Technology For Post-Exercise Recovery

Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper recently wrote that “Today, most gyms, from the ultra-luxe to the bare-bones, have some sort of recovery offering: It’s not uncommon to see gyms advertising the arrival of high-speed massage guns, compression boots, infrared light therapy and cryotherapy devices.” Just a few a days ago, the nation’s largest gym chain, Planet Fitness, launched a new campaign touting its recovery offerings in conjunction with the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament. For recovery, Planet Fitness has hydro-massage beds and a body enhancement booth combining red light technology and vibration.

Nike sponsored athletes at the recent Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games received a high-performance “Swoosh Capsule,” that included the latest in recovery technology, the Hyperboot ($799). A collaboration between recovery device leader Hyperice and Nike, it is a pair of high-top shoes that combines heat and dynamic air compression, with a pulsating massage to loosen tight muscles, increase blood flow, reduce fatigue and accelerate recovery in the feet. Some consumers have also found them effective at alleviating plantar fasciitis, common among frequent runners.

When I struggled with plantar fasciitis a few years back, a triathlete doctor I know recommended that I start wearing recovery sandals by Oofos, a therapeutic footwear brand wildly popular among athletes of all types, from NFL quarterbacks to pro baseball stars. I was not familiar with Oofos at the time, but they have won numerous awards from publications such as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Shape, and more, and those sandals were the best $60 I ever spent on self-care. Three years later I have two pairs and always travel with one. More recently, US magazine reported that they were the “go-to recovery slide” of supermodel Gisele Bundchen (along with Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber) to give her feet time off from high heels.

The heated air compression technology in the Hyperboot is derived from Hyperice’s already popular Normatec lineup ($349-$1549) of powered compression recovery sleeves for the legs, hips and arms, sort of like giant, motorized blood pressure cuffs. These are sold for home use but are also offered at some high-end gyms and hotels for recovery and are a frequent choice of professional athletes including Olympic Gold Medalists Evan Bates and Madison Chock and NHL player and Olympian Victor Hedman (Tampa Bay Lightning/Team Sweden).

Vanity Fair reported that during the US Open tennis tournament, pros were using a $160,000 recovery chamber called Ammortal that combines red-light therapy, near-infrared therapy, pulsed electromagnetic therapy and vibroacoustic therapy in a 25-minute “deep recovery” session. Other outlets report the Ammortal being used by everyone from Olympians to MLB and NFL players, most notably Los Angeles Rams Superbowl champion quarterback Matthew Stafford who made headlines using the device to recover from back injury.

Exercise Recovery and Travel

I recently stayed at the luxurious yet fitness-focused Forbes 4-Star Equinox Hotel New York and loved it (I wrote a detailed description here at Forbes). Their unique and ultra-extensive The Spa by Equinox Hotels packs in a huge range of recovery modalities, from infrared sauna and cold plunge to acupuncture, IV drips, cryotherapy, a wave table for accelerated sleep and immersion in something called the MLX I3Dome, which combines far infrared rays, plasma therapy and light therapy for “triple detox.”

All of this comes in handy after hitting the largest gym in the Equinox global network, a two-level 60,000 square foot behemoth with everything and anything you could want for a workout, plus an immense slate of daily group fitness classes, all of them available to hotel guests. If that’s not enough, the hotel also has a separate standalone Soul Cycle studio and in-room fitness videos and accessories. The MLX I3Dome, which looks like a cross between a tanning bed and MRI, has been showing up at other luxury hotels as well, from the Four Seasons Istanbul to Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic.

But for most of us, solid recovery does not require such very expensive and futuristic devices, and high-quality options are becoming more affordable, available and widespread than ever.

In addition to the simple Oofos footwear, I am personally a big fan of the Hypervolt massage guns by Hyperice, and for the past few years have regularly been using the Hypervolt 2 at home. Even though it is not as portable as smaller models made specifically for travel, I think the added power and functions make up for the bulk and have been carrying it with me on ski and cycling trips (all models include a carry case, are TSA-friendly for carry-on, and are FSA/HSA-eligible).

The company just released a new upgraded top of the line massage gun, the Hypervolt 3 Pro ($349), that is even more powerful (with six levels of percussion instead of five) as well as the upgraded 5-speed Hypervolt 3 ($249), also more powerful than the previous model. Both are also quieter, have longer battery life and include five completely redesigned heads that are considerably larger than the earlier lineup. Both also include the heated head attachment, with three temperature settings for combining heat therapy and percussion massage, an extra that was previously sold separately as a pricey add-on. For bargain seekers, the entire still-excellent Hypervolt 2 lineup is available at substantial discounts as it is phased out.

More Hotels And Resorts Offer Exercise Recovery Programs

But many frequent travelers will find they no longer need to carry their own devices, as more and more hotels have added recovery rooms or loaner programs to gyms and room service, especially in outdoorsy or active destinations such as such as ski towns. I just visited the Forbes 4-Star Four Seasons Jackson Hole in Wyoming, easily the top ski-in/ski-out full service hotel at one of the world’s most famous ski resorts, and they had a “Recovery Zone,” set up on certain afternoons by the spa with various technologies by Hyperice, which in addition to the Normatec compression sleeves makes the Venom heated massage pads for the lower back, used by Gold Medalist and Team USA women's hockey captain Hilary Knight. Other hotels with gyms boasting Hypervolt gear include the Canyon Ranch fitness center at the Venetian in Las Vegas and the Fairmont Century Plaza in Beverly Hills.

The Four Seasons Whistler in British Columbia has an in-room Hyperice massage gun loaner program, as do many Westin Hotels, and some Hiltons that feature “Recovery by Hilton” kits. Other Hyperice hotel partners include brands such as Accor, Marriott, MGM, Montage and Omni. Many upscale hotels now have specific recovery areas at their gyms featuring massage guns by Hypervolt or rival Theragun, often paired with additional technologies. In the run up to the Boston Marathon, the city’s luxury Hotel Commonwealth added Normatec 3 Leg Compression Boots and Hypervolt Massage Guns for its long distance running guests.

Infrared saunas and cold plunges, which are often coupled with hot tubs or whirlpool baths for hot/cold “contrast therapy,” are among the most popular recovery options now found at hotels, resorts and spas worldwide.

In recent years as interest in fitness has grown, hotels and resorts have improved their gym offerings and workout classes. Today, exercise recovery is the next big thing in fitness, wellness and travel.