Massage guns have always seemed like a luxury that was best left for athletes and fitness influencers. Sure, having a personal masseuse just a button click away sounds wonderful, but perhaps not worth the price tag.
For the uninitiated, massage guns are handheld devices that you can use to massage your own muscles — yes, even your own shoulders and back. They work by using vibration and percussive therapy to essentially pummel your muscles so quickly that it works out tension, reduces pain, improves blood flow and speeds recovery.
I was invited to trial the Theragun, easily the most popular option on the market right now, and the timing couldn’t have been better. I had just started intensive training again after recovering from an injury and I was heading into a busy period at work that saw me hunched over a computer more than normal. So for a few weeks I tended to my tight shoulders and sore everything with the Theragun Pro ($899) and Theragun Elite ($649). I also discovered it’s a surprisingly fantastic way to deal with hangovers…
The Pro and Elite are the premium Theragun devices, and admittedly won’t be for everyone with those price tags. But I can honestly say that, in general, the Theragun is worth it. Here’s why.
It Helped My Workout Recovery
After starting a new program that saw me lifting heavy three times a week with some dreaded cardio and isometric exercises mixed in, my muscles were screaming, crying, throwing up, etc… I wasn’t totally pain free after using the Theragun, but it did reduce short-term pain, and I feel like I was back to 100% sooner than I would have been normally.
Massage guns can feel pretty strange when you start using them, so it took me a few sessions to find the right spots to apply pressure and get comfortable with even the slowest speed — the entire Theragun range goes from 1750-2400 PPMs (percussions per minute). I used the Therabody App to help with this; it has pre-made routines you can follow for warm up and recovery, and even specific routines that can help with muscle cramps, carpal tunnel and “tech neck”.
I noticed a big difference in how effective it was when I started following these routines instead of just mindlessly digging into my quads.
The Attachments Make A Big Difference
At first I was too nervous to use the Theragun on my neck or other delicate areas (not there! I mean my hands and calves, which are prone to cramp for, like, no reason) because it seemed too explosive, even on the lowest speeds. But the Theragun Pro, Elite and Prime come with a variety of attachments that target different areas and muscle groups, and switching to the Dampener attachment helped alleviate my fears. It’s softer and has less of a point than the standard attachment, making it much gentler.
The Supersoft attachment is my favourite, though. Because it has a foam tip, it’s gentle enough to use on pointy body parts like elbows and knees — but I also loved the feel of it on my quads. When I was feeling particularly tender, I used the Supersoft attachment on the higher speeds (the entire Theragun range can reach 2400 PPMs) before switching to the standard or Dampener.
It’s the Ultimate Hangover Cute
A few weeks into using the Theragun for post-workout and stress relief, my housemates and I woke up outrageously hungover after a party. When I’m hungover, my muscles ache, and I asked my housemate to go to town on my shoulders with the massage gun. He looked at me like I was crazy, but obliged, and the experience was transformative. Obviously I’m not suggesting you buy a Theragun just as a hangover cure. But if you do have one, you should give this a try.
So, is spending the money on a Theragun worth it? If you exercise regularly or often have tight shoulders from work, I would say absolutely! Using it regularly, and learning how to use it correctly, can help with delayed onset muscle soreness and get you back into the gym sooner. The Theragun Prime ($499) and Theragun mini ($349) are good entry points if you don’t want to spend top dollars, too. It’s one of those luxuries that pays for itself over time and makes you wonder how you’d ever go back to life before it.
Related: Exercise Can Improve Your Memory – and HIIT Workouts Are Especially Effective
