

One of the more important specs for a massage gun is the amplitude, a measure of how deep a gun can penetrate into your muscles. Inside the machine is a high-torque motor that generates up to 50W of power, more than either of the other popular brands offers - and despite that extra force, it lasts over seven hours on one charge (more than double the juice in the other two devices, and ideal for using during a long day of post-race travel). (The Hypervolt also goes up to 3200 rpm, but its lowest setting is 2200, while the Theragun ranges from 1750 to 2400.) (Those numbers indicate how many times the massager’s head hits your skin, so that’s a range of 1800 to 3200 per minute.) The Hypervolt and the Theragun only offer three settings, and I liked having an extra option on the higher end for really digging into my muscles post-race. The R1 comes with four speed settings: 1800 revolutions per minute (rpm), 2200 rpm, 2600 rpm and 3200 rpm. Afterward, you only need to spend about a minute on each muscle group. On the flip side, Jeffcoat says, using massage guns post-exercise can help flush out lactic acid, a by-product of exercise that contributes to soreness. “An improved tolerance to stretch, improved dynamic balance and increased joint range of motion translates to less resistance through movement, which is vital for reducing injury.”īefore workouts (or if you’re just looking to loosen up stiff muscles after sitting), she says, you should spend two to three minutes on small muscle groups, and four to five minutes on larger muscle groups - just slowly move the massage gun tip back and forth along the muscle, keeping it off of bony areas. When it comes to exercise, “massage guns are a perfect tool for your warm-up routine,” says Jeffcoat. That’s not a huge difference, but when you’re traveling, every inch counts, right? I had no problem fitting the R1 into my purse on a recent flight to Boston for the Falmouth Road Race - and at just 1.4 pounds (compared to 1.5 and 1.43 pounds for the other two devices), I also appreciated shaving off an ounce or two of extra weight.Ī perfect exercise companion - and oh, the power! Of the mini massage guns I’ve tried, including the Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 and the Theragun Mini, the R1 was the smallest (measuring 5.6 inches by 3.6 inches by 1.85 inches compared to 6.7 inches by 7.3 inches by 2 inches and 6 inches by 5.3 inches by 2.25 inches, respectively). Here’s what I thought of it after two weeks of testing.


The Roll Recovery R1 massage gun is just $129, which is signficantly cheaper than the two most popular guns, the Hyperice Hypervolt Go 2 and the Theragun Mini.
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Handheld percussive massage treatment was shown to increase range of motion in a 2020 study published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, and was determined to be just as effective as manual massage and “possibly more effective” than foam rolling in a 2021 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. And for those who aren’t exercise fiends, it can also offer relief from things like working or parenting all day. This type of direct massage can provide pre- and post-workout benefits. “They differ from massage tools that strictly offer vibration, as the direct application of percussion over an area will reach much deeper levels while still having effects on superficial layers as well.” By penetrating deeper, you get more widespread effects, including increased blood flow and increased joint range of motion, Jeffcoat adds. “ Massage guns relax your muscles and fascia - connective tissue that covers every structure in our body, including your muscles,” says Heather Jeffcoat, a doctor of physical therapy and the owner of Fusion Wellness & Physical Therapy in Los Angeles, California. A smaller version of these popular handheld tools, which are now ubiquitous in gyms, boutique studios, physical therapy offices and, of course, social media, it puts the ability for an on-the-go massage right in your own hands. If pummelling your muscles with a percussive device doesn’t sound relaxing, you haven’t tried the Roll Recovery R1 massage gun yet.
