during the cooling down period after a sauna session, HRV increased. This shows that sauna bathing improves the body’s ability to switch from the activation of the sympathetic system (fight or flight) to the parasympathetic system (rest and digest), improving overall resilience after periods of physical stress (17).
Cognitive Performance Badge
The Cognitive Performance badge is earned by components of the building that promote Cognitive health. Cognitive health directly impacts cognitive performance, which is a measure of how well our brains are functioning when it comes to focus, energy, and alertness. When working with details, learning at the deepest level, or creating something new, these factors are essential to foster a sense of enjoyment, fulfillment, and alignment with the project at hand.
In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the connection between our environment and our productivity, creativity, and overall cognitive performance. With this research in mind, Frequency® has added features to the building that elevate you to be at your best in the face of cognitively demanding projects.
The amenities provided in Frequency® buildings are designed to support learners, creators, and knowledge workers by boosting focus, energy, and problem-solving abilities. If you want the most for your brain and the best for your projects, these buildings are a valuable asset built to support you and your goals.
Amenities with this badge
Air Quality
Air quality is a critical aspect of health. Studies have shown that pollutants in the air cause acute reductions in cognitive function (18) (19). Therefore, these buildings are designed with state-of-the-art filtration and high ventilation rates that ensure a steady flow of fresh, oxygenated, and clean air to keep the brain sharp and focused.
Water Quality
Like air filters, water filters help to remove pollutants that harm cognitive performance. This similarly helps keep the brain sharp and focused.
Lighting
Lighting is another critical aspect of staying energized, alert, and focused. Blue light, which is typically most prevalent early in the day, is more associated with energy and wakefulness. With this in mind, Frequency buildings provide light sources that help to regulate circadian rhythms, promote alertness, and boost productivity.
Temperature Control
Optimal temperature ranges for productivity are around 72 degrees, with variations depending on gender and personal preference. Therefore, these buildings are equipped with advanced temperature control systems that allow workers to customize their environment to suit their needs.
Cold Plunge
Studies show that a cold plunge increases baseline dopamine and noradrenaline levels, hormones that are critical for focus and engagement. Therefore, taking a cold plunge leads to increased energy and improved cognitive performance, allowing a deeper and more sustained level of focus.
Sauna
By activating natural preservative hormones in the body, sauna sessions protect the brain, improve cognition, and decrease the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.
Emotional Sustainability Badge
The Emotional Sustainability badge is earned by components of the building that address causes of stress and inflammation, which are key systems involved with emotional wellbeing, as well as components that promote calm, balanced habits and lifestyles.
Emotional Sustainability is the ability to reliably maintain a balanced and resilient emotional ecosystem, allowing healthy experiences of all the emotions experienced in life. While happiness and joy are often sought after exclusively, Frequency® seeks to support the complete spectrum of human emotions. Pursuing one particular emotion wholeheartedly is not a sustainable approach, as it rejects naturally occuring emotional cycles rather than engaging and supporting them at every turn. Emotional sustainability, therefore, aims to encourage calmness, serenity, energy, and an overall sense of wellbeing, which are welcome in any emotional state. To be calm and energized is key to experiencing sustainable emotions, and allows you to function and continue with necessary aspects of life during emotional swings.
Several aspects of physical health like inflammation and chronic stress can negatively impact your emotional sustainability. Chronic inflammation in the brain causes constant warning signs that lead to anxiety and depression, while chronic stress causes adverse health effects, many of which are inflammatory, creating a negative self-reinforcing cycle (20). Given these cycles, it's clear that certain aspects of our physical health influence our emotional sustainability. Frequency aims to offer accessibility to habits and environments that support these critical aspects of physical health.
Amenities with this badge
Cold Plunge
The anti-inflammatory benefits of cold plunging are linked to easing the effects of depression and anxiety (21). Frequency buildings are equipped with a cold plunge so you can consistently access and experience the benefits of cold exposure therapy.
Sauna
Sauna and heat exposure therapy are shown to reduce inflammation and positively impact the autonomic nervous system, encouraging healthy responses to stress and less inflammation-driven emotional discomfort.
Air Quality
Because particulate matter and air pollution are directly correlated with an increased likelihood of depressive mental health conditions (22), Frequency buildings are outfitted with a state-of-the-art air filtration system to provide clean, worry-free air.
Green Walls
The experience of plant-filtered air and the appearance of nature in an indoor space promotes emotional balance by decreasing stress by up to 60% (23). Frequency buildings are outfitted with green walls to instill a natural, calming feeling to the space.
Biophilic/Fractal Design
Biophilic fractal design has proven positive effects on emotional sustainability and wellbeing (24), most prominently the dramatic reduction in stress levels. Frequency buildings incorporate biophilic design in a number of ways, including fractal design and biophilic art, to satisfy your brain’s inherent inclination towards nature.
Color
In community environments where the colors are warm, soft, soothing, and bright; people feel warm, soft, relaxed, safe, and happy (25). This promotes emotional sustainability on both the group and the individual level.
Scent
Certain scents like orange, lavender, and cedar can reduce tension and anxiety (26). Indoor spaces within Frequency buildings are scented to curate the ideal mood for your space.