7 Reasons Why You Should Get a Percussive Massage Gun Today!

November 6, 2019

Percussive Massage Guns:

(5-7 min) By reading this article, you will get the following:

What is a Percussive Massage Gun
7 Reasons Why You Should Get a Massage Gun
Where to Find a Good Percussive Massage Gun

What is a Percussive Massage Gun?

Massage Gun

Percussive Massage Guns are the latest trend in the fitness industry. We've all had the days where it is tough to walk the day after a challenging workout/competition. In fitness, we call this Delayed onset muscle soreness or DOMS for short. DOMS is the pain and stiffness felt in muscles several hours to days after unaccustomed or strenuous exercise. This muscle soreness is felt most strongly 24 to 72 hours after the exercise.

We recommend for anyone with extreme muscle soreness to see a physical therapist or massage therapist for assistance. We also know that not everyone has the time or resources to do so. Thankfully, there are tools and techniques that can help shorten or reduce this recovery time period.

Percussive Massage Guns can be an effective form of active recovery to aid in the relief of muscle soreness.

Here Are 7 Reasons Why You Should Get a Percussive Massage Gun:

1. Save time and money from going to the massage therapist

Massage Gun for athletes

Save time and money by having your own personal massage gun at your disposal. Massage therapists can be anywhere from $60-$150 an hour. Making a one time investment can get you similar results for a fraction of the price.

2. Help activate muscle groups and increase blood flow

blood flow

Using a percussive massage gun, combined with an appropriate dynamic warmup can help activate muscle groups. Massage guns can also be an excellent compliment to foam rolling. We wrote about an excellent lower body foam rolling routine in our previous blog post. Check out this Youtube video on a proper lower body foam rolling routine:

Increasing blood flow to muscle groups is an important part of an effective warmup routine for any workout or competition. Foam rolling can help increase blood flow to targeted muscle groups. Below are some tips on foam rolling to help increase blood flow:

Roll at a rate of 1 inch per second
Roll towards the heart for maximum blood-flow
Using a vibrating foam roller can help increase blood-flow by 2x.

3. Using a massage gun helps increase range of motion and flexibility in the short term

Massage gun for athletes

Increasing your range of motion can be done in a few ways. The more range of motion our joints have, the less stress will be put on our joints. Less stress = less of a chance of injury. A dynamic warmup focusing on full functional movement is a solid start.

Using a percussive massage gun can also help increase short term range of motion. This can be effective prior to exercise or in between sets when your muscle groups tend to tighten up.

4. Using a massage gun can help relieve muscle tension or cramps

Massage gun after workout

When we put excessive stress on our muscles, they tend to tighten up. When our muscles are tight, our range of motion becomes restricted. When our range of motion becomes constricted, our form becomes compromised. Long term improper training can lead to many repetitive injuries including improper muscle alignment, spinal disk issues, etc.

Our body is a holistic, interconnected unit. Any part that is off balance will directly impact the rest of our body. Using a foam roller in between sets can help re set our muscles to be properly aligned.

5. Massage Guns can help lengthen your muscles after workout

massage gun

After a workout, it is important to restore our muscles to their natural, lengthened state. When we engage our muscles in high-stress activities, they tend to tighten up. Using tools like massage guns and vibrating foam rollers can help restore your normal muscle length in an efficient manner.

6. Proper use of a massage gun can mimic the effects of physical therapy

Massage Gun for Physical Therapy

The trauma that our bodies go through in some of our workouts is not normal. Therefore, we must take active steps to ensure we are recovering in between workouts.

Adding a proper foam rolling routine into your workout will help your muscles recover at a quicker rate. Try a percussive massage gun to help accelerate your muscle recovery.

7. Using a massage gun can help tight muscles relax before bed

Sitting behind desk all day will lead to muscle imbalances

According to this article, 70% of Americans work jobs that require sitting at a desk all day. Sitting at a desk is not a natural event for the human body and excessive amounts of sitting can lead to muscle imbalances.

For example, when you sit at a desk all day, your hip flexors and hamstrings will be tightened. If you are not compensating for these imbalances by stretching both your hamstrings and your hip flexors, you will develop muscle imbalances. Focusing on proper glute activation is another key component to compensating for these muscle imbalances.

Percussive massage therapy can help lengthen your hamstrings and hip flexors after a long day of sitting. Consider adding glute bridges to your routine to ensure that your glutes are properly engaged and pulling your pelvis back into its natural position.

How to Implement Percussive Massage Therapy Into Your Routine

Try using your massage gun for 5-10 minutes before and after your workout. It is important to fix any muscle imbalance that you may have before it gets worse and leads to injury. If you have any questions on how to use, please feel free to contact us or a qualified trainer.

Here is a video on how to use a percussive massage gun correctly:

Where to Find a Quality Percussive Massage Gun:

There are plenty of knock-off massage guns on the market. This is in large part due to Chinese suppliers making cheap products. Make sure you buy from a trusted US supplier. Here are some tips to look for:

Is there a customer support line associated with the company? (look for a company phone not just an email) This is also useful in the event of a warranty issue. Some companies claim they have a 1-year warranty but there is nobody available to help you when needed.
Does the company have an active social media?
How long has the company been around? If there is no history of the company or any other products, it is probably a scam.

The top 3 most trusted percussive massage guns are:

Theragun -$599
Hypervolt- $449
ULTRAGun (Slim)-$249

All 3 come with a 1-year warranty. Choose one that works best for you and your budget.

Conclusion:

We are in full control of our health and wellness. Whether you are an athlete, running a marathon, or a weekend warrior, you've probably experienced some sort of muscle soreness. In order to take the appropriate steps to help compensate for these muscle imbalances and muscle soreness, we must be properly educated on the tools and techniques that can be effectively applied.

Percussive massage therapy can be an effective way to compliment your active recovery routine. When done properly, foam rolling can have a positive impact on your delayed muscle onset soreness (DOMS).

Percussive massage therapy can help with muscle activation, injury prevention, and active recovery. Not everyone has access to a trainer or massage therapist 24/7. Knowing how to properly use a foam roller can help save you time and money. If you've tried percussive massage therapy, we'd love to hear your results!