Are Handheld Massagers Effective
Benefits Of Electric Massagers That You Should Be Aware Of
Most nights you’ll get home after a long shift at work only to sit down and hope you’ll get that massage you not only want but need. If you’re lucky and you have a partner that’s willing to offer a massage, that’s great, but often that’s not the case or not as often as you want, and I get it.
Your shoulders, legs and feet are most likely sore, all you need is a little press and you’ll get the relief you want. If only you were thinking. So what if you could actually have that massage whenever you want. Sounds nice, doesn’t it?
Having your own home electric massager would be very handy. Literally. It’s there on demand. You can use it when you want. And get relief when you need to.
Why It’s Essential For Our Bodies To Be Stimulate
Our world is as fast-paced as it’s ever been, and we are always on the go, never any time for ourselves, until it’s too late and we are run down, tired, exhausted and find it hard to sleep or even get going and motivated.
Whether you’re on your feet all day or you mostly work in a chair, it’s long hours and at the end of the day, you’re buggered. I get it, your muscles are tense and tight and you’re a little over it.
It’s funny, isn’t it? We all think of a massage as something that is for a special occasion, something you deserve. But the fact is you and your body deserves it all the time. And when we really need it, we say we’ll be ok.
Having said that, massagers are not restricted to after-work care. What about after a workout? Or a hard training session? your muscles are tense and tight and a massage would be great to relieve that tension. Look at professional athletes, they get massages all the time to help with muscle recovery. Very interesting.
However, you’re here because you have a question you want to be answered, and that’s fair. So let’s get into things a bit more. It’s important for you to understand how effective handheld massagers are. And how they can benefit your everyday life.
So are handheld massagers effective?
Yes, I believe handheld massagers are effective. But before we get into things I want you to understand a handheld massager isn’t as good as a professional massager, in the same sense we shouldn’t compare the two as they are very different, which I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that.
We all have other options that can be very suitable and work really well for us in the comfort of our own homes. Having said that, as well as being an excellent substitute, they are also a lot cheaper and you have access to them all the time, so there’s plenty to be positive about.
A massage even if you’re doing it yourself can help to rejuvenate your body by triggering certain pressure points on your body, this will help your muscles to relax and unwind. It also helps with better blood circulation, which is another topic altogether. Having said that, a massage is an excellent way to revitalise yourself mentally and physically.
Benefits Of An Electric Massager.
As you would expect, there are a number of benefits to using an electric massager, especially when you include the benefit of a massage in the comfort of your own home, these benefits can range from mental to physical. I’ll cover the benefits here, but we will go into a little more detail later on in this article.
When I’m referring to mental. I’m talking about.
- How you feel.
- Happy
- Peaceful
- Content
- Relaxed.
- You’re de-stressed.
- Better concentration levels
These are all positive states you can feel after a good massage. And are huge benefits that can make a big impact on your life.
When I’m referring to physical. I’m talking about.
- You have better circulation
- You have better muscle recovery
- Better immune system
- Increased energy levels
- Improves aches and muscle pain.
As you can see, when we talk about benefits we can split these into two sections. Often we only focus on the body aspect of the benefits, but the mental side is just as if not more important, that’s the way I see it, you might see it differently and that’s ok. The important thing to mention here is if we can improve things even a little, they can have some pretty big positive effects on our lives.
Different Types Of Massages.
It’s pretty obvious you can have a massage on any part of your body. Or you can concentrate on an area of your body, for example, your back. Let’s take a look at the different areas where you can massage. The main areas that are mostly focused on are the following.
Feet. A foot massage is one of the best massagers to have, especially after a long day on your feet, it’s so relaxing. You can focus on your toes, heels, your ankle and the sole of your foot.
Some of your main health issues can come from your feet. And if there’s one area that you would want to look after the most this would be high on the list. When it comes to foot massagers you have plenty to choose from that all work very well. And it’s one of the most popular types of home massagers. Not really classified as a handheld massager, but having said that, they are very effective machines indeed. Well worth the investment.
Leg Massage. There’s nothing better, I know I’ve just said that with the feet, with a good leg massage. For me especially in the calves. The main areas of focus are the butt area, thighs and calves as I mentioned.
With all the walking and moving we do It’s no wonder our legs tighten up and often are sore. Using a good massager that focuses on the legs would be the way to go. Or if you can afford it, a good massage from a professional. This is something I do now and then is a good 1-hour leg massage. Then your legs can be maintained with your home massager.
Back And Shoulders. This would be the third main area that needs ongoing massagers. And just as important as the other two. With all the sitting down and crouching in front of the screen we do these days, It’s no wonder we all suffer from some sort of shoulder and back complaint.
Yes, there are other factors involved and things or activities we do in our lives can give us shoulder and back strains, but that’s part of living. The important thing is to be aware that we need to make sure we keep on top of this. Regular stretching and massagers will make a big difference, and that again is what’s great about having your own home massager. You can maintain your health whenever you want. And as I’ve said above you have plenty of options if you’re looking to invest in your own massager. It comes down to what you want to maintain. Later on, we will look at the options available.
The Different Types Of Massager Devices.
Handheld Massage Devices. The great thing about these handheld devices is their size. They are often small and very light, and easy to handle and maintain. That’s pretty important. If you can’t lift it, what’s the point? These devices can be manual or electronic and are easy to control. You pretty much control the areas you want to be massaged by going back and forth over the affected area.
Electrical Massagers. These are similar to handheld devices and can be operated with either battery if you want to go mobile or electricity. They are usually a little bigger than handheld devices and can focus on sections of the body.
For example, This could be a back massager that you can lay on a chair and it emulates a professional massage which is very effective. Other devices would be a foot massage.
The good thing with these types of massagers is the healing elements they provide. While the handheld massagers also do an effective job and are very good at what they do, you can get a lot more out of these electrical massagers. They are designed to relieve muscle and help with healing. And if you get one that has heating elements like infrared heat you can get even more out of the device. As the infrared heat helps with deep joint and muscle repair.
And what’s great is you can do this in the comfort of your own home. Something I’ve already mentioned I know. The ability to relax in the comfort of your own home is a huge benefit in itself.
How Often Should I Get A Massage?
Well, that does depend on a number of factors and something I cannot give you an exact answer to. What I will say is you don’t need a massage every day to get the maximum benefits.
Remember what I mentioned at the start of this article, we often see a massage as a reward or something we deserve once in a while, a bit of a luxury thing we do. Please get that thought out of your head if that’s you, our body usually lets us know when we are in need of a massage, not our thoughts. Our mind says no and our body says yes, but we often ignore our bodies, I know I’ve been guilty of this myself. It’s all about reprogramming our thoughts, but that’s a totally different subject altogether.
You deserve to have a massage whenever you think you need one. And that can depend on your health at the time and you’re well being, or how you are feeling. Having said all that, let’s take a look at a few reasons below. If you’re unsure, the list below will give you some clues.
Reasons Why You Should Have A Massage.
If you’re suffering from any joint or muscle issues. This might be soreness in the back or shoulder, legs or feet. Anywhere you’re feeling any type of joint soreness.
- If you’re an athlete, professional or just for fitness. Any heavy physical activity that you’re involved in, we highly recommend a massage to deal with any muscle-related soreness. This along with infrared heat therapy which you can have at the same time with a massage device can greatly help with faster muscle recovery. Depending on your routine you could look at a massage twice a week.
- If you’re suffering from sleep deprivation, we highly recommend a massage at least once a week.
- If you’re in an office environment or your job requires you to sit down for a good amount of the day. We recommend at least 1-2 every 2 weeks. This will not only help with your body but also help with relieving the stress factor that we all get from our daily life.
- If you’re on the younger side of life and you want to maintain your health, you could look at a massage 1–2 times a month. If you have your own home massage device, you could do it once a week if you wanted to but that would be up to you. If you know your body well, you’ll know when the time is right.
With our busy lives as you’ll know hence why you’re here, it can be hard to get the time to have a massage. Here’s where your own massage device becomes really handy.
Benefits Of A Massage
As we mentioned above briefly, there are several health benefits associated with having a regular massager, other than using it to pamper yourself. We’ll look into them in a little more detail.
Very effective for joint and muscle pain relief. With a desk job, you’re more susceptible to joint and muscle pain due to the nature of the job. Neck and shoulder issues are the most common. Having said that if you’re a labourer this also can be a demanding job that puts a lot of stress on your muscles and ligaments.
Regular massagers can help with the relief as well as the prevention of issues down the track. Issues like back and shoulder pain and other joint issues can cause your body to shut down.
Helps With Headache Relief. If you have ever had a migraine you’ll know how painful it can be and how badly you need relief. It’s something I’m very familiar with. One of the best things you can do to help is a massage, depending on where the pain is, top of the base of the head, or upper neck. You can target the affected area for instant relief. And let me tell you it does help.
Foot Injuries. If you have a foot or even an ankle injury. Depending on the seriousness of the injury you can use a massager for treating the injured area. This is where the inclusion of infrared light can really help the healing process. You can get massagers that have infrared light built into the device. They are very effective for healing these types of injuries.
Helps To Increase Your Flexibility. Often you hear of a massage for relaxation or healing purposes. But what about increasing your flexibility. A massage not only helps to relax your muscles, but it also helps to stretch them allowing for better movement. This can help to free up your body which allows for better work performance, especially if you’re a labourer or anyone who moves around a lot and can help those who are sitting down most of the day.
This would be very effective for athletes or anyone who is quite active. Overall it can help to prevent injuries and overcome stiffness and soreness while giving you more energy to get through your day.
Helps To Improve Your Skin Elasticity. Not much is said about the benefits a massage has on the skin. While a massage helps to relax your muscles and tissue at the same time, it gently stretches and pulls your skin, In a good way. This action helps to firm up your skin as well as helping it to become smooth and rejuvenated.
Helps With Better Blood Circulation. A lack of blood circulation is an issue not a lot of us would be aware of, it’s actually pretty common. Along with infrared therapy, a massage is a good way to help with better blood flow. Basically better blood flow means a better us, a healthier us.
Helps With Stress Levels And Helps With Better Sleeping Habits. We all know that a good massage helps with stress relief. The beauty of this is, once your body starts to relax so does your mind. A stressed body and mind usually means a restless sleep. So a relaxed body and mind means a better sleep which most of the time leads to more stress and less sleep. Have you ever been overtired? It’s usually due to your mind working overtime.
So to overcome this, and if it’s a real issue for you, start with a massage, every couple of weeks or a few times a week if you have your own home massage device. This way you can start to train your body and mind to relax and unwind. And the result of that will be a night of much better sleep.
Other Great Benefits Of Having A Home Massage Device.
Having the ability to have your own massage in the comfort of your home when you want has many benefits over a traditional massage, especially when considering you have to make an appointment, and the time you need to put aside to drive there.
I don’t want to sound negative here just wanting to point out the differences. As you’ll see below the benefits I’m mentioning are not associated with health benefits. Let’s take a look.
They Are A Time Saver. Feeling a little sore in the back or shoulder and you need a quick rub. Do you have time to go to a professional? You probably don’t have the time or spare cash. This is where your own massage device comes in real handy. A quick 10-15 minutes and you are back on track. Instead of the time, it takes to go and see a professional, that is if you can even get an appointment.
Now before I go on, I want to be clear, I’m not an anti massage therapist, I love nothing better than to lay down and relax while I get a de-stressing massage. This is all about saving time. And they do exactly that.
You Save Money. If you were to go to a massage therapist every week, that’s a big chunk of your wage, which could be anywhere from $40 for a 20-minute massage up to approx $100 for an hour. Add that up over a month and you’re spending a lot.
On the other hand, if you were to get your own home massage, even if you spend a few hundred on a top of the range massage chair or something similar, you’re going to save a ton of cash over time. If you look at it in that way it’s a solid and smart investment.
They Can Actually Get Better Results. You might think this is a bit of an odd thing to say but let me explain. We’re not doubting what a professional massage therapist can do, they do a great job, but how often is it a challenge for them to get the right spot?
The great thing about a massage machine is the fact you can maneuver it to where you’re feeling the most pain, you can get to those nasty and painful knots that only you know where they are. It can be a challenge for you to guide a human there, I’m sure you know what I mean.
And not only that you can put as much pressure on the machine or as little as you want to get the right pressure points, something that is hard to manage with a human.
The Amazing Benefit Of Heat. This is what this site is all about, heat, infrared heat to be exact. This is a huge benefit that a massage therapist cannot replicate. This feature is only in selected devices but that can provide a lot of health benefits over a regular massage device.
If you’ve read a little over this blog you’ll know the importance and the power of infrared therapy and especially the heat and what it can do to your body. When activated along with the massage itself it provides an extra element that helps with relaxing the muscles as well as helping with recovery, blood flow and other good stuff. Basically, the heat aspect can help to speed up the recovery of any affected area.
Vibration. This is another feature that is a little hard for a professional therapist to replicate. This is another way to help get into those affected areas that are causing you pain and suffering. It also helps to stimulate the muscles that will also help with blood circulation and muscle recovery and relaxation.
Can Help With Treating Ischemia. This is a pretty serious condition and one that should be discussed with your local doctor. This is basically a condition that is caused by a lack of blood circulation. It can be treated with compression massage and better blood circulation, something an electronic massage can help with. And again if you have any questions regarding this condition please seek medical help.
Our Conclusion
As I’m sure you’re aware by now when it comes to the types of massager devices you can get you have a large range, there’s a device for every section of your body. And whether you’re after a basic massage device or you’re looking at one with all the features like the all amazing infrared heat I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.
So the next time you are feeling tight and stiff or you need to de-stress and relax a little you can pull out your home massage and you’re good to go. We have listed a lot of benefits that a handheld and electronic massage have and they do stack up.
They might not be for everyone. But in our opinion, they are a great investment. Thanks for reading and all the best with your health and happiness. Because that’s what life is all about.
So, the next time you ever feel pain in your back or stiffness in your shoulders, you can think of healing yourself rather than going to a spa or a masseuse. The overall benefit is that it keeps you fit, relaxed, calm and happy. Under the guidance of your doctor or physical trainer, you can always consider buying one.