We all learned as children that we needed to stretch before and after a workout, whether it was lifting weights or doing cardio like walking or running on a treadmill or other surface. What we were doing after the workout was fitness recovery, which helps the body heal and decreases the risk of potential injury. Fitness recovery today is much more than stretching; it involves equipment such as percussive devices and rollers to relieve muscle strain and soreness, helping the body recover from the workout.
Hyperice, the manufacturer of the Hypervolt percussion therapy hand tool, among other recovery devices, and Aktiv Solutions, which designs spaces and storage areas for health clubs, fitness centers and home gyms, have partnered to create Recovery x Hyperice Bays for the hotel industry.
Travel itself can take its toll on the body, and with wellness being an emerging trend over the last few years, the standard of fitness regimes performed at hotels has increased. Thus, the need for recovery equipment.
“We spent a lot of time in our business working with the global hospitality giants and boutique operators alike, and fitness has become, more broadly, wellness today,” said Bryan Green, founder/CEO, Fitness Ventures International, whose brands include Aktiv Solutions and FitnessDesignGroup. “It’s not, simply: How do we exercise and get all sweaty? That certainly has tremendous health benefits. It’s also about: How do we recover from that exercise? How do we recover from just our daily stresses and the other stressors in the world? That’s all part of health.”
Historically, fitness at hotels was regulated to the fitness center or spa; in some cases, workouts can be done in the guestroom. Green has seen the space for hotel fitness expand.
“Today, we have a much broader approach in terms of how we address that for our clients,” he said. “ Specifically for those in hospitality, we’re able to utilize a fitness center amenity as a great place to do that, but there are actually other places to consider now. We’re working with operators who are considering additional adjacencies and spaces that are maybe just down the way from the fitness center itself, on a different floor or in the guestroom. So, we work with hospitality giants such as Hilton and Accor to help them better define where those places for wellness-based activity can take place. And, that also even includes outdoors these days. Fitness in hospitality has officially gone beyond the four walls of the fitness center.”
According to Joe Cannon, VP, business development, Hyperice, the Hypervolt doesn’t need to be just used around a workout. “While the Hypervolt is great for pre- or post-workout, it can also be used for daily body maintenance,” he said. “You should think of soft tissue therapy the same way you think about brushing your teeth each day. The little changes each day are what help extend our range of motion and mobility.”
The Recovery x Hyperice Bays brings together Hyperice’s most popular products—recovery devices—and what Aktiv Solutions is best known for—modular storage systems and guided platforms, noted Green.
“We’ve figured out a smart way to store their products for convenience and accessibility,” he said. “But, probably most importantly in the hospitality environment, we’ve created an integrated digital touchscreen kiosk that helps the guest know what to do with these products. You can simply walk up to it and say, ‘Show me what I’m dealing with here,’ and it will say, ‘Would you like us to show you different uses for this particular tool, or would you like us to take you through a guided recovery session?’ which actually is incredible because they’re only about 10 minutes in duration. That’s all you need with this. And you don’t have to change into exercise clothes, which is also phenomenal. This is a non-sweat-type session.”
Added Cannon, “Guests will find our Hypervolt percussion devices, which have been used by the world’s greatest athletes, attached to the recovery bays. Guests can pick up the Hypervolt and follow to learn best practices.”
Aktiv Solutions and its sister company, FitnessDesignGroup, have worked with hotels all over the world for companies like Hilton, Accor, Mandarin Oriental and others. Currently, they are working with Hilton to create spaces beyond the fitness center for mind-body wellness.
“It’s not just simply exercise, but also brain fitness,” said Green. “We have some very interesting areas that we’re exploring where we are trying to stimulate people’s senses in a healthy manner so that they have that mental health beyond the physical health. [The spaces are] not just the fitness center, but these adjuncts spaces which could be recovery lounges or quiet areas where they are additional amenities that will be powered by the systems we specialize in.”
For Hyperice, Cannon pointed out, the focus will be on the guestroom and hotel team members.
“Through listening and understanding our guests’ needs, we have found a need for in-room wellness offerings,” he said. “We are working on integrating Hyperice products into the guestrooms with guided routines to provide wellness in the comfort of your own room. We are also very focused on the employee programming as they come back to work for our hotel partners. We have created self-care protocols and recovery rooms for the employees to recover before or after a long day of taking care of the guests.”
