From a grueling leg day at the gym to hours spent sat in an office cubicle, our lower legs can easily sustain damage, leading to aches, pains and more serious issues. New on Kickstarter, Spryng aims to quicken muscle recovery times and improve circulation, all in 15-minute bursts.
Spryng uses a technique called pneumatic compression, essentially massaging the legs to flush out lactic acid and flush in fresh, nutrient-filled blood. The wraparound pads have been designed to be portable, so you can take them anywhere, and easy to use – you've got three intensity settings and two compression patterns to pick from.
One way you might use Spryng is to avoid working out on poorly recovered muscles, leading to fatigue and possibly injury. Another potential application is to prevent fluid pooling in your lower legs, something that tends to happen when you spend a lot of time sitting or standing.
According to its makers, the device can benefit the health of your whole body, even so far as to increase athletic and cognitive performance levels thanks to the improved circulation of blood around the body. It has been designed to mimic natural muscle contractions and increase oxygen supply to your cells.
You may have seen passive compression gear – socks, wraps and sleeves – designed to do the same job as Spryng , but the makers of this new gadget argue that these solutions don't work when you're sitting or standing still. The benefit of Spryng is the movement, which is synced between both legs.
"You'll feel your blood circulating through your calves, up your thighs, and through your body fluidly and powerfully," explains the Spryng team. "Relax as your body enters accelerated flow."
Perhaps just as importantly, the pads need to be comfortable to wear and easy to walk around in. Based in Spryng's promotional materials at least, that looks to be the case here – though you might get a few strange looks if you're leaving the gym with a pair of these on.
The battery life is rated for 2.5 hours of active use, so you should be able to get 10 massage sessions of 15 minutes each between charges. The pads are fastened via Velcro, using a "one-size-fits-most" model, and they're machine washable too. The Spryng fits around the calves of 95 percent of the population, according to its makers.
While we can't vouch for the effectiveness of Spryng, the device has quickly blasted through its Kickstarter goal, with more than a thousand backers so far. It's also recommended by a variety of people who've tested out the technology, from pro baseball pitchers to occupational therapists.
As with any Kickstarter, you've got no guarantee that putting down money will result in a finished product at the other end, but the Spryng team appears to know what it's doing. Pledges start at US$189 for a pair of Spryngs, a carry bag and a charging cord, with delivery expected in September 2019 if all goes according to plan. The pitch video below has more.
Source: Spryng