Invest in a high-quality massage gun and you can use it before training to prime your muscles for a session, or post-workout to ward off any potential DOMS. It will help you recover faster, boost your circulation and lymphatic drainage, increase your flexibility and extend your range of motion – ultimately improving your performance across the board. Think of it as foam rolling turned up to eleven. Each massage gun was judged on overall effectiveness, as well as how well they could glide over muscles, how easy they were to control, the practicality of their design, and their strength. Bonus points were also on offer for any innovative features or smart additions like carry cases. They may, however, look at first glance like quite a random assortment of weirdly shaped instruments. So, what do they each do?

It's definitely an investment, but if you really want to treat yourself, or have a partner who'll be using it as well, you may be able to justify spending the extra cash.Massage guns and other muscle recovery tools, far from being just for athletes, are really an amazingly beneficial addition to anyone’s routine. For example, if you work at an office and spend too many hours sitting, or, on the contrary, have had a long day with barely any chance to sit down, your soft tissues (along with your mental state) may have a lot to gain from some well-deserved attention. After all, they don’t call them soft tissues for nothing! All of the guns we've recommended here come with guides to help you. Our top-rated massage gun, the PowerPlate Mini+, also has a smartphone app with video tutorials.

Theragun Percussive Therapy has a variety of benefits, helping to prevent body aches and pains, greatly reducing muscle tension in seconds, boosting mobility and range of motion, and increasing blood flow to the area to reduce soreness, tightness and pain,’ explains Dr Jason Wersland, chiropractor and Therabody founder. ‘It can also assist with accelerating the repair and growth of tissues.’ How Do I Use a Massage Gun? The compact device comes with a sleek little travel case, with enough room to fit all the accessories, so you can easily take it to the gym or shove it in your suitcase if you’re jetting off on holiday. The Women’s Health Lab has put some of the top massage guns to the test to bring you its favourites for banishing post-workout pain. When buying a massage gun, the best one comes down to personal preference. But as a rule of thumb, you’ll want to consider power, design, portability and battery life. It's the definition of simple. Just point the gun at your fleshy target – around an inch away from your skin over whichever muscle you’re trying to loosen or warm up – and hit the trigger for instant relief. The Shavron Vibration Massage Gun is approximately the same price as the Hydragun, above, and is another excellent mid-range percussive massager. It's not as quiet, but it's lighter, making it more comfortable to hold for long sessions. A timer will cut the motor after 10 minutes to help ensure you don't keep going for longer than is recommended.However, there’s a few extra things to remember when using a massage gun for the first time.Most importantly, to avoid injury, don't use a massage gun on a bony area or a joint, or on an injury like a sprain or broken skin.

When it comes to mid-workout treatments, a similar approach is taken. “During a workout, there are times when someone may feel tight and want to stretch between exercises, which may actually decrease their performance by negatively affecting their force output,” warns Giordano. “Instead try flushing the area for 15-30 seconds to increase blood flow and decrease muscle tension. This should excite the muscle, loosening it again for the rest of your workout." The Power Plate Mini+ ranks highly in our best massage gun list thanks to its sheer convenience. It's one of the smallest guns we've tested, but its highest power settings still deliver a powerful massage that'll really help loosen tense muscles. Generally, a higher price tag will indicate a more reliable product and, when fully charged, a decent massage gun should last for a few days to a week, based on around 15 minutes' use per day. Men's Health Lab Approved

How to use massage gun attachments?

verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ Now that you know how to use all the massage gun heads, you’re ready to go! Don’t forget to experiment and find out what feels best and works best for you. Invest in one of the best massage guns out there and you can use it before exercise to activate your muscles and increase blood flow, or post-workout to release tension and ward off DOMS. It will help you recover faster, boost your circulation, increase flexibility and extend your range of motion. Phew! You can also use it to soothe WFH-related niggles, or for a spot of relaxation after a stressful day – trust us, it feels pretty darn good.

You should move the massage gun slowly around the muscle area in a circular motion and change the speed setting to suit your needs, with the highest speed reaching 3300 RPM. Start with a slow speed setting and increase it over time. But the most important rule is an easy one: to pay attention to your body and not ignore your instincts. If it’s uncomfortable or painful, stop. If it feels good, it most likely is good.

Big round head

When you're browsing the best massage guns, ideally your purchasing priorities should centre on noise control, battery life and quality. It may be the size of a small water bottle, but it’s brimming with impressive features. You get five interchangeable heads (most mini massagers come with just one or two) and there are five speed settings to flit between, giving you a whopping 25 massage combos to try. If you need some guidance, there’s a handy user manual, which provides step-by-step routines for warm-up, mobility and recovery. According to our tester, these were genuinely useful. They may often look like power tools, but the benefits of massage guns include decreased muscle tension, relaxed muscles, and promoted blood flow,” says Dr Daniel Giordano, CMO of Bespoke Treatments. “We use one on a daily basis, and it can be used before, during or after a workout.” How to Use a Massage Gun for Best Results If you find a particularly tough knot, the bullet attachment lets you really target that, too. Each attachment has a different shape or density, designed for targeting muscles and knots in different intensities and locations on your body. As for cheaper massage guns, these tend to have harder attachment heads (which make for a slightly less comfortable experience), a shorter battery life, or are less durable. If there's a choice between a cheap muscle gun and a more expensive massage gun that's on sale, we'd always suggest going with the one that looks like it will last the longest and is the most specced out. If it comes with a warranty, even better. Do massage guns work?