I’m not exactly a “no pain, no gain” person, despite being a fitness writer, but sore muscles are still part of the job. Recovery is a big deal in fitness, and while sports massages and dedicated recovery treatments can help, they’re not always practical or affordable. That’s where some of the best massage guns come in, offering a much easier way to work on tired muscles at home or after a workout.
Massage guns use rapid pulses to work into the muscles and surrounding tissue. Joanne Kelly, a soft tissue therapist at Pure Sports Medicine , says they can be useful before and after exercise: “Massage guns prepare the body before exercise by increasing blood flow to muscles and helping with short-term range of motion. Post-workout, they deal with the aftereffects if muscles are feeling tight, and can help [reduce the severity of] DOMS.”
