People often wonder whether a massage gun is a must in their health and fitness repertoire. Experts have conducted several studies to emphasise its role in ensuring a fast muscle recovery process after a workout.

But the handheld device can give you more than muscle pain relief and deep tissue massage with its massage therapy. Even non-athletes can use it to relieve muscle tension or muscle cramps after a day’s work!

Here are the benefits of massage guns:

Table of Contents

1. Optimum Athletic Performance

If you’re into sports or intense exercise, chances are your muscles go through stresses that lead to muscle knots and pain. A massage gun (also known as percussion massager), in this case, can come in handy. Here are the things that happen to your body when using a massage gun:

  • It stretches your muscle spindles. It’s like waking up your muscles and getting them ready for work. Through body vibration therapy, you get better muscle-and-mind coordination plus a better range of motion. If you’re more flexible, then you can also avoid hurting yourself while exercising.
  • It keeps blood flow going. The lactic acid in the body tends to build up after an intense workout, causing severe pain. But a 2011 study by Herrero A.J. et. al. published in Spinal Cord shows that whole-body vibration therapy increases blood circulation in blood and tissue cells (dilating blood vessels). It also flushes lactic acid in the process. The result is muscle inflammation and muscle tension reduction. Overall, it’s good for those who have poor blood circulation.
  • It prevents lymphatic system blockage. Our lymph acts like a sink drain that removes wastes in the body. The muscles are responsible for controlling it. So, if the muscles are too tight (muscle tightness) after a challenging workout, toxins may accumulate and lead to body swelling or lymphedema. A massage gun can balance things out and keep our body drainage going.

These combined effects can then enhance muscle performance and prevent all sorts of discomfort. More importantly, you get to make the most of your exercise or training time.

Percussion Massager Gun for Workout Relief

‍2. Injury Recovery and Prevention

The vibrating and hammering motions of massage guns are what reduce pain from muscle stiffness. Specifically, the vibration interferes with the pain signals your brain sends out, while the thumping provides relief to deep muscles and muscle tissue.

With these together, you get to rehabilitate atrophied muscles within a short time. And you don’t even have to do any movement at all!

For many athletes who often experience delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), the injury recovery benefit of a massage gun is vital. DOMS happens every time you put your muscles under high-stress levels. Worse, the pain and dreadful after effect can last up to three days, which can affect sports performance. But, thanks to research published in Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research in 2014, we now know that percussive therapy is effective in the treatment or prevention of DOMS.

Do you need more solutions for sore muscle relief? Check out these lists of workout recovery tools and quick fixes.

3. Everyday Muscle Relief

Professional athletes are not the only ones who benefit from a handheld vibration massager. If you do a lot of physical labour, the percussive therapy can take care of your aching muscles, reduce lactic acid build up and increase skin blood flow to help muscles relax while speeding muscle recovery.

Percussive therapy from massage guns is the perfect solution if you sit for hours or constantly look down at your smartphone, too. The best part is it can target precise knotted areas such as your feet, legs, arms or lower back.

A massage is the best way to unwind after a busy workday. That’s because it can stimulate the release of endorphins like dopamine. It can down-regulate the nervous system and put stress hormones like vasopressin and cortisol under control.

Regular exercise is effective in avoiding or reducing muscle soreness, too. But if you’re too busy, you can always use work-from-home equipment to amplify your daily physical activity levels.

Percussion Massager Gun for Pain Relief

4. Cellulite Treatment

Cellulite is a skin condition typically seen on women’s buttocks, hips or thighs. Instead of having a smooth appearance, skin with cellulite will appear dimpled or bumpy. It’s a problem when fat cells alter the attachment of our skin layer to our muscles. That’s why cellulite often occurs in people with weight issues. Genetics may also be a possible cause.

A massage gun, however, can help address this. That’s because using a massage gun can send deep impulses to your target area that cellulite creams cannot reach. The vibration therapy then can break up the extra fat while increasing blood circulation so the body can absorb it. The result is naturally smooth, bump-free skin!

5. Overall Wellness

There’s so much more to massage guns than pain reduction and stress relief. These effects also lead to a chain of other health and wellness benefits. For instance, the relaxing feeling of a body massage can promote deep restorative sleep. And we all know how crucial sleep is in recharging our bodies and increasing our vitality. Ample rest also boosts your immunity to avoid various diseases and infections.

6. Convenient At-Home Massage & Muscle Therapy

Massage sessions with a physical therapist can work wonders on your aching joints and muscles. However, constant health clinic visits can add up to costs. Also, it can be exhausting to make a schedule or travel to and fro each time.

A massage gun, on the other hand, can provide the same muscle relief. More importantly, it will save you time and money in the long run.

Massage guns are also portable, so you can use it anywhere at home or pack it in your gym bag. It’s also flexible to use just like a foam roller. You can also use a massage gun to supplement your sessions with a massage therapist, for instance.

Or, if you don’t have any health issues or existing injuries, you can use the massage gun to replace traditional massage sessions.

‍Takeaway

A deep-tissue massage gun therapy may not be a cure-all for all aches and pains. However, this form of physical therapy can benefit fitness enthusiasts of any level.

A massage gun can also provide that much-needed relief for anyone, whether you’re a carpenter, office worker, busy mum or student. Just make sure you know how and when to use the massage gun to make most of it. Check out this guide and percussion massager reviews to help you get started!

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