Wondering whether you shoulduse a foam rolleror a massage gun for sore, tired muscles?

While both devices can be effective, they work differently and have distinct features.

It also promotes relaxation and facilitates tissue repair.

Person using a foam roller

Choosing one over the other depends on your needs and budget.

Is it better to use a foam roller or a massage gun?

Gym-goers use foam rollers to recover faster from training and break up muscle knots.

Person using a massage gun

Evidence suggests that foam rolling has small but significant effects on sports performance (perFrontiers in Physiology).

For example, it can reduce pain perception and muscle soreness, resulting in quicker recovery.

However, researchers don’t fully understand its mechanism of action and say that its benefits are largely psychological.

Massage guns serve the same purpose as foam rolling, but they work differently.

As a result, they increase blood flow to your tissues, reducing pain and soreness, explainsConsumer Reports.

Second, these devices allow you to adjust the pressure and massage hard-to-reach muscles.

The downside is that they can be quite heavy, noisy, and expensive.

A cheaper model is unlikely to make much of a difference.

All in all, both foam rollers and massage guns can aid in recovery and improve physical function.