A conversation with Anthony Kahler, National Director of Recovery + Spa, VillaSport Athletic Club and Spa
Recovery is no longer just for elite athletes. It’s gone mainstream, says Anthony Kahler, National Director of Recovery + Spa for VillaSport Athletic Club and Spa. “As equipment has become more accessible, so has its presence with celebrities. You look at Paris Hilton, who has a recovery room in her own house, cryotherapy and all,” he says. At VillaSport, that shows up as an affordable, add-on membership tier putting recovery equipment inside the same space as the cafe, yoga studio, and group fitness classes.
Redefining the Word
Ask most people what recovery means, and they’ll say massage, stretching, maybe an ice bath. Kahler sees it differently. “I think we’re redefining what the word recovery means,” he says. “To me, it really means longevity, biohacking, reducing pain and inflammation, and boosting energy and athletic performance.”
The Graveyard that Changed Everything
For Kahler, this isn’t theoretical. It’s personal. He used to live in Houston, traveling for work roughly 75% of the time, commuting through what he calls “ten lanes of chaos.” “You might’ve had a great day,” he says, “but it’s not so great when you’re stuck in that traffic.”
Driving through Portland, Oregon one day, he passed a hillside so beautiful he had to look twice. It turned out to be a graveyard.
“How lucky is someone to be buried here,” he remembers thinking. “When my time comes, I want to be buried somewhere like this. And then I thought: why in the hell would I wait until I die to live somewhere so beautiful?”
So he moved. Now his drive home passes a waterfall instead of gridlock. “I wanted to enjoy life again,” he says, “and get out of that constant hustle.”
That’s the thing we have to realize when we’re overstimulated all the time, he says: escaping, and taking time for red light therapy, float, sensory deprivation, cryotherapy, matters. He points to other cultures: “I was just in Spain and Italy, and it’s not necessarily a slower pace, but a more considerate culture. You’re walking from point A to point B and you see the same faces, and you have that same tribe, that same community.”
In America, he says, it looks different: “We wake up, get our kids ready, drop them off at school, go to our jobs, eat while we work, pick the kids up, bring them to soccer games, take extra supplements because we’re not getting the nutrition or the community we need. We have to create that third place away from work and home.” Post-COVID, with more people working remotely, he sees loneliness creeping in, the loss of a coworker to banter with, get a hug from. “Those little things are so important,” he says. “You have to be your own best friend and treat your body like a temple.”
If there’s one thing I took away from this conversation with Kahler, it’s this: if you’re the most important person in your life, recovery isn’t optional. It’s how you prove it.
About Anthony Kahler
Anthony Kahler is a wellness leader specializing in building scalable businesses, high-performing teams, and cultures that drive exceptional experiences and financial performance. His path was anything but linear: from cheer coach to receptionist, marketing, hairstylist, and educator before leading teams nationally. As National Director of Recovery + Spa for VillaSport, he builds sustainable models designed for growth without compromising the member experience, rooted in a simple belief: the right people, in the right seats, with a clear path to grow, drive exceptional culture and exceptional business performance.
Follow Anthony Kahler on Instagram, LinkedIn, or stop into any VillaSport location to get started.