Exclusive | The future of fitness is robotoic! Exoskeletons promise to supercharge your workout but do they work?

E-bikes gave cyclists a major boost.Now, a wearable robot wants to do the same for your legs.Meet the exoskeleton, a battery-powered gadget that straps onto your body and promises to make running, hiking and everyday movement feel like less — or more — of a workout.Robotic exoskeletons have been used in medical rehabilitation for decades, helping people practice walking following illness or injury.Now, companies are bringing lighter-weight versions to the consumer fitness market, with ambitions that go beyond restoring mobility: They’re helping healthy, active people move farther, faster and with less effort.Hypershell, for one, is bringing these futuristic sidekicks to market for everyone from weekend adventurers to elite athletes — and selling them for up to $2,299 a pop.

They recently supplied Brazilian soccer club Santos FC with seven of them to assist player movement, reduce physical strain and fatigue and aid in athletic conditioning and recovery.DNSYS’ pieces go for $1,299 to $2,298, and the company even teamed up with the creators of the video game “Death Stranding 2” to bring its robotic leg gear to life in a limited-edition model that sold out in less than an hour.Ascentiz, meanwhile, launched its $1,199 H Module this August.The robotic hip attachment is built to boost lower-body performance, support outdoor adventures and make everyday movement easier.

Unlike devices that require separate hip and knee units, H Module uses a shared waist platform called the Exo-Belt, allowing users to swap attachments depending on their needs.The H Module isn’t designed to help users leap over building or scale skyscrapers — unfortunately — but it does offer several modes to change how your body moves.In assist mode, the exoskeleton’s built-in motors give your hips a synchronized push with each step, which the company says cuts down the physical effort of climbing or walking by roughly 35% to 40%.Want to work harder instead? Training mode adds resis...