LIFE TECH FEATURE
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INSTANT
MASSAGING
T
he benefits of massage have been well
known for thousands of years, with the
word itself thought to be more than 4000
years old. Those benefits used to be available to
only a select few at a high price, as the practice
became the speciality of health spas and luxury
holiday resorts. But in more recent years,
massage has hit the mainstream in a big way.
And those benefits are many, as anyone
who’s enjoyed a good massage will already
know. Many people think of massage as an
easy way to relax, unwind and de-stress,
and those gains are very real. But if you’re
the sort of person who has jumped into the
fitness revolution which has been growing
exponentially (spurred on by smart fitness
wearables, home exercise gear and video-based
training and health regimes), you’ll find even
more to love about a good massage – whether
it be for a full-body wind-down after exercise, or
targeted massaging of muscles and connective
tissue after an intense workout or sports
session.
ARE THERE HEALTH BENEFITS?
Massage can improve circulation and energy
while lowering heart rate and blood pressure,
depending on the type and location of the
massage. There is some evidence that it can
help with everything from anxiety and insomnia
to headaches and lower back pain. All you need
is, of course, someone to actually give you that
massage – which isn’t exactly always on-hand
when you’re back at home after a 20km run,
or having been pummelled on the field while
playing a friendly game of footy.
That’s where the range of personal
massagers comes in. We’ve all experienced
that tell-tale pain that can show up after a
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lengthy bike ride, run or swim, and while it’s
sending you the message that your exercise
has done the thing it’s meant to do, those sore
and tense muscles can take a while to stop
hurting – which can lead to painful cramps, and
an unstoppable desire to lie down on the couch
for several hours.
So, what’s the best choice of personal
massager for you? Well, that’s going to come
down to what you’re looking to achieve with
it. Do you want a device that lets you hone in
on the key pain points and give them the sort
of deep massage that you couldn’t possibly do
by hand? Or are you looking for something
more general, like a way to enjoy
a soothing back and neck
massage, or some
TLC for tired feet?
MASSAGE
SAFE
Percussive massagers are excellent tools
to have at hand for when you need them
– but it’s important they’re used properly.
Your massager sill come with extensive
instructions on its use, but the number one
thing to remember is to never press the
massager’s head into your body – just let
it float on the surface of your skin and let
the carefully-tuned repeated pressure do
its work.
DEEP MASSAGE FOR FAST RELIEF
One of the most popular, current choices for
massaging devices is the percussive massager.
These devices are portable, rechargeable and
handheld, and do exactly what you’d expect
from the name on the tin. They repeatedly send
effective (but controlled) bursts of pressure to
wherever the device is applied. This is perfect
for calming down angry muscles after serious
exertion, with results often noticeable within
seconds rather than minutes. And
because you’ve got complete
control over where you massage
and for how long, they can be
brilliantly effective at getting
deep into muscle tissue and
relieving tension, tightness
and pain.
A leading brand in percussive
massagers is Theragun, which
makes a wide range of devices which
are considered among the best in the
field – and their popularity speaks for
itself. Their Theragun Prime model, all
soft curves and a we-mean-business
jet-black finish, is a great pick if you’re
looking to get into the benefits of
percussive massage. It boasts a twohour battery life and comes with four
different attachments to suit a wide
range of massage needs. It’s also
Bluetooth-equipped – not something
you’d expect from a device like this,
but extremely handy regardless,
thanks to integration with a dedicated
app that gives you fine-grained control
of the gun, from force metering to
battery life.
jbhifi.com.au
22/9/21 11:47 am
