When you’re an athlete – whether you’re a professional or just an amateur who loves athletics or sport – you need to make sure you’re looking after yourself. Studies have shown that a staggering 90% of student-athletes report a sports-related injury of some kind, while 37% of high school athletes report having experienced sprains.
These are just a couple of the things that can happen if you’re not careful or if you don’t make sure to look after yourself while you’re working out or playing sports. One way in which you can do this is with a massage gun. These are devices that target muscles on your body, giving you spot relief for aches and pains and allowing you to get back into action quicker.
There are a number of different options available for you when it comes to buying a massage gun; some are cheaper, others are more expensive, and they’ve often got lots of options or settings you may not know whether you need. Here’s what makes a good massage gun, so you can make an informed decision when you buy one.
Amplitude
One of the most important stats, if you want to buy one, is to consider Best Massage Guns UK, as they showcase the best options. Simply, each product dictates how intense the massage will feel when you’re using the gun. It’s not the same thing as speed; instead, it’s about the power behind the gun, and how effective it will be at “punching” the muscle you’re aiming for.
You also need to think about stall force, which represents how much weight you can put on the gun before it ceases to move. If you’re a regular athlete, you should aim for a device with a higher amplitude, but if you’re a beginner, lower amplitude devices may suit you better.
Revolutions Per Minute (RPM)
The RPM value of a massage gun represents how fast it moves. Most massage guns feature an average RPM of about 2500, with values going as low as 2000 and as high as 3200 in some cases. In addition, many massage guns have variable speed settings that allow you to change the RPM.
You should definitely aim for a variable speed gun; that way, you can always decide how fast or slow you want the gun to be, and this can vary depending on the severity of the muscle tissue, the location of the muscle, and how experienced you are with using massage guns in the first place.
Battery Life
Battery life could be an important consideration for you when you’re buying a massage gun. If you’re going to be away from a charge point for a long time – say, for example, if you’re an endurance runner, or you’re playing a sport in which you won’t be able to find a plug socket for a while – then battery life is of paramount importance.
You want to aim for a massage gun that has at least 45-60 minutes of operation before requiring a charge; you likely won’t want to use the massage gun for long stretches of the time anyway (in fact, most manufacturers recommend you don’t use them for more than 15 minutes at a time).
Portability
Some massage guns are tiny and easily carried in a bag or even a pocket. If this is an important consideration for you, then you should definitely aim for a massage gun that has a higher degree of portability. You don’t necessarily need to compromise on functionality if you do this either; you’ll often find that the size and weight of a massage gun don’t actually affect its power.
If you’re traveling, you need to know that things you’re packing are going to fit – this is one of the most important packing tips for travel that you could consider. Think about whether being able to carry your massage gun around with you is important.
Photo by Ryan Snaadt on Unsplash
Noise Level
A massage gun is a mechanical device. As such, it’s pretty much impossible to avoid making at least some kind of noise with it.
You need to consider whether a high noise level is important to avoid, or whether you can handle a loud massage gun.
If you’re going to be using your gun close to your ears – if, for example, you frequently encounter aches and pains in your neck – then a high noise level is probably going to be unacceptable for you. On the other hand, if you’re wearing headphones a lot while you work out, you may not even notice the noise (but family members might!).
Design And Aesthetic
If you’re a public-facing athlete, you may want to consider how your massage gun looks. For many, this won’t be an important factor; after all, if it performs its intended function, then its appearance doesn’t really matter, right?
However, aesthetics isn’t all that goes into the design of a device. If you’re going to be holding your massage gun for prolonged periods of time, then if it has a poorly-weighted design – that is, if it doesn’t feel comfortable to use for protracted periods – then that’s going to be a problem for your wrists. Think about how the massage gun is made, and if you can, try to use it first before you buy it, so you can get a feel for how it’s going to function.
These are just some of the factors that go into making a good massage gun. In the end, only you can know what your specific needs are when it comes to buying one of these magical devices. If you get the right one, though, you’ll be astounded by just how much of a difference it can make to your day-to-day fitness routine!
