A Smarter Way to Recover at Canyon Ranch Austin

There’s an irony to modern fitness: We track our workouts, steps, heart rates, and protein — then treat recovery as an afterthought. ⁠ ⁠But if longevity is the goal, what happens between workouts may matter just as much as the workouts themselves. ⁠ ⁠“Recovery isn’t separate from training,” says Dr. Jennifer Wagner, Canyon Ranch’s chief health and performance officer. “It’s part of the training process.”  ⁠ ⁠⁠That philosophy comes to life at Canyon Ranch Austin, our newest resort destination in the Texas Hill Country, where recovery goes well beyond a post-workout stretch. One of the more modern additions is reLounge, a touchless system that combines electrical muscle stimulation, heat, and massage-like sensations for a decidedly low-effort approach to recovery. ⁠ ⁠The best part? You’re lying down for the whole thing. ⁠ ⁠We asked Dr. Wagner — a board-certified physician, exercise physiologist, and former Division I athlete — how the technology works, where it fits into training, and why smarter recovery could help you stay stronger for longer.

First things first: What exactly is reLounge? 

Dr. Jennifer Wagner: Think of it as a technology-assisted recovery experience. You lie on a heated mat that uses electrical stimulation across different areas of the back, neck, and shoulders. ⁠ ⁠Electrical stimulation isn’t new — versions of it have been used in rehabilitation and performance settings for decades. What’s interesting here is the way several modalities are brought together into one experience while you’re at rest.

What does electrical muscle stimulation actually do? 

JW: Normally, your nervous system sends electrical signals that tell your muscles to contract. Electrical muscle stimulation, or EMS, uses an external electrical impulse to create a muscular response. ⁠ ⁠Depending on how the technology is programmed, electrical stimulation can be used in different ways within rehabilitation, muscle activation, performance, and recovery. With reLounge, that stimulation is paired with heat and a massage-like experience.  

So, does lying on this thing count as a workout? 

JW: I wouldn’t think about it as a replacement for exercise — and that distinction is important. ⁠ ⁠⁠For long-term health, we still need to challenge the body through resistance training, cardiovascular exercise, mobility, balance, and everyday movement. There really isn’t a shortcut around that. ⁠ ⁠⁠Where technology like this becomes interesting is as a complement to the work you’re already doing. The goal isn’t to exercise without exercising. It’s to create a more thoughtful relationship between stress and recovery. 

Why has recovery become such a big part of the longevity conversation? 

JW: Because more isn’t always better. ⁠ ⁠Exercise is a stressor — a very beneficial one. We challenge the body, then give it the resources and time it needs to adapt. That cycle is how we become stronger and more resilient. ⁠ ⁠When people become focused on longevity, it can be tempting to keep adding: another workout, another metric, another intervention. But the ability to recover from the demands you place on your body is incredibly important, particularly if you want to continue training consistently over many years. ⁠ ⁠The goal isn’t simply to work harder. It’s to build a body that can keep doing the things you love. 

Where does reLounge fit into a training routine? 

JW: It depends on the individual and what else they’re doing. ⁠ ⁠At Canyon Ranch, we’re interested in the entire picture: how you move, how you train, how you sleep, how you fuel yourself, how you manage stress, and how well you recover. A recovery technology is one tool within that larger system. ⁠ ⁠For someone who trains regularly, it could become part of the recovery side of that equation. For someone who simply carries a lot of tension through their back and shoulders, the experience may have a completely different appeal. ⁠ ⁠That personalization matters. Longevity isn’t about finding the single “best” intervention. It’s about understanding what your body needs and building sustainable habits around it. 

Is recovery more important as we get older? 

JW: I’d say it becomes harder to ignore. ⁠ ⁠Maintaining muscle, strength, mobility, and cardiovascular fitness becomes increasingly important as we age. But to keep training those systems, we also need to be able to recover well enough to return and do it again. ⁠ ⁠That doesn’t mean becoming overly cautious with age. In many cases, I’d argue the opposite: We should be thinking seriously about maintaining our physical capacity. But intelligent recovery helps make consistent training possible.

What does good recovery look like beyond high-tech tools? 

JW: The fundamentals still win. ⁠ ⁠Sleep is a big one for me. Nutrition matters. Hydration matters. Managing training load matters. So does giving yourself actual downtime. 

Technology can complement those behaviors, but it shouldn’t distract us from them. You can have access to every recovery device in the world, but if you’re consistently sleeping five hours a night, that’s probably where I’d start. 

What do you hope guests take away from trying something like reLounge? 

JW: I hope it changes the way they think about recovery. ⁠ ⁠There’s a tendency to equate progress with effort — if something feels harder, we assume it must be doing more for us. But building a healthier body isn’t only about how much stress you can tolerate. It’s also about how well you adapt to it. ⁠ ⁠Sometimes the smartest thing you can do for tomorrow’s workout is give your body what it needs today. And occasionally, that really does mean lying down. 

Put Recovery Into Practice 

Experience the future of well-being at Canyon Ranch Austin, opening Oct. 15. Discover leading-edge technology, expert care, and deeply restorative experiences designed to help you live, move, and feel better for years to come.