The Best Workout Recovery Tools To Relieve Muscle Soreness And Improve Mobility

Massage guns are percussive recovery tools that have the ability to reduce stiffness and improve range of motion and flexibility. Vetted’s gear editor Cam Vigliotta tested 11 massage gun models while training for an ultra marathon and awarded the Theragun Elite “best overall” for reasons aplenty. Its ergonomic triangle shape allows you to use it in a variety of positions, and it comes with five high-quality foam attachment heads. Plus, it offers a bit more power (ie. packs more of a punch) than other massage guns at the same price point. For more on the Theragun Elite, be sure to check out the full review before adding it to your recovery arsenal.

I first learned of the Wave Tool after seeing it in use at the crag—it’s a favorite accessory among climbers tending to achy fingers. With four points and honed edges for scraping, kneading and massaging, it targets not only small muscles of the hands, but larger ones of the legs, arms and torso, too. In my experience, it’s better-suited for muscles and tendons about the elbows, forearms and palms of the hand, but if you’d like to target different regions of the body, peruse the many instructional videos for help.

These therapy balls—a similar size and density to lacrosse balls—offer more targeted recovery options than, say, a foam roller, because they allow you to pinpoint specific areas that need attention. While a foam roller takes care of larger muscles like glutes and quads, smaller tools such as these allow me to dig into my hamstrings, hips and chest muscles. When used in combination with stretching and other forms of gentle movement, these tools “help to address tissue restrictions,” explains Gilligan, by “increasing circulation or affecting the nervous system in such a way to help the body relax, all of which allows the user to feel good enough to continue to move, which contributes to more blood flow and healing.”

“Foam rolling is a popular method for pain relief and can be incorporated into stretching and gentle movement,” says Gilligan. Among the many foam rollers on the market, Trigger Point’s foamy grid model strikes a balance between comfort and portability; it’s firm, textured surface allows you to use it in different positions on different muscle groups, and because it weighs only 1.5 pounds, it’s portable enough to pack in a gym duffel or weekend bag.

Most hot-cold products target one specific body part (like this one for the knee and this one for the lower back), but the RecoveryTherm Cube is one of the most versatile options we’ve used because it’s relatively small and attaches to any part of the body with the included straps. Simply turn it on and choose hot or cold therapy, or alternate between the two temperatures for contrast therapy. It has a battery life of 120 minutes (or 60 minutes during contrast therapy), and it’s easy to pack in a bag to boost recovery during the workday or after exercise.

These full-leg compression sleeves may be overkill for casual exercisers, but for athletes who train hard or anyone who suffers from chronic injuries, they offer some serious pain relief and help get your body back on track. Cycle between seven intensity levels of air compression about five different zones, all of which are designed to increase circulation and lymphatic drainage while reducing soreness. We can’t easily overlook the $799 price tag, but if recovery is an integral part of your workout process, it’s money well spent.

If you work from a desk or spend a lot of time hunched over your phone, your posture should be a top priority, especially if your workouts ask a lot of the muscles about your torso. To combat hunched shoulders and tight pecs, the Chirp wheel rests under your back as you lay in a horizontal position to open up your chest and neck depending on the wheel size you use. This four-piece set includes a small four-inch wheel to release tension in your neck, a six-inch wheel to dig into knots, a 10-inch wheel for pain points along your spine and a 12-inch wheel that offers a light, gentle stretch and massage. And if you’re in the market for a specific wheel size, each one is also sold separately.

If you’re the type of person who prefers to quantify your recovery process, then you’ll want to put the Whoop strap on your wrist to track vitals and lifestyle habits that provide a holistic picture of your recovery. Compared to other fitness trackers, the Whoop 4.0 spends less time tracking metrics like daily steps and much more time tracking health trends like physical strain and mental stress. 

While this wearable isn’t a conventional recovery tool, it gives you a daily recovery score based on your heart rate variability, strain, amount of sleep and more, which allows you to make informed decisions before and after a workout. For example, it helps you decide if you should enjoy a rest day or go hard at the gym, or if you need a bit more sleep to keep your body in tip-top shape. When you buy it from Amazon, you’ll also receive a 12-month subscription to Whoop’s tracking services along with a battery pack. 

While it may look like an industrial tool, this massager is one of my favorite pieces of recovery gear because of its sheer versatility and ease of use. The hinged design expands and tightens over your extremities to provide a deep, pressurized massage, and there’s no electronics involved, which eliminates batteries and chargers. Simple twist a dial on top of the roller to either increase or decrease the applied force and tailor the experience to your recovery needs.

This Acupressure mat (also called a Shakti mat) may look like a torture device, but it’s actually a soothing way to enhance blood flood and relieve stress and pain. Sure, it’s a bit scary when your skin first makes contact with the miniature barbs, but give it a minute and you’ll soon find relief after a workout or a long day hunched over a laptop. I even position the mat against my car seat when I have a long drive ahead to encourage recovery as I sit in a static position. This set, which has garnered over 30,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, comes with a full-size back mat and pillow.