If you’re a workout addict like me, you’re on a first name basis with DOMS. DOMS stands for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. Discomfort caused by DOMS usually peaks 24-48 hours post-exercise and generally starts to diminish within 72 hours of your workout. Even though DOMS is often treated like a welcome visitor by hard-core fitness enthusiasts, it can be quite uncomfortable and even painful at times, especially for new exercisers.
Some of the best ways to alleviate the effects of DOMS include foam rolling, sleep, supplementing with protein and extra nutrients like omega 3’s, Epsom salt baths, and massage therapy. My personal favourite is of course, massage therapy because it shortens healing time by speeding up the delivery of nutrients to the muscle tissue and, let’s be honest, it feels amazing! Now unfortunately massage therapy can get expensive and it’s not always convenient.
So when the good folks at MyoBuddy asked me to try out the MyoBuddy Massager Pro I was instantly on board. What is a MyoBuddy you ask? A Myobuddy is a percussive massager, which means it vibrates circularly at high speed while making contact with your body. You can use it on yourself or relax into the experience completely and let someone else use it on you, which was my preference. There are three different speeds you can choose from (percussion, massage, and friction modes) and I usually ended up opting for massage mode, which I felt was the perfect combination of power and relaxation.
Now I have tried personal massagers before, but let me tell you, the MyoBuddy is a personal massager unlike any you have tried before. You simply plug it in, turn it on and then let it wash your pain away. Ahhhhhhh. Seriously, it’s that good. I love that you can use the flat side for a more general relaxation style of massage and the edges for a deep-tissue style massage.
According to the MyoBuddy website, the MyoBuddy Massager Pro can soothe sore muscles and mysofascial pain, treat trigger points, assist with quicker workout recovery, and reduce stress, anxiety and insomnia. In addition, an unexpected benefit that I discovered while testing the MyoBuddy is that it helps warm me up quickly. As someone who is always cold, this was a huge benefit, especially during our long Canadian winters. I now often use it to increase my circulation and warm up my body when I have been sitting and writing for long periods of time.
Overall, I found the MyoBuddy massager totally blissful, and incredibly useful in a family of five high-level athletes, and would definitely give it a big thumbs up! In fact, as you can see in the image above, my kids now take turns using it regularly after getting home from their soccer and conditioning practices and are huge fans as well. Now, before you order one, there are a few things to consider before making your purchase.
First, it helps to have someone else in your household who is willing to be your (myo)buddy. Get it?! The fact is, giving yourself a massage never feels as good as receiving a massage from someone else. Same thing applies to the MyoBuddy Massager Pro. While it feels really good to use it on your own body, it feels way better to have someone else use it on you because you can just relax right into it. So all that to say, try to find a friend to administer this total body bliss.
Second, the initial price tag is at the higher end of personal massagers, but in my humble opinion, it’s well worth the investment especially if you plan on using it for a few years. For example, if you regularly get massages, four sessions of massage therapy will cover the cost for the MyoBuddy, which you will then have use of for years to come.