Equinox, Aescape Launch Pre and Post-Workout Massage Series

Proof that AI and human expertise can work side by side? Aescape and Equinox are folding robotic massage tech into the club’s coach-led fitness programming

Equinox is putting a robot in charge of your recovery, but it still wants a human coach’s insight behind it.

The luxury lifestyle and fitness operator has launched Equinox Exclusives, a slate of pre-workout and recovery massage sessions developed by its own coaches and delivered by Aescape’s AI-powered robotic machines.

Now live in more than 50 Equinox clubs, the program marks the first time Equinox has tied Aescape’s massage technology directly to its signature classes, with coaches having co-created every session.

Runners can book a 15-minute Precision Run Prep to prime the body and key muscles before a workout, or a 30-minute post-run session targeting the back, hips and hamstrings.

On the recovery side, there’s a 30-minute strength massage for upper-body days, a 15-minute MetCon session after HIIT training, a 15-minute Glute Focus for lower-body days and a 30-minute Flow State Recovery built for post-yoga and Pilates.

“Building recovery into our program with Aescape, that’s specifically catered to how our members train, increases efficiency, accessibility and convenience,” said Equinox director of spa James Gu. “When fitness and recovery are designed together, members get more out of both.”

The two brands go back to 2024, when Equinox first brought Aescape’s automated massage beds into its clubs.

Equinox Exclusives comes as Aescape enters a new chapter after its original corporate entity entered insolvency proceedings this spring with more than $150 million in unsecured debt. Its technology and partner agreements now operate under a new company, Aescape Recovery. New CEO Frank Britt has said the underlying business is still growing, pointing to repeat usage and high satisfaction.

Looking ahead, Aescape says it has more than 130 machines deployed and is shooting for 200 by year’s end, delivering roughly 12,000 sessions a month. The company cut its workforce by more than half and now runs leaner, with most of its remaining staff focused on a next-generation machine that Britt said will be lighter and cheaper to build by 2027.

Britt has also signaled ambitions beyond just massages, with Aescape planning to move into body data and recovery metrics, giving members insight into flexibility and stiffness over time. 

Not a One-Off

The Equinox-Aescape tie-in is one of the first real examples of artificial intelligence and humans playing nice on the gym floor, at a time when many operators and coaches are still reluctant to let AI near their members.

And Equinox isn’t the only one wagering that the two can share the room.

In Los Angeles, Fred Fitness is dubbed the first AI-powered gym and runs on EGYM smart strength equipment, InBody scans and biomarker testing, with certified trainers thrown in at no extra charge.

“The original idea was that we offer AI to members as a solution, a tool where people can experience personalized training, but don’t have to pay hundreds or thousands for a personal trainer,” Fred Fitness founder and CEO Andre Enzensberger told ATN. “We actually employ quite a few certified trainers who assist the process, but we don’t pass the cost on to the members.”