Nutrition is obviously a key factor in maximizing recovery between workouts; without the right amount of protein and carbs, even a veritable arsenal of tech toys will be futile in rejuvenating your battered body’s soft tissue. But assuming you’ve got your diet dialed in, there are actually quite a few auxiliary ways to help your body reload between training sessions.
“A wide variety of products exist that can aid your recovery,” says Armand Diesso, P.T., owner of Performax Physical Therapy and Wellness in North Babylon, NY. “Of course, keeping in mind cost, efficacy, and research is important when choosing the appropriate product.” The therapist-recommended products below—a mix of cutting-edge tech and natural remedies—are designed to accelerate and optimize muscle recovery without requiring you to stray too far from your current routine, or your budget.
Both hot and cold therapy have well-documented track records of speeding up muscle and joint recovery. But neither is especially practical for everyday life, especially if you’re constantly on the move. Hurt Skurt’s products are designed to allow you to take hot and cold therapy with you on the go.
“The sleeves allow an athlete to recover while still remaining active, as opposed to other forms of passive recovery,” says Diesso. “They’re an inexpensive yet effective form of recovery for all types of athletes.”
The gel packs inside these therapeutic sleeves are safe for refrigerating, freezing, and even microwaving, meaning you can use the same product for both hot and cold therapy. And they’re designed for maximum temperature retention.
Most convenient of all, and very much unlike a bag of frozen peas, the flexible, stretch-to-fit design is intended to allow you to stay mobile; you can even wear these while working out, or simply going about your daily business. And when you finally make it back home, the hand-washable fabric is easy to clean.
This convenient roll-on product is formulated specifically to take aim at pain and recovery, harnessing a blend of nearly a dozen essential oils hand-picked for their anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties—and the pocket-size applicator makes it easy to hone in on specific areas.
“Saje Extra Strength is my favorite all-natural pain-relieving essential oil blend,” says Dan Giordano, D.P.T., C.S.C.S., co-founder of Bespoke Treatments Physical Therapy in New York. “It is an external analgesic, or pain reliever, formulated to temporarily relieve pain of muscles and joints after workouts. Using this product post workout also helps me relax and get into an anabolic state to recover.”
Roll it on after workouts to preemptively soothe the muscles you just worked, or keep it on hand to nip strains and sprains in the bud. As far as topicals go, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better natural option that offers more immediate and noticeable relief.
Don’t let the price tag be a pain point, either; this one’s worth every penny.
“Foam rollers can be used as another tool to help mobilize soft tissue and decrease muscle tension,” says Diesso. Of course, that’s a little easier said than done; as you probably already know, using a traditional foam roller can be quite the harrowing experience.
Enter the Soft Roller—created by exercise physiologist Sue Hitzmann, a founding member of the Fascia Research Society and author of The New York Times best-seller The MELT Method. Decidedly cushier than the other foam rollers you might have sampled in the past, this one is designed with the belief that reducing pain should not be a painful process in itself.
The Soft Roller is especially effective at decompressing the neck and lower back–great for bouncing back from heavy lifting days—but its unique construction allows you to gently reduce inflammation of muscles and connective tissue all throughout the body. No teeth gritting required.
It pays to think of recovery from the ground up. Whether you’re squatting or running sprints, your feet are the only parts of your body that are in constant contact with your environment.
“These are the only socks I wear when I train,” says Giordano. “The compression technology is ideal for improving circulation throughout my training, which aids in speeding up my recovery and decreasing any swelling that may occur in my feet.”
Beyond run-of-the-mill muscle and tissue inflammation, minor injuries like sprains and even simple blisters can sideline you from your training just the same. So why not cover all your bases while you’re at it? “The comfortable padding in these socks helps prevent annoying blisters, and the quick-drying yarn manages moisture better than any socks I have ever worn,” says Giordano.
To boot (no pun intended), a conscious focus on ankle and arch stability promotes a more secure fit than regular socks, further reducing your chances of injury and allowing you to pound the pavement with more confidence.
Leg day is the notorious red-headed stepchild of any training program, so anything you can do to increase its appeal (and mitigate its savage aftermath) is a positive step toward staying on track with your workout regimen.
By way of “pneumatic compression,” Normatec’s recovery boots have become the fitness industry’s gold standard for post-workout lower-body muscle recovery, and the company has since expanded its product offering to include sleeves for the arms as well. Best of all, once set up, they require literally no effort—and actually feel pretty good.
“Pneumatic compression devices work by providing various degrees of compression to help promote fluid movement, nutrient exchange, and overall relaxation of muscle tissue,” says Diesso. Better yet, the segmented design of Normatec’s boots allows you to target specific zones within each limb, so you can send varying degrees of compression to the areas that need it the most—or least.
Take a seat, kick your feet up, and let good ol’ air pressure rejuvenate those wobbly limbs.
Historically, electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) devices have been clunky, cumbersome contraptions, typically found in physical therapy studios and operated by well-versed practitioners. Fortunately, those days are behind us, and brands like Compex have come a long way in simplifying (and shrinking down) this versatile technology for even casual weekend warriors to benefit from.
Perhaps the best example of how accessible EMS has become, Compex’s Mini Wireless model doesn’t even require a central console—because you’re already carrying one in your pocket. Taking advantage of your mobile phone’s built-in Bluetooth connectivity, this incredibly portable EMS system consists of just two pods that affix directly to the muscle you’re targeting. “Simply, it’s a device that sends electronic pulses to your muscle to create contractions,” says Giordano.
The uses and benefits are virtually endless. Research has shown EMS to be beneficial for speeding up warmups, enhancing workouts, mitigating pain, and, of course, accelerating recovery. “The recovery setting can help bring fresh oxygen and blood to a muscle, facilitating the removal of toxins, helping to induce an anabolic phase, and speeding up your overall recovery,” says Giordano.
Armed with 40 pounds of force and the ability to pummel your tired muscles at a speed of 40 times per second, reaching tissue 16mm below the the skin’s surface, the Theragun G3 provides maximum effectiveness in an incredibly portable and convenient package.
“These units can help temporarily improve muscle elasticity, fluid exchange, and provide a neurological input to facilitate recovery,” says Diesso. “They can definitely be a great tool for athletes.”
Known as “percussion therapy,” this highly functional form of massage has been shown to effectively stimulate circulation, generate heat, and release deep tension, making it useful for not only facilitating post-workout muscle recovery but also shortening warm-up time and addressing tissue-related discomfort on the fly, whether you’re sitting on the sofa at home or court-side at your local pick-up game.
