As important as exercise is the ability to let your body rest and recuperate.
It’s one thing busting a gut in the gym, but allowing time for your body to recover is just as important. Elite athletes know that rest days, stretching, and massage are important parts of their training programs. Now, these tools and professional recovery methods are becoming more mainstream. Below are just a few of these that will help you keep your body in peak condition.
This is the genius massage gun
MyoPro makes muscle repair and growth faster by using percussive massage.
Joe Gray, a professional rugby player, created the MyoPro. After suffering with achilles tendonitis, he created a massage gun by dismantling a drill and welding on a stool leg (don’t try this at home!) He used it to heal his injury. His Harlequin colleagues saw the advantages of his homemade tool and asked him to give it a try. It became the MyoPro, developed with co-founder Lottie Whyte – a hockey player – and is a handheld gun with a spongy tip that uses percussive massage (rapid bursts of pressure) to speed up muscle growth and repair by increasing blood flow to them. This pneumatic drill feels more like a massage but is gentler and can quickly reduce tension and pain. £349, myomaster.co.
Cool down to the max
It used to be that only marathon runners would soak in ice water after an exercise session. My friends fill paddling pool with freezing cold water daily and dip themselves in it.
Why? Because cryotherapy (exposure to extreme cold) is said to have many benefits, including aiding fat loss, reducing inflammation, balancing hormone levels and improving our immune system and sleep (see wimhofmethod.com). Cold therapy is now possible in the comfort of our homes, using massage tools that make use cold to treat sore muscles and hot spots.
Cryo Body Ball has been tested by me. It is a small, handheld tool made of stainless steel that can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 hours. Then you use it for 5 minutes. It improves blood circulation and decreases inflammation. I have a tight piriformis (a muscle in my right buttock) and it’s magic for finding the painful spot. £25, oxygenboutique.com.
The Light Saver
It has been proved that red light therapy can have many benefits, including calming the mood and rejuvenating the skin. I can’t get enough of the Light Salon Boost LED body patch, which has been helping heal my painful toe. I am also using it on my face for its anti-ageing benefits – plus, it’s a great excuse to lie down for ten minutes. £375, thelight-salon.com
Feel-good shoes
If you are on your feet all day, run a lot or suffer from painful feet and joints, look into Oofos’s clever footwear. Its trainers, shoes, and sliders have patented technology that absorbs more impact than other footwear. Additionally, they support the feet to lessen strain on the ankles. They make it feel as if you’re walking on clouds. From £45, oofos.com.
@susannahtaylor_
Ruby Waxes offers a new guide that teaches you how to see the positives of life. Right: Bala Beam, a weight loss product that wraps around your shoulders.
Positive gems from Ruby
What we listen to can really affect our mood (which is why I switched off the news during lockdown). So I highly recommend Ruby Wax’s book And Now For the Good News… To the Future With Love – a lesson on zooming out on negativity and zooming in on life’s positives. £14.99, waterstones.com.
Get rid of the dumbbells
Although it may appear like a big wigglyworm, the Bala Beam has an ergonomically-designed slimline weight. You can choose from a 6.8kg or 11.34kg weight. It is made to wrap around your shoulders when you squat and lunge. It’s a far cry from the ugly, bulky weights of old. From £80, shopbala.com.