“I've been a strength conditioning coach for 42 years, which I can't believe,” says Mike.
As a revered coach in his industry, it’s not just the workout, it’s also the recovery from the work out and activity that makes a difference with his clientele in terms of results and reaching goals. Active recovery is multifaceted and OOFOS is an integral part of his team’s active recovery regimen.
Mike is a big proponent of OOFOS. You’ve heard of someone who would give you the shirt off their back? Well, Mike has actually given people the OOFOS off his feet.
As a revered figure in the world of strength and conditioning, Mike’s resume includes championship organizations competing at the top of their sport, including the Boston Bruins, Boston Red Sox, Boston University, the Women's National Ice Hockey Team, and Women's National Soccer Team.
In 1996, Mike co-founded Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning (MBSC). While his initial clientele was made up of primarily elite athletes, it soon grew to include anyone looking to improve their health and fitness, whether through weight loss, improving health with an organized training program, or reaching new levels of fitness for athletic goals.
“Initially, we were an athlete training facility and we were open from 3 to 9. Now we're open from 5:15 in the morning until 9 at night, training really just about anybody that you could find.”
MBSC offers comprehensive performance enhancement training, whether the client’s goal is sports performance, weight loss, healthier living, or injury rehabilitation.
Ultimately, the goal is to provide safe and effective performance enhancement for sport and life. One of the important elements of that goal is incorporating active recovery into MBSC’s training programs.
Do Professionals Wear OOFOS?
Mike’s first exposure to OOFOS came very early on. While with the Red Sox, the team’s physical therapist Dan Dyrek told him about how great the OOFOS OOfoam™ technology was. Dyrek was also working with the Indiana Pacers at the time.
One of the key moments came when Mike used OOFOS for his own recovery needs. He was dealing with some knee issues when he decided to wear OOFOS for a week. The results impressed him so much that he contacted OOFOS’ President and told him “you need to figure out how you can get these on as many coaches, therapists, and trainers as you possibly can.”
OOFOS can now be found in many locker rooms of professional sports teams around the country. Las Vegas Raiders Head Athletic Trainer Chris Cortez introduced OOFOS to his team, including quarterback, and now OOFOS investor, Derek Carr when he was rehabilitating from a broken ankle.
Why is Active Recovery So Important?
Kevin Carr has been a massage therapist and personal trainer at MBSC since 2008. When Mike introduced him to OOFOS, he thought a partnership was a perfect idea.
“We always tell our athletes: their training isn't just about what we do in the gym or what they do on the field, but the recovery that happens in between the time they're competing or the time that they're training,” says Kevin.
It comes down to breaking old habits. Mike explains:
“So when you think about the idea of recovery, basically we really used to just have sleeping and eating. That was how somebody was going to recover. They were going to rest. They were going to eat. They were going to sleep.”
But you're missing an opportunity if you're not looking for ways to improve the recovery process during your daily routine.
When you go about your day in typical footwear, you experience impact forces up to 1.5 times your bodyweight on your feet and joints, plus the stress from training. But what if you could significantly alleviate that stress?
Mike does the math:
“The average athlete trains for 2 hours a day. They're probably logging 7,500 steps a day. If [OOFOS] picks up 40% of body weight per step. That reduction becomes massively significant over the course of a year.”
Mike’s referring to OOFOS’ proprietary OOfoam™ technology, which absorbs 37% more impact than traditional performance footwear. This means that OOFOS footwear can reduce load and impact on the body after your workout – significantly reducing torque and stress around the feet, knees, ankles and hips. In fact, OOFOS have been shown to reduce energy exertion at the ankles by up to 42% and loading rates by up to 88% over traditional athletic footwear and performance foams.
How Does Active Recovery Footwear Help?
Simply put, if you can make walking easier on the body, you’ll help reduce stress and enhance the recovery process. A study by Jay Dichary, PT in partnership with the Virginia SPEED Clinic sought to better understand how OOFOS footwear can play an important role in that process.
According to the 2018 study, the OOFOS OOriginal with OOfoam™ Technology resulted in as much as 47% less energy storage and less energy generated through the ankles while walking compared to traditional foams.
“The cool thing about this is that there's real science and real math to this. You're not selling air, you're not selling an idea, you're selling technology and math, and you're able to look at somebody and say, okay, if this picks up 40% of body weight per step, then that reduction becomes massively significant over the course of a year.”
The impact OOFOS has on people’s lives can spread like wildfire. Often, it starts with the uninitiated noticing the distinctive footwear designs. When people ask Mike about his OOFOS, he gives them the lowdown and gets them to try his on. Their excitement is immediately apparent.
“The reason that we give them to our athletes is because we care, truthfully. We want everybody to get better,” says Mike. “I have literally given the shoes off my feet to athletes here. I have literally said, you're an 11, and I've kicked them off and said, take them, wear them because I want you to have these and I want you to wear them and I'll get another pair.”
What Do Athletes Say About OOFOS?
One of the athletes Mike has introduced OOFOS to is Charlotte North. As a professional lacrosse player and Team USA athlete, Charlotte regularly trains with Mike.
Charlotte finds inspiration in Mike Boyle’s enthusiasm, the athletes surrounding her during training sessions at MBSC, and the holistic approach they take to her athletic performance. It’s not just about what happens in the gym, but how every element of her life can help improve her performance there and on the field.
“We work together on speed, on strength and conditioning, and I'm so fortunate that Mike teaches us a lot more than just training,” says Charlotte. “He teaches us about recovery, about sleep, about nutrition. And that's where he introduced us to OOFOS.”
Charlotte relies on OOFOS as a tool to enhance her recovery and athletic performance.
“I felt like I was walking on clouds,” she says. “When you put them on, you instantly feel relief. And that's what every athlete's looking for. To not be stressing your body when you don't need to be stressing.”
Mike Boyle stands as an inspiration for athletes and regular health enthusiasts alike. His unwavering dedication to his clients and his passion for innovative training and recovery tools all contribute to helping countless people reach their full potential.
