Instead of expensive massage sessions at the spa that eat up a big chunk of your budget, a massage gun is a great way for an athlete to destress the body and relax the mind, and is to date the most efficient, convenient, and time-saving method to physical therapy. 

Top 10 Reasons You Need a Massage Gun

Athletes are always in search of the next best and most effective tool for recovery and performance in order to give them an edge against their competitors. Percussion massage guns for athletes may just be one of those innovative tools.

Since its inception, the invention of the massage gun has proven to be a trend among athletes and gym-goers alike, but how effective are they really? 

In what follows, we will dive-in to the top 10 reasons why athletes are choosing massage guns over traditional massages: 

1. Massage guns for recovery 

The primary reason for the tool’s invention was for pain management. However, it quickly became the go-to device for recovery, as well. One 15-minute session of a massage gun is widely known to provide the same benefits as a 1-hour deep tissue massage. A fraction of the time for the equivalent result (or better!).

By incorporating a massage gun into your daily lifestyle and recovery routine as an athlete, you will drastically reduce recovery time between sessions.

Everything from blood circulation, to tension and stress, and even muscle tissue repair will have improved upon using a massage gun, which is why so many athletes use them. Not only do athletes who use massage guns recover quicker, they also acquire the unique ability to manage pain easily on their own.

2. Massage guns for pain relief

As mentioned above, the primary reason behind the invention of massage guns was for pain management, or pain relief. Athletes will often use a massage gun to target a particular area of pain, such as: the lower back, upper back, calves, neck-region, and even a broader approach to the entire body.

As an example, how can you use a massage gun for lower back pain?

1. Simply turn on the device (it is often battery or electrically powered).
2. Choose the power setting that you desire (there are usually multiple levels).
3. Target and rest the percussion tool on your body.
4. Maneuver the massage device along the muscle or target area.
5. Hold the massage gun in isolation on more tense areas.
6. Allow the percussion to do all the work. 

It’s that simple!

 The steps provided to you above can be repeated for any muscle group that you want to target.

3. Convenience and ease-of-use

Gone are the days of contacting your local masseuse, booking an appointment, waiting for the day to arrive, and paying a considerable amount of money for just one 30-60 minute session.

Thanks to the innovation of massage guns, therapy for athletes has become more accessible and drastically more convenient. Being in possession of a massage gun allows an athlete the unique ability to give themselves a massage at any time, in any place, as many times as possible. Whether it’s in their home prior to exercise, or at the gym post-workout, the convenience factor of owning a massage gun trumps having to purchase traditional massages every single day. 

4. Increases Performance

A massage gun’s effectiveness is widely measured not only by the way it makes you feel, but by the way you perform after using it.

Thanks to the tremendous benefits that a massage gun offers, an athlete’s sports performance can also improve. Through an increase in flexibility and efficiency, a massage gun is able to increase an athlete’s power, speed, strength, and overall performance.

With the unique ability to warm-up the muscle before exercise, enhance the workout during exercise, and improve recovery after exercise, a therapy device like a massage gun is a no-brainer for athletes and sports enthusiasts. 

5. A low-cost option (in comparison to traditional massage)

If you have a pre-set budget for things like massages, physical therapy, and other body-repair services, a therapy-like massage gun may be for you!

The difference between the cost of a one-hour, in-person session with a masseuse, and the relative one-time purchase-price of a deep tissue massage gun is in and of itself worth the investment.

Sure, the cost of one massage session in comparison to the purchase-price of a massage gun are relatively the same (a massage gun is often times more expensive than one single massage appointment). However, considering the fact that once in possession of a massage gun, you can have multiple massages, multiple times per day, for months or years after purchase without any additional expense - it’s a no brainer!

6. Improves overall well-being

As you can probably tell, the vast number of benefits that a massage gun provides is not limited to its recovery and pain management benefits. It hosts a wide variety of additional benefits including those related to one’s well-being. Using massage devices for a consistent period of time has been shown to improve sleep, decrease insomnia, improve mood, decrease anxiety & depression, and ultimately - relax the body and mind.

After reading the entirety of this article, you may be wondering why you haven’t already purchased one! 

7. Increases range of motion (ROM) 

Through constant and committed use of the percussion massage gun, an athlete will experience improved blood-flow, relaxed muscle-tissue, and strengthened joints, tendons, and ligaments. As a result, the athlete will have improved their flexibility and overall range of motion throughout the body. 

Who doesn’t want to have greater range of motion?! Being flexible and mobile doesn’t only translate into an athlete’s life. It also carries over to the general goal of longevity and health.

8. Decreases soreness (DOMS)

DOMS stands for delayed onset muscle soreness. As many athletes can attest to, experiencing soreness after a workout, for example, can drastically decrease productivity, performance, and pliability for the following workout/game/etc.

Having the ability to decrease or eliminate soreness is a huge advantage and, in turn, a primary benefit for athletes with regards to the ownership of a massage gun.

If you’ve ever felt stiff or tight throughout any part of the body, you’ll understand why this benefit is so crucial to the average athlete. Increase in range of motion and a decrease in soreness are both huge advantages in sport, and as such, a huge advantage in everyday life.

9. Helps active muscle growth & stimulation

So, do massage guns help muscle growth?

In short, the percussion of a massage gun provides the muscle with relief. If you’re a weightlifter or bodybuilder, for example, and you are having a difficult time “feeling the contraction”, a massage gun will assist you in relieving the tissue of any tension, allowing you to feel a deeper, more targeted contraction.

In other words, a massage gun can improve your muscle contraction by strengthening and lengthening muscle fibers which will ultimately result in greater muscle stimulation and indirectly - muscle growth. 

Have I convinced you to purchase a massage gun yet?!

10. Variety of attachments (multiple targeting solutions)

Lastly, there are multiple effective massage devices on the market today, each providing you with a number of attachment options including, but not limited to: ball-shape, cone-shape, and prong-shape.

The different attachment options provide the athlete with the versatility that a masseuse may not be able to provide with their hands.

Conclusion 

An athlete’s lifestyle is comprised of heavy stressors not only on the body, but on the mind. It has a number of consequences that include but are not limited to: injury, pain, mental strain, and stress. So although it is typically a healthy lifestyle, an athlete does deal with a number of consequences listed above. This is why a massage gun’s effectiveness is so beneficial.