A while back I put a call out on Instagram for topics people wanted to read about on this blog, and this was one of the most requested - what recovery gadgets do I recommend?
It’s no surprise, really. If I had a dollar for every ad I get served by that annoying little algorithm for the latest and greatest invention to boost your recovery, then I’d have enough money to afford all those gadgets. There’s so many out there, and it’s hard to know which ones are genuinely helpful - and which ones are only going to hurt your wallet.
As every runner knows, when it comes to factors that can impact your training, there’s very little that can have as much of an impact as recovery. No matter how hard you work - no matter how fast (or slow - IYKYK) you go on a run, no matter how many weights you lift, all your gains come in the phase that follows - the recovery phase. That’s where stronger muscles are built. That’s where your aerobic engine improves. The more your mileage increases, the more important recovery is.
Not only do I love recovery, but I also love spending money on basically anything that promises me even a 1% increase in performance - so let me take one for the team here, and let you know what I’ve tried and rate highly. (By the way - I am far from clever or important enough to have an affiliation with any of the companies who sell the below, so click away; I don’t get any kickbacks from anything you might purchase other than the sweet vindication of knowing I’ve helped spread the love of my favourite things.)
1. Hyperice Normatec Compression. Oh, boy. This is something I swear by. I have both the leg sleeves and the hip attachment, and during heavy training loads I more or less live in these things. Hyperice report that their dynamic compression helps to increase circulation, revive muscles and reduce swelling. All I know is that when I use these after long runs, I bounce back much faster. Even after the Tarawera Miler, I got back to the Airbnb and squeezed my legs into them. I almost cried, and I couldn’t have it on a very high setting, but they got my legs back to relative normal surprisingly fast.
2. Cold Plunges. Okay, so this isn’t technically a gadget, but it’s a recovery aid I love. If you’re fancy, you can get a barrel. If you’re a DIY genius, you can turn a chest freezer into a cold plunge tub. Or if you happen to live in Kingston, New Zealand - you can just jump in freezing-cold-year-round Lake Wakatipu. You need to try and get up to your neck (that sentence is for Tara specifically), and stay in 3-4 minutes - which you might need to work up to. I always like to end a plunge by ducking completely under. And don’t rush into the hot shower after - get moving to get some warmth back into those limbs. There’s some research out there to show that doing a plunge directly after exercise can potentially inhibit gains - but honestly it’s pretty negligible and not particularly thoroughly researched - so if you’re hot at the end of a long run, I say jump right in.
3. A good old fashioned nap. No, this isn’t a gadget either - but no matter how many fancy things you own, very little will be as good for you as getting more sleep. I have a bit of a post-long run routine of breakfast, shower, then a nap - which my dog loves as much as I do. If you have a partner who complains that you’ve been out running all morning then you just come home and sleep - tell them it’s coach’s orders and I signed off on it.
4. Massage Gun. This is worth its weight in gold. Not only do I have it at hand all the time when I’m at home, it’s the most important item for my crew to carry in an ultra. You don’t have to go fancy with this one - I happen to have a Hyperice Volt which I won and rate very highly, but Mighty Ape (NZ and Australia) and Amazon (everyone else) have fantastic off brand ones much cheaper. This can get right into sore or tight muscles and loosen them off. I’ve been known to use them right before a run too, and mid run, there’s nothing better when you’ve got something starting to hurt. It can save you later on.
5. Foam Roller. If you know me, you’re probably calling me a hypocrite right now - but a foam roller is one of the best things you can invest in for your body as a runner. I like to stand on mine and get into the fascia on the bottom of my feet; I do not love the pain of rolling out my IT bands. Consistency is the key with this one - the more often you do this, the better you’re going to feel. Five to ten minutes every day, particularly after a run, is really all you need - hit your calves, quads, hamstrings, hip flexors and IT bands, and loosen yourself up.
6. Apollo Neuro. This one’s a new entry to my repertoire; I’ve owned mine for just over a week and I’m already not sure what I would do without it. An Apollo Neuro is a little device worn on your wrist or ankle that uses vibration therapy to help boost your sleep and recovery, and calm your nervous system. When you’re running, it adds stress to your body - and your body can’t differentiate between positive or negative stress. This little device can help your body regulate its stress and calm down. Since using it, I haven’t had less than eight and a half hours sleep - that’s between an hour and two hours of extra sleep a night - and my resting heart rate has dropped by six beats per minute.
So there’s many a gadget out there, but no matter what you check out for recovery - there’s no substitute for more sleep, hydrating well, eating good food - and plenty of it, and making sure you have a well balanced plan to follow - and a coach to ensure you’re not overtraining! Hmm - if only we knew someone we could recommend to you…