Instructions for using the massage gun correctly to achieve high efficiency

Massage guns are now quite popular in Vietnam and are used by many people, but whether you already know how to use a massage gun most effectively, let’s find out.

If you have never heard of it, a massage gun is a device that allows you to quickly massage with powerful massage force whenever and wherever you want.

Why they are called massage guns is simply that they are designed in the shape of a gun and provide the ability to massage.

There are many types of massage guns on the market with different prices and quality that make choosing a good massage gun not easy.

How does a massage gun work?

Basically, the mechanical massage gun has 2 main operating mechanisms, vibration and knock, or can combine these two forms at the same time. The use of vibration and cushioning will apply to each case differently, both of which are believed by experts to help reduce pain and fatigue after exercise.

What is Percussive Therapy?

Percussion therapy involves applying force to muscles and connective tissue to break up adhesions and increase blood circulation to painful areas.

The massage guns use percussion therapy to reach deep into the soft tissue for maximum effect, which can be as deep as 16mm into the skin.

What is Vibration Therapy?

You can consider this as percussion therapy but at a milder level, the operation is similar with an effective depth of about 8-10mm, vibration therapy is often used for people with chronic pain, sensitive muscles or a medical condition that prevents them from using percussion therapy.

It can be said that percussion therapy is a deep massage and vibration therapy is a gentle massage.

How to properly use a massage gun?

To achieve effective pain relief, you must use the massage gun correctly, improper use can cause additional pain and waste money.

Here are some tips for using a massage gun properly for different situations

Use a massage gun before a workout

Performing a pre-workout with a massage gun before a workout can help you increase blood flow to the muscles you’re going to work on. Using a massage gun during your warm-up also helps increase your range of motion.

When using a massage gun before exercising, take two minutes to massage directly on the muscle group you intend to exercise and an additional 30 seconds for allied muscle groups.

For example, today you practice your legs, apply the following massage gun

• 60 seconds for the front thighs
• 60 seconds for the back thighs
• 30 seconds for the lower back
• 30 seconds for calves

In less than 5 minutes you can increase blood circulation and get your muscles ready.

However, don’t do that and skip other forms of warm-up such as stretching, light cardio to increase your heart rate.

Use a massage gun after a workout

After a workout you can use a massage gun as a way to cool down. With the percussion therapy of the massage gun, you can bring your muscles from a state of excitement to a state of rest. In theory, a massage gun relaxes your nervous system and helps mask the signals sent to the brain after a workout.

Using a massage gun after a workout also helps increase blood flow to muscle groups to increase oxygen and nutrition to your tired muscles.

Finally, using a massage gun after exercise will reduce inflammation in the muscles, helping the muscles recover faster.

Use a massage gun for sore muscles

If you notice muscle soreness after 1-2 days of exercise, these are known as late-onset aches and pains (DOMs) and a massage gun can help alleviate some of this pain.

When using the massage gun at this time, you should set the strength of deep massage because at this time your muscles are very sensitive, using strong force can make you feel uncomfortable.

When you find the right intensity, try massaging for 1-2 minutes in each painful area.

When should not use a massage gun?

In most cases, massage guns are safe to use for muscle aches and improve fitness. But there are cases where you should not indulge in massage like

• On bone areas
• Musculoskeletal injuries such as sprains, strains
• On bruises or open wounds
• Areas of severe pain for no apparent reason
• Areas of arthritis, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia or other musculoskeletal condition

How often to use massage gun?

You can safely use the massage gun every day if you use the right technique and do not exceed the recommended time provided by the company (most massage guns have this information in the manual).

If using a massage gun on an area or muscle group for too long can cause sensitivity and pain, using too little may not get the full benefit it provides. If you are not sure if it is appropriate for you to use, please refer to the user manual.

Epilogue

Through the instructions on how to properly use the massage gun above, hopefully you can be more confident in using this unique device. You just need to be careful while using it and avoid using it on areas where it is not recommended and within a reasonable time and you should be fine.