Massage Gun Health Benefits – A relaxing massage is a great way to soothe your sore muscles after an intense workout. But really, how often do you have time for a full-body massage? With our busy lives and hectic schedules, many of us barely have time for our daily workout routine.
Still, a full-body deep tissue massage is hands-down one of the best ways to relieve muscle tension. If you’re looking for an alternative solution to sore muscles, a massage gun might be a great option for you.
What Is A Massage Gun?
A massage gun is a handheld device designed to target muscles quickly and effectively. It looks (and sometimes sounds) like your typical hand drill and has attachments to help you access hard-to-reach areas like your upper back.
Massage guns offer the same benefits as deep tissue massage but are more convenient and accessible. You can easily bring one with you to use before and after your workouts.
How Does It Work?
The principle behind massage guns is called percussive therapy, which is basically applying pressure directly to the muscles in a back and forth motion. A massage gun uses high-frequency vibrations to deliver a low-intensity percussion to a specific area.
Percussive therapy or vibration therapy has been studied for its promising applications in fitness, including muscle growth and relieving pain from muscle injuries.
10 Health Benefits Of Using A Massage Gun
Now, let’s find out what are the main health benefits of using a massage gun in your daily life.
- Relieves muscle soreness
- Stimulates nerves and hormones
- Reduces lactic acid
- Improves the appearance of scar tissue
- Aids in flexibility
- Injury prevention
- Reduces muscle spasms
- Muscle building
- Enhances blood and lymphatic circulation
- Promotes rehabilitation
1. Relieves muscle soreness
Clinical research shows that vibration therapy effectively prevents delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
DOMS is the annoying soreness you may experience after a particularly extreme workout. It may also happen if you’ve just begun to work out or switched up your routine. You can start to notice DOMS the day after your workout and its effects might last up to 2 days.
Using a massage gun before and after a workout can help prevent DOMS. Even if you’re just doing a routine workout, your massage gun will disperse any post-exercise soreness. That way you can go about your day without walking around with stiff legs.
2. Stimulates nerves and hormones
A massage gun helps to stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for putting your body into “fight” mode. This improves your reflex time and alertness in addition to increasing adrenaline in your body.
Adrenaline increases your blood circulation and helps your muscles prepare for action. In addition to this hormone, percussive therapy also stimulates the release of serotonin and dopamine, which are hormones that promote a positive sense of well-being.
3. Reduces lactic acid
Lactic acid build-up is caused by a lack of oxygen in your body’s muscles. This usually happens during anaerobic exercise, which involves short, intense bursts of energy that don’t make the body produce oxygen. Weightlifting and HIIT are types of anaerobic exercise.
Your body uses oxygen to turn glucose into energy while you work out. When there isn’t enough oxygen, glucose is converted to lactate or lactic acid instead. Lactic acid buildup can cause muscle aches, soreness, and weakness.
Using a massage gun after your workout will help your body burn off the excess lactic acid by moving it into your bloodstream faster.
4. Improves the appearance of scar tissue
The deep tissue massage that you get from a massage gun can help to gently break up scar tissue. It helps to bring more circulation to the scarred area and, with continued use, can increase flexibility. Experts believe that massage guns aren’t just good for sports injury scars but can also help with post-operative scars.
5. Aids in flexibility
A massage gun can help you warm up your muscles before exercising, working similarly to a dynamic stretching routine. The percussive therapy delivered by a massage gun helps muscles to contract and lengthen, improving flexibility during your workout.
Using a massage gun after exercising will also have a similar effect to a cool-down stretch. The high-frequency vibrations can be used to apply gentle pressure to the muscles, ligaments, and connective tissues.
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6. Injury prevention
We know that stretching is important before a workout, but time is not a luxury that everyone has. Using a massage gun can help improve your circulation and warm up your body, resulting in more oxygen reaching the muscles, a better range of motion, and an increased production in the natural fluids surrounding your joints.
All these mechanisms prep your body for an intense workout and help prevent injuries.
7. Reduces muscle spasms
A particularly extreme workout may cause muscle spasms and stiffness. Muscle spasms may prevent oxygen from entering the muscles, causing pain and difficulty in movement. Using a massage gun can help regularize muscle contractions, reducing spasms and stiffness.
8. Muscle building
A massage gun not only helps to relieve muscle pain but also to build stronger muscles. Vibration therapy has been reported to help increase the expression of anabolic genes, which may help improve a person’s muscle-building capacity.
By preventing muscle stiffness and DOMS, massage guns may also help you prepare for your next workout without any worries about physical restrictions or injuries.
9. Enhances blood and lymphatic circulation
The deep tissue massage brought about by a massage gun allows your body to get rid of toxins and excess fluid much faster by improving venous and lymphatic circulation. Increasing blood flow also gets more nutrients to your muscles and organs.
Read More: Best Herbs for Blood Circulation & Best Herbs For Lymphatic System
10. Promotes rehabilitation
A massage gun doesn’t just benefit athletes and gym enthusiasts. It can also be used for rehabilitation in people with injuries or debilitating diseases. As we now know, vibration therapy helps to improve flexibility, range of motion, and circulation issues.
Proper blood circulation is essential for healing. Your blood delivers oxygen and nutrients to your cells, allowing them to heal faster and build stronger tissues.
Similar Article: The Health Benefits Of Wearing Acupressure Slippers
Things To Know Before You Start Using A Massage Gun
The first thing you may want to do is to think about the areas where you will most likely use your massage gun. Look for a device with the right attachments to help you reach your target areas.
Massage guns come in different sizes. Ask yourself how often you will use your massage gun and whether or not you will be comfortable handling a small or large device.
You will also want to test the massage gun out before you buy it, so be careful when purchasing online. It may be too bulky or too loud when it arrives.
Lastly, start slowly and don’t apply too much force when using your new massage gun. Remember that improper use can lead to injuries so you’ll want to go easy, especially on your first few tries. Work up to a frequency and duration that your body is comfortable with.
Recommended Massage Gun
In terms of brand, we recommend the massage gun from Flyby that you can get online here. This massage gun is small but super powerful with around 50lbs of pressure (ideal for deep tissue). The noise generated from this device is quite low (40db) so you won’t annoy anyone while using it. 6 massage heads are included (to use on different parts of your body) and the battery can last more than 4 hours.
In Short
Massage guns offer a portable yet effective relief for muscle tension and post-exercise soreness. When used properly, a massage gun can also help improve flexibility, boost muscle building, and enhance circulation.
A massage gun is a great option with the merits of a deep tissue massage and the portability of a hefty lunch box. With its numerous health benefits, you will find that it’s a must-have in the fitness world. Though using it may take some self-control and practice, it’s a great investment for anyone looking to improve their fitness journey.