Using a massage gun for muscle recovery

 

Estimated read time 3 minutes. 

You’ll have heard it a thousand times before, but recovery really is every bit as important as exercise. After a hard session it’s essential that you give your body every chance to repair and reenergise.

Whatever recovery routine you currently go through, it’s seriously worth incorporating the type of percussive massage that a massage gun can give you. Here are some reasons why as well as a few things to consider.

How do massage guns help muscle recovery?

There’s lots of evidence out there pointing to how massage guns can help your muscles recover. Perhaps the biggest benefit they offer is providing relief from muscle tightness and tiredness – crucial to avoiding the dreaded Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) that anyone who’s gone hard in a workout will have felt a few days later.

Muscle guns are great at improving blood flow, which helps deliver oxygen and nutrients to tired muscles. They also boost your flexibility, with percussive massage proven to improve the range of motion. And on an emotional level, massage relieves stress and tensions, which can lead to a good night’s sleep.

All of this adds up to better recovery and preparation for your next session.

Using massage guns for muscle knots

If you’ve suffered from muscle knots, you’ll know all about the pain they cause. A massage gun can’t immediately remove muscle knots – that can take time. But with increased blood flow to the area, the muscles loosen to alleviate that knotting pain and speed up the process of recovery.

Is a massage gun good for pulled muscles?

Pulled muscles are caused when you push a muscle past its normal range of motion. And while muscle guns are perfect for treating muscle stiffness and soreness, they’re not to be used on pulled muscles.

The best thing you can do is give the muscle plenty of RICE – Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation – and let nature take its course. Once it’s ok to start training again, you can get back to using your muscle gun as part of your recovery.

How can a massage gun help with a muscle strain?

Our advice is the same as above. Although a muscle strain may not be as severe as a pulled muscle, you still need to be careful not to make things worse. But once the strain is rested and fully healed, you’re good to go again.

How to use a massage gun for recovery

Massage guns are designed to be super easy to use. Taking our own MuscleGun Carbon massage gun as an example, here are simple steps to follow:

• Select your preferred attachment and insert it into the device. Check the MuscleGun manual for advice on the best attachment to use.
• Using the control panel on the top of your device, choose your desired speed setting.
• Using a sweeping motion, gently float the device across all key muscle groups on your body for around 5-10 minutes.
• Gradually apply more pressure to areas of the body where you feel the muscles are particular tight or sore. Continue the movement with your device across the muscle groups until you feel the tension and pain ease.

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