A gym designer review of the Theragun Elite percussion therapy device
gym design / gym equipment / theragun / percussion therapy device
What is a massage gun or percussion therapy device?
Advances in technology have recently enabled the development of handheld devices designed to replicate some of the benefits of massage via the application of pressure at precise points on the body, using vibration to relieve tired muscles and lactic acid build-ups.
A massage gun therefore sits in the same stable as a foam roller and any number of massage balls, flossing kits and mobility training accessories that have been spun off from the CrossFit and functional training craze over the past decade or so.
In the quest for larger audiences, brands like Theragun and HyperIce have also zeroed in on sports performance, an adjacent market to CrossFit with many of the same psychographic purchase drivers - I want to perform at my best; I need to stay agile and pain-free; I want to recover from one workout to be ready for the next one, I am prepared to invest money in my performance..
Massage guns and mobility training
How to use a massage gun like the Theragun Elite as part of a mobility routine? The key concept here is ‘part of’. These devices are not an all-in-one solution for mobility, agility and faster recovery times, let’s be clear about that upfront.
That said, a massage gun, just like a sports massage itself, can make a genuine contribution. Whereas a full-body sports massage with a therapist who knows your specific needs and requirements might be a fortnightly or monthly experience at best for most of us outside of the elite sports performance circles, or the highly pampered, a massage gun can offer a more generic ‘quick fix’.
What is smart about a Theragun percussion therapy device?
The ‘smart’ part of this product is the interaction between the Theragun mobility and recovery training videos in their bespoke app, and how the gun automatically adjusts its intensity and vibration speeds according to the guided routine you’re following along to. In other words, you need only switch it on, connect the bluetooth to your smartphone and select a mobility or recovery routine, the Theragun will then do the rest, sort of.
How to use a massage gun as part of a mobility routine
Clearly, you still have to be the one placing the device into position and moving it from point A to point B, as guided by the in-app videos, but the device provides feedback on how to adjust pressure, pauses while moving from body part video to the next and generally works with you to deliver a comprehensive mini routine. When it works, it’s a happy synergy between the user, device and software. Very smart indeed.
Why a Theragun instead of any other massage gun brand?
With such a wealth of options available all over Amazon, as well as their main competitor HyperIce, it’s safe to say that a gym equipment selection that includes a Theragun Elite is looking for premium build quality and aesthetics, low noise levels, fast charging times, battery duration, and to some extent brand recognition.
Theragun as luxury gym equipment
For a luxury gym design, or a luxury hotel gym for example, there is simply no place for a cheap, imitation brand that claims to do all the Theragun does for one fifth of the price.
Just as Technogym have cornered the market for luxury gym equipment, with most hotels and resorts sidestepping the need to think too much about what equipment they place in their gym, outsourcing to the local Technogym sales representative, safe in the knowledge that guests are unlikely ever to complain, a Theragun provides similar levels of quality reassurance.
In this particular case though, Hyperice appear to be right up there with Theragun, so there are two big players dominating the top-end of the gym equipment market for percussion therapy devices.
Specifying a Theragun in a home gym
After a week testing out a device at home, the main advantage to having one one hand during the daytime is the ease with which it can be put to use for a quick 5-10 minutes.
Rather like 1-2 minutes of on-the-spot bouncing up and down to shake out the cobwebs after a long day in front of a computer, a quick dose of a massage gun can do a lot to stimulate the system, especially the trapezius / neck area, perhaps as tension tends to accumulate in those areas while working on a keyboard.
Specifying a Theragun in a hotel gym
When choosing equipment lists for hotel and resort gym clients of ours, a massage gun is now an essential part of the mobility kit. This does come with a caveat of it being easy to leave off the charger, meaning eventually it will run out of battery during the day so it is worth purchasing a charging stand accessory to encourage gym users to place it back where it belongs for the next person to use!
If there is a PT or gym floor manager around then the problem is easily dealt with but for a hotel gym, typically unstaffed most if not all of the time, this is an operational hurdle that needs taking into careful consideration.
Additionally, in all inclusive resorts there may be the risk of a guest walking off with the device completely… we have heard of examples of this in fact! So we also recommend applying a discrete tracker somewhere on the device.
Using a massage gun in a hotel gym context
Guests unfamiliar with a massage gun, and even those who are familiar with it frankly, are likely not to know how best to give themselves a meaningful ‘shot’ of percussion therapy, unless they have a real sense of where their muscles are most sore.
In such instances, given they are not going to download the training app just for use during their hotel stay (to the dismay of Theragun’s sales team!) a PT, coach of gym floor manager can offer some guidance; we have also seen tablets provided with the Theragun app pre-loaded for guests to educate themselves., just like they would on any other piece of gym equipment.