Compression therapy recovery suits, are they full of hot air?
Compression recovery suits…are they full of hot air?
Lets find out…
I own the Normatec recovery pulse 2.0 system. When I bought this system it included the legs attachment, the arms attachment, the hip attachment, the required hose, and one air power unit.
This system cost a little more because it included all of the attachments. You can purchase what attachments you want separately, or bundle them together.
You can start with the legs attachment, air power unit, and hose. Adding the arms and/ or the hip attachments at a later date. Which can both be purchased separately.
These options make it nice. You are available to add to your suit as your budget allows.
This system works Awesome for me. The system only came with one power unit, so you can only use one attachment at a time.
Meaning you can only use the arms, the legs, or the hips.
Not two together. I ordered a second power unit, so I am know able to use the arms attachment with the hips, or the legs. It is pretty sweet! And a great time saver.
Okay, so now you know the what, let's talk about the how.
What makes these suits so special? Special enough that pro athletes and the U.S. Olympic team both swear by them?
Lets dig in…
The Normatec Pulse Pattern Massage System. This is one of the main reasons I went with Normatec in stead of the one of the other manufacturers.
This method mimics the normal physiology of the body. Let's use the legs attachment for an example. During the pre-inflate cycle (the first 90 seconds) the attachment is contoured to your exact leg (or whatever attachment you are using).
The compression then starts in the first (farthest away from the core of the body) chamber. In the legs attachment this will be the feet.
Normatec uses a patented “pulsing” method instead of using “static” compression to “squeeze” fluid and soreness out of the body.
The pulsing mimics the pump of the muscle, this will help move the fluid from the muscles and limbs after a workout.
So here are how the 5 zones work:
- Zone 1 pulses.
- Zone 2 pulses, zone 1 holds.
- Zone 3 pulses, zones 1 and 2 hold.
- Zone 4 pulses, zones 2 and 3 hold.
- Zone 5 pulses, zone 3 and 4 hold.
It is very cool how this set up works. I can write about it all day long. But until you put one on and try it, you can only imagine how great it feels.
Normatec Pulse Massage system pulses and releases to prevent the fluid from back flowing. Each body part being worked gets the required rest per cycle.
All you have to do is put the attachment on, plug it into the power unit with the supplied air hose, and turn it on! Easy breezy.
The pulse 2.0 system power unit has a three hour rechargeable battery built in (and the supplied wall plug adaptor).
As well as bluetooth you can pair with the Normatec app available for iPhone and android.
Is it worth the money?…
That all depends on what your recovery is worth to you. My suit is worth every penny to me. And I use it almost daily. There are manufactures that offer cheaper prices, but I feel you get what you pay for with an item like this. I will put the “basic” kit (legs, power unit, and hose) and the different manufacturers and prices below. Normatec is the only manufacturer that offers a battery powered power unit.
This is an Awesome option to keep in mind when you are purchasing. Especially if you are using your suit on the go.
Recovery price list:
Normatec: Legs, power unit, and hose: $1295.00
SLS3: Legs, power unit, hose: $699.90
Rapid reboot: Legs, power unit, and hose: $995.00
Elevated legs: Legs, power unit, and hose: $995.95
As you can see there are plenty of options. Do your research and see which system works best for you.
If you need any workout help checkout our foundation program. Combine this program with the foundation meal plans and you are on a 12 week recipe for weight loss.
Heres to your health…
Cheers!
