Fitness & Wellness

Eat, Hydrate, Sleep, Repeat

Eat, Hydrate, Sleep, Repeat

No, “eat, hydrate, sleep, repeat” isn’t another movie to rival “Eat Pray Love” that starred Julia Roberts. It should be a mantra for everyone that wants to be healthier. Fitness is more than just going through the motions of exercise. It means you live healthier. Living a healthier lifestyle includes getting adequate sleep, eating a healthier choice of food and hydrating frequently. While most people realize good nutrition is important, adequate sleep and hydration is often an afterthought.

Yes, a healthy diet is where every fitness regimen should start.

You can’t out-exercise a bad diet. When you consider that it would take hours to exercise away the extra calories in a Big Mac Supersized meal, you start to realize that maintaining weight control starts with what you eat. A healthy diet isn’t just about carbs and calories. It’s about good nutrition. Your body needs nutrients to function properly and many of the foods people eat are devoid of that nutrition, just delivering calories. That not only affects your weight, but your hormonal balances, how healthy you are and how well you function.

You might think it’s a badge of honor to burn the candle at both ends, but it’s not.

Your body heals when you sleep, which is important for building muscles. When you workout, it creates microtears in the muscle, which is replaced with stronger tissue, making it bigger and stronger. Another thing occurs when you sleep. It’s the regulation of hormones. If you get too little sleep, it can cause an imbalance. Two hormones that are especially affected are ghrelin—the hunger hormone—and leptin—the hormone that makes you feel full. Lack of sleep causes an increase in ghrelin and a decrease in leptin, so you’ll feel hungrier.

Hydration is key to weight loss and good health.

If you aren’t adequately hydrated, you’ll feel sleepy, have achy joints, poor digestion and even difficulty functioning mentally. Instead of grabbing a cup of coffee to wake you up, try a bottle or glass of water. It can work extremely well. Water not only improves blood volume and circulation, but it can also improve oral hygiene and make you feel fuller if consumed before a meal. Since the body is between 50 to 75% water, it’s easy to understand how important it is.

  • If you don’t like water, try making infused water. Simply add pieces of fruit, herbs or vegetables to water and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours. Then remove the fruit, herb or vegetable, leaving just the flavor.
  • Older people are often misdiagnosed with dementia, when in reality, they simply are dehydrated. Headaches and muscle pains are also a sign of mild dehydration. Try drinking a glass of water to see if it helps.
  • Keeping your bedroom cooler, around 60 to 68 degrees, and completely dark, is important for a good night’s sleep. If it’s too warm, it can disturb the REM sleep, which is the first of the various stages of sleep.
  • Eating healthy should be a top priority. In fact, it also helps with getting adequately hydrated, since you get approximately 20% of the fluid you need from the food you eat. If you’re eating fresh fruits and vegetables, it helps hydration.

For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness


No Scale Lifestyle

No Scale Lifestyle

One of the problems faced by clients in Irvine, CA, and around the world for that matter, is the obsession with weighing themselves when they start a fitness regimen. While weight plays a role in your fitness goals, it’s not all about how much you weigh. If you’re muscular and weigh 120 pounds, you’ll look much thinner than someone with very little muscle mass. That’s because muscle tissue weighs more per cubic inch than fat tissue does, so a pound of muscle tissue can fit in a smaller container—body. Once you understand that weight is just one way to measure progress, you’re on your way to a no scale lifestyle.

Don’t let the scales trick you into getting discouraged or boosting your confidence.

If you’re one of those people that weigh yourself once a day or more or weigh yourself at different times, you won’t get an adequate picture of your progress. You weigh more or less at different times throughout the day, based on a lot of things, including water weight. Your body weight fluctuates for a number of reasons. It can come from hormonal changes throughout the month or even what you ate and the amount of sodium it contained. Those things can make you either feel like you’re not making progress and discourage you or give you false encouragement, even if you didn’t stick with your diet and exercise program.

Measure your body once a week instead.

Taking measurements will give you a better idea of how well you’re doing. If you’re building more muscle, the scales may not show you’re losing weight, but your measurement will show you have less fat. One of the best measurements to show your progress is your circumference around your midsection. That’s where visceral fat collects. It’s deep fat that’s the most dangerous type, since it crowds the organs. When that measurement is smaller, you’re boosting your health and making a great deal of progress toward your fitness goals.

Take a picture, it lasts longer.

Nothing can help you see your progress better than the before, during and after pictures. Getting into shape doesn’t happen overnight. It comes in very small increments. You forget how you looked unless you have a reminder. Take a picture once a month, ensuring you are the same distance from the camera, in the same clothing and it’s taken at the same angle. After the first month, you’ll have a collection to see how much progress you’ve made. It’s useful for those days when you need a boost.

  • Your clothing won’t fit the same way after you’ve made progress, so use that information. Find a pair of jeans that fit uncomfortably tight and use them as your guide. When they fit comfortably or even loose, you’ve accomplished a lot.
  • You shouldn’t ignore your scales completely, but just remember they aren’t that important and use other ways to measure your progress.
  • One simple way to measure progress is to use a tape measure. You can measure your body at key points, like the upper thigh, belly, hips and arms. Depending on your goals, those measurements can be increasing (biceps) or decreasing (hips) to show your progress.
  • Use your vitals to measure your progress. Is your resting heart rate lower? Is your blood pressure lower? What about your fasting glucose rate? Getting fit is more than just looking better, it’s being healthier.

For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness


The Benefits Of Enzymes

The Benefits Of Enzymes

Most people understand the benefits of enzymes on some level. The most obvious one is that they act as catalysts to encourage a reaction to digesting food. However, there are many different types of enzymes, not all of which are used in digestion and many of which are used in processing food. For the body, its enzymes help break down, oxidize, hydrate and synthesize in the body. In fact, enzymes play a role in 12 systems of the body. While digestion is one of those functions, metabolism, blood pressure control, excretion via the kidneys, blood clotting, controlling the nervous system , wound healing and repair, reproduction, immunity and secretions are some others.

Digestive enzymes are the best known.

Most people understand that people who are lactose intolerant don’t produce the enzyme to digest the sugar in milk, lactase, or produce too little. That enzyme is important for digestion, just like protease is important for digesting peptides and amino acids, amylase breaks down carbs to glucose and lipase is important for digesting fatty acids and glycerol. People who lack digestive enzymes or produce smaller amounts than necessary, like those with lactose intolerance, have difficulty digesting certain foods, causing malabsorption and a great deal of gas.

Digestive enzymes also help break down nucleic acid to improve absorption.

Nucleic acid plays a role in producing a stronger immune system, improved digestion, quicker muscle recovery, reduced oxidative stress and improved metabolism. Metabolism has two parts, anabolism and catabolism. The first, anabolism changes smaller molecules into larger ones, while catabolism breaks down larger molecules to smaller forms. Anabolism is used for growth, survival and storing nutrients for later. Catabolism is necessary for removing toxins and waste from the body by breaking these substances down, so they can be removed in urine or feces. Excess glucose in the blood is also converted to glycogen by an enzyme and stored in the liver. Metabolic enzymes affect storage of energy and its release.

Enzymes play a role in your blood pressure.

Blood pressure is controlled by a hormone called angiotensin. If it’s too low, cells release renin. When that happens a chain reaction occurs, ultimately releasing an enzyme angiotensin-II that constricts vessels and raises blood pressure. If that enzyme is inhibited, people with high blood pressure will see their blood pressure drop.

  • If you’re injured and bleeding, an enzyme called thrombin comes to the rescue. It causes the fibrinogen in the blood to convert to fibrin, which forms clotting strands. Other enzymes aid in absorbing dead tissue and creating new tissue.
  • The nervous system controls all the functions of the body, in part, using neurotransmitters. Once their job is finished, enzymes help break them down so the continuation doesn’t create other problems in the body.
  • Enzymes help in boosting the immune system, even when it’s in your mouth. Not only does the saliva contain enzymes that help digest food, but it also helps kill microbes in the food.
  • Enzymes have become an important part of the food processing industry in the last 35 years. Could these enzymes be affecting our own body’s enzymes and proper functioning? Until that answer is known, eating whole foods is important.

For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness


Is White Rice Ever A Good Idea?

Is White Rice Ever A Good Idea?

Rice does not start out brilliantly white, like you find in the store. It’s highly processed and the husk and bran have been removed, making white rice not only less nutritious, but mostly carbs. That can be dangerous for diabetics, since it can cause spikes in blood glucose levels. Even rice milk may create a problem, since it’s high in sugar content without the fiber to slow the absorption. Compared to brown rice, it has far less fiber, manganese, selenium, antioxidants and lignans. It also can cause weight gain due to the lack of fiber, which leaves you feeling fuller longer.

If you want food that will boost your energy, white rice might be appropriate.

As noted before, white rice is mostly carbohydrates and carbs are a good source of energy. When combined with a source of protein, it could be a great option for a pre or post workout snack. For anyone trying to maintain or gain weight, it’s also a healthy option that’s far better than a candy bar or junk food.

While white rice does not contain as many nutrients as brown rice, it’s not empty calories.

White rice still has significant amounts of nutrients such as iron, calcium, folate, thiamine, vitamin D and niacin. If you’re on a low sodium diet, white rice is a good addition, too. Not only is it low in sodium, it’s also low in fat. It offers approximately 4 to 5 grams of protein per serving, too. If you’re trying to avoid gluten, are gluten intolerant or have celiac disease, it’s an option, since it contains no gluten.

If stomach problems plague you, white rice might be a good option.

White rice is so much easier to digest than brown rice, it’s a good option when you have digestive issues. Brown rice contains phytic acid, which can cause issues with digestion. If you have to eat a later meal, including the easy to digest white rice can fill you up and help you sleep, but since it’s easy to digest, won’t interfere with your quality of sleep.

  • While white rice has far less fiber than brown rice, it still has some and is easier on the digestive tract. The fiber is soluble fiber–a resistant starch that are broken down by gut microbes to produce butyrate. It can reduce stomach inflammation
  • Recent studies show that you can cut calories in half and lower the glycemic index of white rice by cooking it differently. Add a tiny amount of coconut oil to the boiling water before adding the rice. Let the rice cool in the refrigerator for 12 hours, then reheat and eat.
  • Some types of white rice are enriched with additional nutrients. Those varieties may contain more iron, folate and thiamine. If you’re convinced only white rice will do, look for those varieties.
  • You can reduce the GI of white rice by combining it with high fiber foods, like vegetables. Unlike some dishes, where the rice is the biggest portion of the meal, use it more sparingly and combine more vegetables and meat.

For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness


Coffee Alternatives You Should Try

Coffee Alternatives You Should Try

You won’t have a problem finding coffee shops in Irvine, CA. They’re everywhere. Coffee pleases millions of Americans every morning and sometimes throughout their day. It provides a burst of energy from the caffeine and does have some nutrients, which include vitamins B1, B2 and B3, magnesium, niacin and potassium. However, for some people, it can cause jitters and prevent a sound sleep. Whether you’re one of the people who experience side effects or just want a change of pace, there are also healthy coffee alternatives you can substitute.

Consider water, it doesn’t have to be drab.

Water can be a great alternative to coffee, especially if you’re looking for a pick-me-up. Sometimes people reach for coffee when they’re feeling tired, believing caffeine provides all the energy. It may not be caffeine, but the extra fluid to the body. Sometimes, mild dehydration can leave you physically and mentally drained. In that case, any liquid will do and what’s better than a tall glass of water? If plain water doesn’t have the same appeal as a cup of Joe, try infused water.

Herbal and fruit teas are also great substitutes.

Herbal teas have been used for centuries to aid health issues, but some are just consumed because they taste good. Fruit teas, like peach, raspberry and lemon tea, are favorites and can provide health benefits, too. The benefit can vary, depending on the fruit. They can soothe mucus membranes; help prevent colds or boost the immune system. Herbal teas have their own unique flavors and benefits. Many blends of both fruit and herbs are on the market, so you don’t have to create them at home. Ginger tea, for instance, is known to be good for digestion and stomach issues, but it also has been used to combat inflammation.

The obvious alternative to coffee is traditional tea.

Most people think of black tea immediately when they hear tea, but there are other types of tea and each has its own unique flavor. White tea, green tea—which include Macha, sencha, gyokuro and bancha, black tea, puerh and oolong all vary in not only flavor, but health benefits. Green and white have the mildest flavor, while puerh has the strongest earthy flavor. The health benefits range from reducing the risk of cancer to helping fight weight gain or lowering cholesterol.

  • If want more antioxidants than green tea provides, try Yerba mate. It has 25% less caffeine than coffee and more antioxidants than green tea, plus seven of the nine essential amino acids and a host of vitamins and minerals.
  • Drink tea made from flowers for a good night’s sleep or extra calcium. Chamomile tea can help you relax, while hibiscus tea has antiviral and cardiovascular benefits. It may also help lower blood pressure.
  • Make a healthy smoothie for your drink or your lunch! Add greens, fruit and other veggies. You can even boost your protein intake by adding a supplement or milk.
  • If you love the taste, smell and looks of coffee, you can trick your senses and boost your amino acid intake at the same time by drinking capomo. It’s one of the best plant sources of amino acids, the building blocks of protein.

For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness


Aspartame Side Effects You Might Want To Know

Aspartame Side Effects You Might Want To Know

When you go to a restaurant, where the sugar shaker used to be, there is now a small square container of multicolored packets, each with a different type of sweetener. If you immediately reach for that little blue packet, aspartame, you might want to rethink that decision. While it may seem like a good idea to cut out calories using artificial sweeteners, it seems there are side effects that also come with that benefit.

Watch out diabetics, aspartame may be working against you.

Obesity is the leading cause of preventable deaths and has become an epidemic. Why not use every trick in the book to help prevent it? Sometimes, the preventative has unintended consequences and that seems to be true of aspartame. Aspartame can increase the potential for insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes and a condition that makes weight loss even harder. It can also help people to have a larger waist circumference, an unhealthy indicator.

Inflammation is linked to serious conditions, just like sugar, aspartame makes it worse.

You might be dodging those calories in sugar, but you aren’t dodging the inflammation effect it has. Just like other processes, such as the fight or flight response, inflammation is necessary. However, when it’s chronic, it ceases to be a good thing and becomes a health issue. It can lead to serious conditions that are lethal, painful or both. Inflammation has many faces. It can mimic an allergic response. On the other side of the coin, if you’re allergic to aspartame, it can increase inflammation. Inflammation plays a role in heart disease and cancer. There are direct links between aspartame and rheumatoid arthritis.

Are you getting migraines or just feeling blue?

There are studies linking aspartame to mood disorders. One study showed that when individuals consumed aspartame for at least 8 days, they showed more signs of irritability and had negative mood swings compared to those that never consumed aspartame. Other studies showed that aspartame might be a cause of blurry vision, migraines, dry eyes and even may deteriorate cognitive functioning.

If you’re sensitive to aspartame or the methanol in it, it has been known to cause seizures. In fact, up to 30% of the non-epileptic seizures are due to it. The FFA suggests pilots avoid it, since it also can cause problems at higher altitudes.

Inflammation can occur throughout the body, including the gut. Aspartame can cause gut inflammation. Gut inflammation can make weight loss even more difficult to accomplish and affect nutritional absorption.

Aspartame can interfere with hormone levels. It can disrupt the balance of ghrelin—the hunger hormone—and leptin—the one that makes you feel full. It diminishes leptin and increases ghrelin.

There are a variety of results, both positive and negative, relating to aspartame and its link to cancer of the colon, blood and intestines. There are also studies that show it can negatively affect metabolism.


What To Know About Weight Loss Patches

What To Know About Weight Loss Patches

Nobody is condemning you if you want a simple, quick way to lose weight. Isn’t that a dream of everyone that needs to shed a few pounds? The problem is, many manufacturers prey on that desire and come out with products that promise these miraculous results, but normally don’t deliver. The latest quick and easy weight loss products are weight loss patches. They are transdermal patches that contain ingredients that are supposed to help you lose weight. Just put the patch on the spots where you want fat to disappear and according to the advertisement, it just goes away. But do these products actually break down fat on your thighs, belly and butt?

The list of ingredients is impressive, but does it work?

There are two types of ingredients, stimulants and non-stimulants. Some ingredients have proven beneficial when taken orally, but there are no tests that show they are beneficial when used transdermally, through the skin. The stimulants patches may contain include those that contain caffeine, guarana, ephedra or green tea extract. The ones that contain no stimulants may include ingredients like Acai berry, flaxseed oil, bitter orange and yerba mate.

Do they work.

The biggest problem with most dietary supplements is lack of testing. There aren’t as rigorous standards for these diet aids as there are for prescription and OTC drugs. Most patches can claim they work because the ingredients used in the patches, when taken orally, may show some benefits. However, that doesn’t always translate to transdermal applications. The other proof of benefits are personal testimonies. While some are very glowing, manufacturers can also pay people to give recommendations, so you never really know if they’re true or not.

Are there dangers to weight loss patches.

Side effects and safety aren’t really known, since dietary supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA. Also, each type of patch contains different ingredients, so a sweeping statement about safety isn’t appropriate. Side effects will vary based on the ingredients. The purity of the ingredient and amount it contains will also determine the safety. If you’re taking prescription medications, some may interact poorly or interfere with it. People sensitive to stimulants or with high blood pressure should avoid patches containing stimulants.

  • There is limited study, but some proof that may confirm the benefit of some ingredients in the patches. For instance, some patches that contain green tea extract showed benefits for weight loss in obese mice. How that translates to humans is yet to be determined.
  • Some manufacturers suggest you combine the use of weight loss patches with a healthy diet and regular exercise for the best results. People who have done this have shown good results, but it can’t be determined whether the diet and exercise or patches made the difference.
  • If you’re on any medication or have any condition, don’t use any patches without the express approval of your health care professional.
  • The best way to take weight off and prevent it from returning is through a program of healthy eating and exercise. You’ll get many other health benefits from this type of program as well.

For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness


Where Should I Get My Omega 3s?

Where Should I Get My Omega 3s?

Clients at Next Level Fitness in Irvine, CA, often ask about the benefits of having a good balance of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids. While the ration should be approximately four omega 6 to one omega three, the average American diet is anywhere between ten omega 6 to one omega 3 all the way to 50 omega 6 to one omega 3. It’s pretty obvious that something needs to be done to get back in balance. That means eating less food with omega 6 and boosting the omega 3 foods.

Why is it important to have a good balance of fatty acids?

Inflammation flares when you have too much omega 6, so do foul, aggressive moods and aggression. Omega 3 promotes brain health, increases good cholesterol, reduces triglycerides, lowers blood pressure and is basically heart healthy. It helps reduce the symptoms of ADHD, lowers the risk of cancer and so much more. Omega 6 does provide energy for the body, but the truth is, we just eat too much of it. Omega 6 is found in corn and soybean oil, mayonnaise, walnuts, almonds, cashews and sunflower seeds. Since it’s high in foods fried in vegetable oils, eliminating fried food helps lower your intake.

How can you boost your omega 3 through diet?

Some of the same foods that are high in omega 6 are also high in omega 3. Walnuts and sunflower seeds for example are two of them. Walnuts have a ratio of four grams of omega 6 to one gram of omega 3, which is the perfect balance. However, peanuts are at the other end of the extreme, with a ratio of approximately 1700 to 1, so if you are hungry for nuts, go for walnuts or macadamia nuts, which are also good. The best sources of omega 3 come from the sea. Fatty fish, like salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines are extremely high in omega 3.

These veggies also provide omega 3.

Those little mini cabbages, Brussels sprouts, are excellent sources of omega 3. There’s approximately 12% of the daily recommended amount in just one cup. Toss a few in your salad raw or roast them and add. While you’re at it, grind some flaxseed and sprinkle on the salad and put in a few anchovies. Both will boost your omega 3 intake. Flaxseed oil can also be used as alternative to butter.

  • Ghee, clarified butter, is high in omega 9, another fatty acid. It has no omega 6 or omega 3, so it won’t disrupt the balance and has a high smoke point. That makes it a good choice for frying and sauteing food.
  • Even though flaxseed oil is a good alternative to other oils high in omega 6, it’s not useful for frying food. It has a very low smoke point, where the oil changes composition, losing health benefits in the process.
  • Other vegetables, besides Brussels sprouts, that will increase the amount of omega 3 in your diet include kale, broccoli, cauliflower and spinach.
  • Your overall mental health is dramatically affected by what you eat. For instance, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression are all positively affected by increasing omega 3 fatty acids.

For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness


Best Gluten Free Foods

Best Gluten Free Foods

Not everyone should go gluten free. However, if you have a gluten intolerance or celiac disease, gluten free foods can help you return to good health. Unfortunately, gluten is often hidden in products you might not suspect, like ketchup or soy. Gluten is a protein in grains like wheat. While the higher amount of protein makes it a good option for some, it’s not for those whose body struggles with gluten. The problems that occur can include diarrhea, exhaustion, skin conditions, anemia, auto-immune disorders, depression, headaches, stomach pain and more. Today, almost 80% of wheat is a variety that’s high in gluten.

Gluten free options may not be your best choice if you’re not gluten intolerant.

If manufacturers remove something from food, such as fat from yogurt, they replace it with something to make up for the loss of flavor, in this case sugar. That also happens if companies remove gluten from an option. Gluten doesn’t give a product flavor, like sugar does, but it does give it texture. Gluten makes bread denser and less crumbly. Opt for products naturally gluten free, like quinoa, corn, brown rice and oats.

Are you baking at home?

There are many wheat flour substitutes for people who are gluten free, but one of the best is almond flour. You can make it at home by blanching and grinding your own almonds. It takes about 90 almonds processed that way to make a cup of almond flour. If you opt to purchase almond flour, which many people do, check the label. If it’s made at a company that also processes products containing gluten, the label should give a warning about the potential of cross contamination.

Choose whole foods as a gluten free choice.

Grains contain gluten, but other healthy foods, like fruits, vegetables, fish, seafood, meat, poultry, dairy, beans, legumes and nuts don’t. It sounds like you have a lot of options that are gluten-free and you do. However, bread products and even commercially made soups and processed food, even if it’s not a bread product, may contain gluten. Soups are often thickened with gluten containing products. Ketchup may contain gluten, depending on the type of vinegar used. Some vinegar is gluten free, such as apple cider vinegar. Others may start with a gluten containing product or be exposed to cross contamination.

  • Try using buckwheat or amaranth flour when baking. Buckwheat may have wheat in its name, but it’s not a wheat. Just like amaranth, it’s a pseudo cereal.
  • If you aren’t gluten intolerant or have celiac disease, be aware that cutting your intake of grains can also increase the risk of heart disease. It takes good planning to ensure you get all the nutrients necessary.
  • If you’re wondering what to choose for breakfast, try oatmeal. It’s naturally gluten free. Read the label to make sure there’s no cross contamination.
  • If you like to stop for a beer after work or other alcoholic beverages, be aware that many contain gluten. Beer, lagers, and malt beverages definitely contain gluten. Some wines may have gluten due to the paste used to seal the barrels where they ferment.

For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness


Are Massage Guns Good For Sore Muscles?

Are Massage Guns Good For Sore Muscles?

While the best treatment for aching muscles is normally provided by a massage therapist, massage guns also can bring relief from sore muscles. These devices were first used by massage therapists to help increase circulation and bring aid for pain. They can provide deep relief at home that other types of vibrating machines and foam rollers can’t offer. It’s known as percussion therapy. Today, they’re found in many homes as a quick answer to painful muscles.

Besides muscle pain relief, massage guns can help improve sleep and reduce stress.

It impacts the immune system positively, by increasing blood circulation, which also helps improve overall focus. There are negative effects to bad circulation, like swollen appendages, fatigue, muscle cramps and cold extremities. You can even feel more comfortable lifting heavier and putting more effort into your workout, knowing if it results in muscle pain, the massage gun can help immediately. One study shows that this type of therapy can help improve muscle endurance and power, while decrease the potential for DOMS.

Athletes love massage guns for improving their performance and dealing with post injury care.

The increased circulation helps boost performance and if an injury does occur, the use of a massage gun can help reduce the recovery time. They help enhance flexibility by providing circulation to both muscles and fascial tissue. Whether it’s sciatica, muscle cramps, spasms or soreness, TMJ, low back pain, shin splints or carpal tunnel, massage gun therapy can help.

The design of a massage gun makes them easier to use on your own body.

If you have sore upper back muscles, you can direct the massage gun to help reduce the pain and it’s far easier to use and better than a foam roller. You can direct a family member to use it on the muscles that are sore. Even if they don’t have much hand strength or any massage skills, you’ll still get a good, deep massage. While there are all types of massage guns, some are light enough you can take them when you travel, providing relief everywhere you go.

  • You may run the risk of injury or lack of results if you don’t use them correctly. Read the instructions and check online for the proper way to use them. Better yet, learn from your massage therapist.
  • You can’t use massage guns on sprains, broken bones and areas of severe swelling. Check with your doctor if you want to use them where you have varicose veins or have conditions like hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis or other conditions.
  • Not all massage guns are created equally. Some are better than others. Do your research to make sure you’re getting the most for your money. Some guns that are lower in price are just as good as more expensive ones.
  • Always read instructions carefully and avoid using a massage gun on the same spot for more than 20 seconds or if the area turns red. Make sure you’re using the right speed and pressure. If you feel an electric shock-type of pain, stop immediately.

For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness