4 mobility tools to help soothe and stretch your sore muscles

If you want to get stronger, faster, and healthier, your recovery and mobility are just as important as your workouts. These simple tools can heal your sore muscles back into shape quickly, so you can get back to the gym.

Foam roller to rid of muscle aches

As you run your sore body across the 13-inch-long TriggerPoint Grid, you can choose among geometric textures that replicate the long strokes or focused pressure points of a therapist’s hands and fingers. This pick allows you to work through muscle aches and recover more quickly. A stiff plastic tube inside supports up to 500 pounds.

Resistance band

Wrap one end of the Rogue Echo Resistance Band around a stationary object and pull away from it to loosen up your shoulders and back. Stretching is an essential component to heal sore muscles, and this tool helps you add a layer of resistance to your cooldown. The 41 inches of natural latex expand to more than double their length, gradually increasing tension during a stretch.

Percussion massager to heal sore muscles

The oscillating head on the motorized Hyperice Hypervolt rapidly pounds your muscles, increasing blood flow and relaxing knotted tissue. Preset routines in the companion app automatically apply the perfect amount of power for each body part to soothe muscle aches.

Hot and cold pack

The silica gel inside the Arctic Flex reusable therapy bag is pliable even straight out of the freezer, so you can wrap it around any area to reduce swelling and heal sore muscles. For tight muscles, pop it in the microwave for about 20 seconds to get it nice and toasty.

This story appears in the Winter 2020, Transformation issue of Popular Science.