Massage guns

If you are serious about your performance and your health, it is imperative to think about recovery after working out. Under this broad term we absolutely include (in addition to sleep and healthy eating) stretching and massage. Self-massage works too. And how can we make self-massage as easy as possible? With a massage gun, for one!

What is a massage gun?

A massage gun or muscle massage gun (also known as a theragun from the original manufacturer) is a portable, hand-held, electronic massage tool, with the help of which you can massage your own muscles practically anywhere on your body. It looks a little more like a drill than a gun – and in some cases it sounds like one too.

How does a muscle gun work?

As soon as you switch the gun on, it starts vibrating at a low amplitude and high frequency. Translated, the ergonomic gun attachment starts to extend back and forth over a very short distance, but does so very quickly. It then gently massages the muscle on contact with the skin.

The guns often have several levels of vibration speed, so you can adjust the massage to suit you. The best massage guns also come with several different attachments designed for different parts of your body.

What a massage gun can do

A massage gun boasts the following capabilities:

• it helps relieve muscle tension and stiffness
• it helps increase the range of motion
• it accelerates muscle warm-up before exercise
• it improves circulation and blood flow
• it can therefore promote recovery after working out and improve performance
• it reduces muscle soreness
• it reduces cramp
• it reduces the production of lactic acid and helps eliminate it
• it potentially accelerates the rehabilitation process in the event of injury

What to consider when choosing

When you decide to invest in a massage gun, be sure to look at:

• what attachments the massage gun has (and whether it has any attachments at all)
• whether you have the option to select speed levels, or how many there are
• whether it is wireless (most are, but there may still be exceptions)
• how long it stays charged
• whether it’s not too loud

Reading the reviews on massage guns will help you decide.

When and how to use a muscle gun

• You can use a massage gun both before and after your workout.
• Before working out, you can use it to increase the range of motion, get blood flowing in the body and warm up the muscles (i.e. to prepare for exercise).
• After working out, you can use it to support muscle regeneration and prevent muscle pain.
• It’s not just top athletes who can’t get enough of vibrating massage guns even on rest days. Simply taking out the muscle gun for a few (10–20) minutes in your spare time promotes recovery without being directly linked to a workout.

This brings us to the next point: the massage gun is usually used for a matter of minutes (much less than an hour), so even one massage period doesn’t take long at all.

How muscle massage is beneficial

Massages, massage guns and foam rollers use what is called the myofascial release technique. A fascia is connective tissue that surrounds muscles, blood vessels and nerves. For a variety of reasons, a fascia can become tight or even inflamed, and when this happens, your ability to move may be limited. However, gentle to moderate pressure applied with a massage gun or a foam roller, for example, has been found to help relax tight areas of the body.

What is the advantage of a massage gun over a foam roller?

A vibration gun can target muscles much better than a foam roller – and we’re talking especially about those that are hard to reach (pectorals, biceps, forearms and many others). Plus, you can customise a massage gun better – either with attachments or different speeds. This makes the bigger investment in the gun worthwhile.