Recovery Tools: Which are Better, Foam Rollers or Massage Guns?

Recovery tools are having a major moment in the fitness world and the two most popular ones are foam rollers and massage guns. While both will fit comfortably in your gym bag, which one is better for your body and is worth your money?

First, you have to understand how these recovery tools work. Both foam rollers and massage guns release tension and improve your mobility. While there are many reasons your muscles can become tight or inflamed, the most common are poor posture, dehydration, injury, stress, and lack of movement.

Foam Rolling

Foam rollers release tightness and increase range of motion by getting rid of the knots. But, these effects are only short term and you need to also do active stretches and move after using your foam roller for long term changes to happen. Foam rolling before a workout can cut down on muscle recovery time and improve your performance. They increase blood flow to the targeted muscles which reduces inflammation.

Massage Guns

For massage guns, the only thing that moves is your hand. The guns move at different speeds against your muscles and like foam rollers, they increase blood flow to support recovery and reduce inflammation. If there’s a certain area that’s bothering you, massage guns can target this area.

Which is Better?

There isn’t a clear winner in this debate, but before buying one of these tools, you should consider the cost. Foam rollers are much cheaper as you can get one for between $10-$20 and massage guns will cost around $250. For them to be most effective, you have to use them at least three times a week for five to 10 minutes.