The art of recovery has become an integral aspect for strength and conditioning coaches to manage, with clubs implementing different strategies when it comes to recovery sessions.
Whether that would include players completing a range of exercises or managing their workload after a long game, we have now seen technology such as HydroMassage and CryoLounge+ come into the fold to help athletes recover.
HydroMassage and CryoLounge+ are products of Tees Valley Innovation, a leading UK supplier of innovative fitness and wellness products and leisure consultancy.
They also work alongside WellnessSpace Brands to offer convenient, technology-based solutions for post-workout recovery.
HydroMassage is an innovative water massage lounge and bed for wellness and muscle recovery, utilising powerful waves of heated water massage to target specific body areas.
The personalised full-body heated massage has an interactive touchscreen that controls the speed and pressure of your massage, while also having the option to design your own massage.
Some of the benefits of HydroMassage include:
- Temporary relief from minor pains and aches
- Reduce stress and anxiety levels
- Reduce muscle soreness, stiffness and tension
- Increases circulation in local areas where massaged
- Enhances feelings of well-being and deep relaxation
CryoLounge+ is an advanced recovery chair with complimentary cold and heat zones. The cold zones can lie between -1°C to -3°C which targets soreness or minor aches and pains. Whereas, the heat zones can be between 35°C to 46°C and can be applied in other areas of the body to provide a comfortable and safe experience.
This advanced technology to improve cold and heat treatment also has an interactive touchscreen that controls many features such as temperature, leg compression heat and cold to different parts of the body, and the auxiliary pad.
CryoLounge+ offers convenient and accessible treatments that can be customised to the athlete’s demands. They can select certain areas to ice while heat somewhere else on the body to reduce the discomfort often associated with targeted cold recovery.
These products have been used in places such as Leeds Beckett University for its students and community members who compete in sports or attend the gym and need a source of recovery. HydroMassage and CryoLounge+ can also be used at selected gyms and health and leisure centres that provide these products to their members.
Mark Dunstan, Interim Head of Sport and Active Lifestyles at Leeds Beckett University said about HydroMassage:
“We wanted to go a little bit beyond just putting another piece of fitness equipment,” he said on the Tess Valley Innovation YouTube channel.
“We wanted to broaden the service offers that we’ve got and when we came across HydroMassage, it just seems something that would really tick a massive box in terms of student health and well-being rather than just their physical health.
“It can also look after mental health by providing relaxation massages and it’s going to benefit students in many ways.”
For decades, various forms of massage such as cold and hot treatment have been mainly labour-intensive and can prove to be somewhat difficult to provide to certain athletes and clubs each day. However, with the introduction of HydroMassage and CryoLounge+, they both share similarities in their functions.
Both don’t need any specialist staff and it’s time-efficient only requiring 10-15 minutes of the athlete’s time. Therefore, a large number of athletes can access on-demand massages and cold or heat treatments whenever needed.
With the use of HydroMassage and CryoLounge+, sporting organisations and clubs can optimise the way they deal with recovery sessions. They won’t have to rely mainly on staff to deliver their massages and with these products, more athletes can potentially improve their game on the pitch with the right resources at their disposal.
