Recover Anywhere: How to Use Theragun Mini Throughout Your Active Day
Authors: Therabody Scientists: Josh Adams, MS, CSCS, Tim Roberts, MSc; Rachelle Reed, PhD, MS, ACSM-EP; Kyle Silvey, PhD, CSCS; Michelle Darian, MS, MPH, RD, LDN
Imagine starting your day feeling energized, staying productive and tension-free during work, having an efficient warm-up pre-workout, and winding down at night with relaxed, recovered muscles. You can achieve this with the help of a simple tool and spoiler; it travels light: Theragun ® Mini.
Compact yet powerful, the ultra-portable version of the Theragun you know and love is designed to fit into your busy, active lifestyle.
Here, we’ll show you how to make the most out of your Theragun Mini, offering practical, science-backed tips on using percussive therapy for pain relief, relaxation, and recovery so you can live better wherever life takes you.
Science-backed benefits of percussive therapy, delivered through Theragun Mini
Theragun Mini is a portable massage gun that uses percussive therapy to target muscles throughout your body. It’s well known for its ability to reduce muscle tension and soreness.
Percussive therapy delivers rapid percussive movements to muscles to stimulate blood flow and relax tight muscles, which can improve muscle recovery and performance. [1, 2, 3]
Much like a massage, percussive therapy can also promote a sense of relaxation by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system (also known as “rest and digest”).
There are many reasons you may want to incorporate percussive therapy into your daily routine. Maybe you have sore and tight muscles after a workout, you’re looking for an efficient warm-up, you’re feeling the effects of demanding jobs on your body, or you’re looking for a little self-care in the evenings.
There are several science-backed benefits of incorporating percussive therapy into your routine:
· Targets feelings of pain and muscle soreness: Whether you have post-workout muscle soreness or you're dealing with a sore neck from your sleeping position, percussive therapy can offer quick relief. [3]
· Improve range of motion and mobility: Keep the Theragun Mini handy if you’re feeling stiff after a long drive, have tight shoulders from hunching over your laptop, or want to perform lateral movements during workouts. Quick percussion sessions can help improve range of motion and mobility so that you can move comfortably throughout your day. [4, 5]
· Improve strength: Using percussive therapy can improve strength and explosive muscle strength to help you level up your workouts. [3]
· Power through your workouts: Using a Theragun can help improve workout performance when used during a workout. [6, 7]
· Wind down for better sleep: A gentle session on tense areas while you're reading or watching TV can help your body relax and fall asleep faster and get better quality sleep.
By integrating percussive therapy into your daily routine, you can prepare your body for movement, recover effectively, and stay ready for anything life throws your way.
Next, we’ll take you through examples of how a Theragun Mini can support you throughout the day.
Get AM energy and mobility in 4 minutes
Shake off tension from the night before and start your day feeling refreshed with a 4-minute treatment focusing on your lower back, hamstrings, and feet.
Try this routine: Sweep Theragun Mini across your lower back for one minute on each side, each hamstring for 30 seconds, and the bottom of each foot for 30 seconds to ease tension and stiffness and get your blood flowing. If you wake up with tension in your neck and shoulders, spend 30 seconds there too.
Therabody app routine to follow: You can also pair your Theragun Mini with the Therabody app and select the routine “Jumpstart Your Morning” for easy-to-follow visual cues as you use your Theragun Mini.
Pro Tip: To activate your muscles and feel more energized, try increasing the speed on your Theragun Mini.
Stay productive and relieve tension during your workday, at your desk or on the go
Back-to-back calls. Juggling the load of parenting. Having a jam-packed calendar. Amid a hectic day, using your Theragun Mini allows you to take a few moments for yourself so you can continue showing up as your best self.
Give stiff muscles a breather: Treat tight and tense muscles that accompany sitting at a desk. Start with your traps (the muscles between your neck and shoulders) and move to your upper chest, biceps, quads, and low back, spending 30 seconds on each side.
Therabody app routine to follow: Select “Everyday Ease” in the Therabody app for a 9-minute guided treatment that prioritizes self-care.
Pro Tip: Adding in gentle stretching after your Theragun routine can improve mobility and help to further relieve muscle tension. Stand and reach your arms overhead, then slowly bend side-to-side to stretch your upper body and lower back.
Beat the afternoon slump with a mind and body energizing reset
You’ve likely experienced the infamous afternoon slump. Instead of reaching for another cup of coffee, add in percussive therapy to get your blood flowing and re-energize your body and mind.
Try this routine: Sweep your Theragun Mini over your traps, biceps, forearms, lower back, and quads for 15 seconds each. Move the Theragun quickly over these areas, sweeping each muscle several times, depending on what feels good for you. Take deep, controlled breaths for a mind and body experience.
Therabody app routine to follow: Try the “Move and Breathe” routine in the Therabody app, which helps you move with more intention by connecting percussive therapy with deliberate breathwork.
Pro Tip: While some breathing exercises help promote relaxation and ease stress, others can promote alertness and energy. Complement your percussive therapy routine with deep breaths that are faster than your usual pace. Do this for about 15 seconds to boost energy and push through the afternoon.
Stay active and perform better, without letting soreness hold you back
Despite having a hectic schedule, you recognize the importance of prioritizing daily movement such as walking, jogging, and group fitness classes to maintain physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Throw your Theragun Mini into your gym bag to use before, during, or after a workout to improve recovery and reduce soreness before continuing on with your day.
Try this routine before a workout class: Before your workout class, warm up using Theragun Mini to improve mobility, decrease tension, and boost circulation to the muscles you’ll use during exercise. Sweep your Theragun Mini across your quads, hamstrings, calves, chest, and upper back for 30 seconds each.
Use Theragun Mini in-between golf holes: Percussive therapy used between golf holes can help decrease fatigue, improve mobility, and ease pain. If you experience discomfort in your arms during your round, use Theragun Mini on your forearms and above the elbow for 30-60 seconds. To maintain mobility and a free, wide swing off the tee, use the Theragun on your hips and low back for 15-30 seconds in between rounds.
Recover from a run with this routine: Speed recovery and decrease soreness after a run or jog by treating your feet, shins, calves, hamstrings, quads, and glutes for 60 seconds each to recover faster so you can get back to doing what you love.
Try these routines and many more available in the Therabody app:
· Find warm-up and recovery routines tailored to your workout, whether you’re taking a HIIT class, going for a run, or cycling.
· Sport-specific routines like Swimming, Surfing, Kickboxing, and Golfer’s Elbow help you warm up and recover muscles used during your workout.
· If your goal is to take 10,000 steps per day, check out the Walking routines to help you hit your goals each day.
Pro Tip: If you are feeling fatigued during a strength training workout, use your Theragun Mini in between sets to help you maintain your effort for longer periods of time.
Recover from a busy day and unwind before bed
After a jam-packed day, percussive therapy can help you ease stress and prepare for a rejuvenating night of sleep.
Evening routine: Ease pain and tension in trouble areas, such as your feet, hips, low back, and neck by treating them for up to two minutes each.
Bedtime routine: Shown to help you fall asleep faster and improve your sleep quality, treat the traps, forearms, lower back, quads, shins, and feet for 30 seconds on each side.
Unwind with this Therabody app routine: Pair your bedtime Theragun routine with calming TheraMind sound therapy using “Bedtime Ritual” in the Therabody app.
Pro Tip: Pair your Theragun treatment with a calming breathing exercise to place your nervous system in a state of rest and relaxation. Start by inhaling through your nose for 4 seconds. Pause at the top of your inhale for 7 seconds. Slowly exhale for 8 seconds. Repeat 5 times.
Ease travel-related tension + stress
Long flights, speed-walking through airports, time changes, and hotel beds are just some of the stressors that affect travelers. Percussive therapy can help to decrease tension and stiffness, ease stress, and relax at the end of a day spent in transit.
Travel routine: Ease tension and stiffness during or after your flight by treating your neck, low back, hips, and calves for one minute each.
Beat travel tension and jet lag with the Therabody App:
· Try the “Travel Recovery” routine during a long flight to help ease stiffness and boost circulation.
· Recover at the end of your day with percussive therapy and TheraMind sound therapy with the “Jet Lag Recovery” routine.
Pro Tip: Incorporate extra stretching and light movement while you wait for your flight to board. Stretch your hips with the seated figure 4 stretch: Sit up tall in a seat, cross your right ankle onto your left knee, and push your right knee toward the ground. You should feel a stretch on the outside of your right hip. Hold for 30-60 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Key takeaways
· Compact and ultra-portable, the Theragun Mini fits seamlessly into your daily life, allowing you to recover anywhere – whether at home, at your desk, before your workout, or on the go
· Percussive therapy is backed by science to reduce muscle soreness, improve mobility, and enhance recovery, making it a powerful tool to use throughout your day
· Incorporating the Theragun Mini into your daily routine helps you prepare for movement, combat tension from daily activities, and wind down, no matter where life takes you
· Turn your recovery into a fully guided experience by pairing your Theragun Mini with the Therabody app for expert-designed routines that tell you when and how to use your Theragun so you always get the most out of your treatments – without guesswork
References
1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10499144/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33466606/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37020441/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36161205/
5. https://osf.io/preprints/sportrxiv/j9ya8
