The most effective recovery tools for every athlete

Recovery is not just a break; this is when your body adapts to the stress of exercise – and becomes stronger. Fortunately, there are many recovery tools available that can help you do this faster.

Editors John Lonsdale and Brittany Smith tested the latest suggestions aimed at relieving muscle pain and helping your body bounce back after a hard workout. These are devices, trackers and streaming services that will help you make profit faster, whether it's a runner, triathlete, CrossFitter or something in between.

Video shot in place at The Wright Fit Performance Lab

Sky ting tv

Krissy Jones and Chloe Kernahgan co-founded Sky Ting Yoga in Chinatown in 2015, opening more spacious and fun places in Brooklyn and Manhattan after the success of their first studio. If you do not live in the area, you can take advantage of their activities with the recently launched Sky Ting TV. They have options for many skill levels, time constraints, and preferences. Choose from recovery streams; mobility classes to open your hips and shoulders; fast, energizing mini-classes; and hourly detoxification. This is a no-claim yoga that is ideal for cross-training, for guys who want to get better at yoga, and for everyone who wants to increase flexibility and mobility. Trust us when we say that by the end you will feel like a new person – light, relaxed and superbly free.

[From $20/month; skyting.com]

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Nike React Running Infinity

Nike hedged the React Infinity Run as an injury prevention shoe (yes, this is a sublime statement). Approximately 16,000 miles were recorded in the prototype, making it the most proven Nike running shoe to date. In an independent study, researchers asked 226 runners to complete a 12-week training program using either React Infinity Run or Structure 22. They ran a total of 60,000 miles. The results showed that React Infinity Run reduced injuries (knee, foot, lower leg, and calf muscle) by 52 percent compared to structure 22. Reserve them for recovery days (light runs) and short-distance workouts. For all shoe features, check out the full Nike React Infinity Run review here.

[$160; nike.com]

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Teragun Liv

Soft tissue treatment devices such as Theragun use shock therapy to speed recovery by relieving muscle tension, destroying scar tissue and increasing blood flow – and it hurts a person so much. Previously, you could only find them in the gym or in the PT office, but the latest versions are rated for the average visitor. This is the lightest, most compact version, small enough to fit in a gym bag and powerful enough to do the job.

[$249; theragun.com]

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Hyperice Hypersphere Mini

Massage balls aim and free up bottlenecks and trigger points (or nodes) in the muscles at a deeper level than a regular roller. This one-pound travel-friendly version of the existing Hypersphere, which vibrates at three speeds for different penetration levels, has a diameter of only three inches, so you can really focus on more inaccessible places to overcome problem areas and eliminate common training problems, such as plantar fasciitis, tight hips and pain in the upper or lower back.

[$99; hyperice.com]

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TriggerPoint Charge

This tiny two-pound roller has some serious bends. Shaped in the form of two connected massage balls with a recess in the middle, it can work as a flat foam roll for areas such as the upper back, and then really delve into thinner areas such as biceps and calves. The wide and narrow protrusions on the surface work together to stretch and tighten your muscles, pushing blood and oxygen into tense tissues.

[$40; triggerpoint.com]

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Instant grass ArcFire Grass Fed Whey

The search for “pure” protein powder is often fraught with misleading marketing jargon, as well as the protein powder itself, unnecessary added sugar and fillers. We like Momentous because their whey protein contains a grass-fed whey protein isolate that has been cold-pressed so as not to lower branched chain amino acids (which help build muscle and reduce muscle soreness). They also have an enzyme mixture called ProHydrolase, which when combined with protein in a 10: 1 ratio results in fewer gastrointestinal problems (such as bloating and upset stomach) and better absorption of protein. Their ArcFire Grass Fed Whey also has a 4: 3 protein-to-carbohydrate ratio that charges your body with enough carbohydrates to recover — no more, no less.

[$55; livemomentous.com]

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Pay Back ColdSleeve with BOA

Fighting lower leg, tennis elbow or runner's knee? This cold sleeve is worn on the arm or leg, providing cold and compression for up to an hour. Just drop it in the freezer for up to two hours to activate. It is equipped with the Boa Fit System, which allows you to micro-adjust how tight the sleeve is, so you won’t need to keep it on your lower leg, knee, hamstring or quad. Make it tidier to get the benefits of compression to help heal the injury, or make it softer for regular recovery after a workout. This will alleviate all the problems of inflammation, aches and pains.

[$90; recoupfitness.com]

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Thr33 CBD Muscle Relief Cream

This is a community of energetic athletes who hope to maximize their potential, as well as the clients they train. Their first launch is an anesthetic cream. The ingredients tested in the CBD laboratory and ingredients such as lanolin and menthol help to reduce inflammation and cool down on contact. Massage in hard-to-reach places after exercise or at bedtime to help calm your exacerbation and get you back on your feet; or use it before a session if you are especially in pain.

[$70; thr33.com]

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Strap Whoop 3.0

Forget activity tracking; The third-generation Whoop (the first wrist tracker allowed for MLB fields) measures how hard you train and how well you recover from this workout using biometric data such as heart rate, heart rate variability, ambient temperature and movement. Advanced features include Strain Coach, which recommends how much you should (or shouldn't) push yourself in the gym, and HR Broadcast, which allows you to connect to Peloton devices, Wahoo computers, Concept2 ergometers and TrainerRoad.

[$30/month, device ships free with membership; join.whoop.com]

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Roll Recovery R8 Deep tissue roller

Typically, foam rollers rely on their own weight to put pressure on the muscles (so you wind them up). The spring-loaded R8, which self-adjusts for different body sizes, takes on the job of rolling out the foam, clamping the vice around the muscles; You use handles to push and pull. Customize your device further with SuperPlush and SuperDeep inserts that decrease or increase pressure.

[$129; portlandrunning.com]

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NormaTec 2.0 Foot Recovery System

LeBron James, the Super Bowl LIII and Drake teams, use these compression boots that use air as a massage tool. Such constant pressure helps to remove inflammation and waste after training (for example, lactic acid) from your blood and shorten the process of muscle recovery, so that your legs feel fresh faster. Sync permissions with apps like Strava and TrainingPeaks via Bluetooth to plan and track recovery sessions in the context of your entire training mode.

[$1,295; normatecrecovery.com]

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Hammer Nutrition Recoverite

Endurance athletes require a different type of fuel after training than those who train in the gym – something with a lot of carbohydrates. The Recoverite formula has a 3: 1 ratio of complex carbohydrates to protein (whey protein isolate or pea organic protein if you choose vegan protein), as well as 3 g of L-glutamine to restore muscle tissue and maintain immune health, and a full range of electrolytes.

[from $3.50; hammernutrition.com]

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Yogatoes

If you are a big runner, your legs are beating. YogaToes helps give your fingers the space they need to return to their optimal position. Soft medical gel is nice and pliable, but you need to work hard to put them on their feet. Start with 10-15 minutes, as it can be intense. They are said to relieve pain associated with plantar fasciitis, flat feet and lower legs.

[$37; yogatoes.com]

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Powerdot 2.0

Previously, you had to go to physiotherapy to reap the benefits of Steam. Now you can prepare your body for training, speed recovery and help treat injuries with a portable device at home or in the gym. PowerDot 2.0 uses small electrical currents to cause muscle fibers to contract, increasing blood flow and relieving stress. The device is magnetically connected to the electrode pads, which greatly facilitates its mounting in hard-to-reach places. The application is very convenient for downloading, illustrates the correct placement of the electrodes and offers many programs. Avoid muscle recovery, training, and performance, relieve pain, and prevent injury.

[$199; powerdot.com]

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