As a large part of the consumer economy moves into spending on journeys of improvement, like buying a smartwatch that tells you to pick up the pace on your Spartan Run while you take a Babble Italian lesson, there is an opportunity for marketers to look at the rest and recovery times for new products and services. What gets lost with high performers between the 4:30 AM Peloton workout and the global conference call from the treadmill desk is rest and recovery. Until recently, getting minimal sleep and working all hours was a badge of honor. That changed when Ariana Huffington collapsed at her desk from exhaustion, hitting her head so hard she needed medical treatment. Ms. Huffington then initiated a global dialogue on self-care and the need for proper mental and physical rest. Different than the indulgent rest time of watching Netflix while eating Cookie Dough Ice Cream on a Yogiboo cushion, this is the business of augmented recovery. It is about optimizing the downtime, the rest between the battles that sharpen the saw and enable people to reengage back into the world, modified in their pit stop to come back into the fray better, stronger, and faster. Dean Karnaze is an ultra-marathoner who has run 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states. The accomplishment is as much a logistics achievement as it was an endurance milestone. When asked what he does for recovery, his answer was drinking coconut water, ice baths, compression, and sleep. Although the average weekend warrior does not come close to the physical stress that Karnaze puts himself through, many runners follow Karnaze specific recovery advice and in doing have spawned a whole new market for specialized ice tanks and compression suits.
This recovery market is a vibrant new area that consumers are willing to invest significant dollars in optimizing rest. By promising speed of recovery and avoidance of injuries, these revitalization solutions can compel the same high price points of the action-based gadgets. This rest and recovery market is an untapped area for entrepreneurs to bring new products to market that will help the average person reach a new level of performance.
There is a growing group of influencers in the recovery market. Tim Ferris has admitted to struggling with sleep and has researched many of the gadgets, techniques, and processes that promise high-quality slumber. Ferris recommends the Chilipad, a thin sheet that goes under your regular bed sheet, and a unit next to the bed circulates water through that sheet at 55–110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Ferris also recommends the Sleep Master mask because it goes over your ears instead of on top of them.[1]Tom Brady, the future hall of fame quarterback from the New England Patriots, has played the position at a level longer and more successfully than anyone in the history of the sport. Brady’s longevity and accomplishments have many people interested in his health routine from what he eats to how he stretches. His TB12 fitness products focus on all aspects of health and self-care. He even has a line of mineral-lined sleepwear. These pajamas have infrared radiation, which can penetrate up to 1.5 inches beneath the skin, and have shown to have some health benefits by increasing circulation to those areas of the body. [i]
New Markets
The recovery market is broadening into new categories and is bringing unlikely players to the scene. One of the fastest-growing areas in the beer market is beers that target running and sports recovery. Athletic Brewery based in Stratford CT. brews a non-alcoholic craft beer that is excellent tasting and has healthy recovery-based ingredients. This image of beer drinking is much different from Homer Simpson on the recliner watching TV. Craft Brewers are scrambling to develop beers for active consumers that are carb conscious and looking for beers, not for the buzz but rather to rebuild muscles and replenish depleted salts, minerals, and carbohydrates.[i] Large brewers have taken notice of this new market area, with Heineken Zero Zero launching earlier this year with surprising sales results.
Not Just Physical
There is significant growth in transformational travel that includes meditation resorts and silent retreats focused on recharging the brain. Soul Cycle, the high-intensity bicycle health club company, just announced it was going to start offering spiritual retreats. Once considered only appealing to the hippy fringe of society these resorts and retreats are a fast-growing market and companies are scrambling to catch up as people move from trips of indulgence to journeys for personal growth
Wealthy travelers are increasingly looking for wellness summits, spirituality retreats, and resorts that focus on self-care rather than beach parties and all-night clubbing. According to a 2018 Global Wellness Tourism Economy study, the wellness tourism industry is expected to be worth $919 billion by 2022 — and companies like SoulCycle and Equinox are hoping to get their slice of the pie[i]
Doctors are even finding ways of making watching TV a therapeutic activity for stress and anxiety. The Neurovation Center in Sandy Hook CT is on the cutting edge of mental healthcare options offering EEG-guided neurofeedback and a variety of counseling services. It is an innovative treatment facility that merges psychotherapy and neuroscience to provide relief for those struggling with the symptoms related to anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, and more. The Center has impressive results with clients that sit in comfort and watch TV. These Televisions are connected to brain wave monitoring caps that clients wear. The TV dims when negative brain waves arise. Over time, this restful TV watching suppresses harmful brain waves from emerging. This mixture of rest and therapy has had some breakthrough results. This process has been effective in treating PTSD, Anxiety, and Depression.
Downtime, once the bastion of the entertainment and leisure industries will evolve to offer ever-increasing opportunities for people to recharge. As noted in some of the products and services mentioned above, this is an area that will compel premium price points for a high achieving demographic looking to maximize every second of their lives. One of Elon Musk’s missions for autonomous cars is to free up those unproductive hours in traffic to be opportunities for personal growth and development in his automobiles.Our world appears to be becoming more hectic and non-stop. This never-ending technology-driven world is making moments of rest more precious entities that are providing market opportunities. Entrepreneurs looking for an untapped market should look to the downtime to build a business around helping people in their hero’s journey rest and recovery periods.i 13 Hacks Tim Ferris uses to Sleep Brainflow 2018/10/30/13ii I Slept in Tom Brady’s Bioceramic Pajamas ByMike ProsperoFebruary 06, 2017Fitnessiii Business Insider November 16, 2019