Massage guns are popular right now, and for a good reason. Professional percussion massage, as practiced by physical therapists and sports trainers, is now available to athletes at home. These products are a simple, cost-effective, and an effective approach to speed up recovery and improve performance.
We've put together a simple guide to cover all you need to know about how long you should use a massage gun.
How Do Massage Guns Work?
Muscle knots are tiny bundles of muscle fibers that are tightened for a variety of causes. These fibers become 'glued' together because they aren't receiving the chemical signal that tells them to relax.
As a result, the nerves clumped together within the knotted muscle become confused, resulting in pain as the neurological output.
According to a massage therapy study, the fibers in a muscle can be stretched by applying a mechanical stimulus and pushing them back into an extended posture, alleviating any tightness or knots. The deep tissue muscle massage gun is another way to provide a muscle with mechanical stimulation. But, instead of doing it by hand during a massage, it's done with the pulsing oscillations of a percussion tool.
What Are The Benefits Of Massage Guns?
1. It Helps To Relieve Muscle Soreness
Massage guns are well-known for their healing properties. Percussion massage therapy may offer hope to the millions of people who suffer from chronic pain due to old age, sickness, or disability worldwide.
Massage guns help gym-goers and athletes recover faster by minimizing cramping and muscular stiffness post-workout. It's also recommended as a pre-competition warm-up by world-class athletes.
Read More: How Massage Guns Help Relieve Muscle Pain And Soreness
2. It Aids In The Prevention Of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness occurs when the bodily muscles are pushed beyond their normal limits during physical exercise. DOMS can continue anywhere from 24 to 72 hours after a hard exertion. One of the most important advantages of percussion therapy is that it helps with DOMS. Employing the massage gun on the muscles involved during the workout can reduce muscle soreness and aid muscle recovery.
Tight muscles are relaxed, and muscle soreness is greatly decreased, thanks to using a massage gun for percussive treatment. It also interferes with transmitting pain signals from the brain to the body, reducing bodily pain perception.
3. It Helps Athletes Perform Better
Percussive therapy's most well-known and well-proven benefit is that it aids athletes in improving their athletic performance. So if you enjoy sports and want to improve your performance, a nice percussion massage device is a good investment.
According to several martial arts experts, percussive therapy works aggressively into the muscles, stimulates blood circulation, and accelerates the distribution of oxygen in the blood, especially in the area where massage guns are used.
Read More In Detail: How Massage Guns Can Boost Your Overall Athletic Performance
4. It Helps To Increase Muscle Flexibility
There are a variety of ways to increase your body's muscle flexibility. Yoga, dancing, and exercising are just a few activities that might help you achieve a flexible body.
You should be aware that a percussive massager can assist you in flexing more effortlessly. According to current research from the Institute of Human Movement Science in Austria, massage guns can improve range of motion.
Massage guns alleviate muscle spasms and stiffness while relieving tension. Flexibility aids in injury prevention and performance enhancement.
5. It Helps Breakup Scar Tissues
Due to damage or surgery, fibrous tissue develops between soft tissues such as muscle and organs. They can become your trigger points if you don't treat them. A percussive massager provides targeted myofascial release, which elongates muscle fibers and stretches fascia to break down scar tissue created by injury or surgery.
Scar tissue's elasticity is lower than the body's original muscle tissues. Hence it can be extremely restricting. Percussion massage helps to relieve discomfort, increase range of motion, and relieve limitations.
How Long Can I Use A Massage Gun For?
Massage guns use percussion to penetrate deep into the muscle to enhance blood flow and muscular readiness. Athletes can utilize this equipment for up to 2 minutes on any muscle area for quick recovery. For regular massage gun use, apply the massage gun for warm-ups 2-3 times each day for varied warm-ups before workouts and cool-downs after about 2-3 times each day
Pre-Workout
When used before an exercise, percussion massagers can activate muscle areas and increase muscle mobility and flexibility. You may notice significant increases in your performance if tight muscles do not restrict you.
You can also aid in preventing injury by using a massage gun to activate muscles throughout your warm-up. For example, to engage targeted muscles before an exercise, run the massager over them for 30-40 seconds.
During the Workout
The percussion gun can help reawaken muscles and prevent spasms or tiredness when exercising. However, while athletes are known to do so, there is little study on using percussion massage during physical activity.
If you use the gun throughout your workout, run it over each area for 10-15 seconds only.
Post-Workout
A heated massage gun can give you the boost you've been looking for after your workout. Less pain and a faster recovery can be achieved by increasing muscle flow and removing lactic acid build-up.
For optimal post-workout recovery, use the massager for up to two minutes across each muscle area.
Read More In Detail: How To Use Massage Guns For Cool-Downs After Working Out
For Relaxation
Massage guns are also a terrific method to relax and ease muscle tension, so you may use yours whenever you need to unwind. You can use the massage gun for up to two minutes on each muscle region for relaxation.
As previously stated, working muscles for more than 2 minutes can damage or bruise. However, you'll discover that this is all you need to get the most out of these tools.
In addition, the most recommended massage gun routine will begin with 10-30 seconds on each specific location. If you have multiple illness locations, there's no limit to how often you should use a massage gun across the body; just keep it moving to avoid skin discomfort.
What About Full-Body Sessions?
Massage guns are beneficial during workouts and for people with persistent medical disorders, including cellulite, fibromyalgia, sciatica, Frozen Shoulder, and others.
You should spend no more than 15 minutes on a full-body workout. Only use a massager gun on each muscle group for 15 seconds to 2 minutes.
It can help you reduce DOMS, and stress, sleep better, enhance your immune system, increase attention, improve blood and lymph circulation, and improve athletic performance.
What Is the Best Massage Gun Attachment?
Regarding attachments the best rule is to go with what feels most comfortable for you and the area you're targeting. For proper use, follow the massage gun manufacturer's directions.
For larger muscle groups, such as your thigh muscles, the blunted head attachment on the best percussion massager is likely to be the ideal option. On the other hand, the rounded head attachment is considered to be better for smaller sites and more isolated targeting.
Larger and smaller foam head attachments are usually best for large to small muscle groups like the calves, thighs, and shoulders.
Also Read: Which Massage Gun Head Attachments Should You Use
How Not To Use A Massage Gun
Massage guns should not be used on muscles that have been strained or torn. Muscles, not bones, nerves, joints, or tendons, should be treated with them. Avoid scabs, sores, recent bone fractures, malignant lesions, and other areas where sensitivity is compromised.
While the sensation of a massage gun can be unpleasant at first, it should not be painful. If you're hurting after using one, it's possible you pressed down too hard or for too long, so ease up and discover your sweet spot.
Apply the massage gun less strongly if you experience pain while doing so. Take a break and try again later if you can't find the perfect area with your pistol.
Final Words
Massage guns are a terrific self-massage tool for treating muscle discomfort and a range of conditions, but there is such a thing as massage gun overuse, which can be hazardous to your body.
When you consider that anyone may buy a massage pistol and regular massage gun use without supervision, there is a possibility of misuse.
Massage guns, on the other hand, are rather simple to operate, and they are safe if you know when and how often to use them. So, as a general rule, follow the massage gun manufacturer's directions.
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