As mentioned in my blog yesterday, this is a ‘down’ week for me, so I am focusing hard on recovery.  One aspect of recovery is looking after my muscles, and today I used a massage gun.

I have tried using massage guns at race expos and at other demonstrations in the past.  I always thought that they felt nice, but never really considered buying one.  Fast forward to this past Christmas and our son, who is a competitive weightlifter, asked for a massage gun for his Christmas gift.  I am so glad that we decided to buy one for him… they are great.

Today, while I was sat at my work desk, I spent a little time using the gun to massage my quads.  Historically, I have used a foam roller, but this gun provides a much more pleasant experience.  I can sit in a chair and get a great massage, as opposed to foam rolling on the floor.

Massage guns are great recovery tools because they relax sore muscles, remove stiffness and promote circulation.  Used frequently in the right way, they can also help with flexibility.  There is good science behind the use of this tool, and its use is becoming more and more widespread. 

All I know is that my muscles feel great after using it. The only downside is that the gun doesn’t belong to me and my son takes with him whenever he goes to the gym.  I am thinking of hiding it from him tomorrow!