“Modern life is rubbish”. That was the name of Blur’s second album. A likely soundtrack to many British groms like myself, growing up in the 90s. I’m pretty sure Blur they weren’t talking about posture but bloody hell, modern life is rubbish for our posture. Look at any kids these days on their phones. Necks constantly curved down towards some screen. Stress has our shoulders all hunched up as we hold our breath forgetting how to breathe. Injury has imbalances playing havoc on muscles and to top it all off, writing this during another COVID lockdown, no one can get to their regular bodywork sessions to have a massage or sauna! Rubbish indeed!
No surprises then, that massage guns have seen record sales in recent months, allowing muscle relief from the comfort of your own home. On initial research, it would appear you need to get a mortgage to own your own massage gun with prices being in excess of $600. This price tag alone prevented me from buying one however I always enjoyed using them at friends’ houses who swore by them for muscle recovery. Unsurprisingly, I went to those mates’ houses often!
I was over the moon to be contacted by ExoGun to try one of their DREAM PRO massage guns out for Still Stoked. Being a surfer harboring some nasty arthritis in her neck from multiple snowboard whiplashes, my chiro repeatedly reminds me of the benefits of regular stretching and massage. The massage gun could not have come at a better time with winter swells making my triceps tender to touch, and work-from-home vibes exasperating the pains in my neck as a hunch over my computer at the kitchen table. After reading the reviews on their website, I was pretty stoked to get the opportunity to try it as I just didn’t see the value in spending $600+ to buy one for myself.
Like most top-of-the-range massage guns, they come with a variety of attachments to target different muscles. The Exogun comes with 4 attachments which are super easy to swap in and out. The round ball one is probably the most versatile and it took me a while to try out the other ones but I’m glad I did. The two-pronged attachment is so good to get either side of your spine and to poke particular troublesome muscles. It quickly became my favorite attachment as I could really reach my thoracic spine and get some relief.
It also has 6 different speeds which are actually really useful. I thought I would just boss it and use the highest speed all the time but after taking a big slam in the skate park, I was super grateful to be able to lower the vibrations and use the gun to break down some scar tissue and bruising in my butt cheek! Warning: if you do this expect to cry from pain and laugher at the same time. It’s a weird feeling but it’s bloody good to break scar tissue down and WAYYYYY cheaper than going to a physio who will most likely do it with their elbow!
Another massive benefit of the EXOGUN is that it is cordless. Like having a vacuum that you don’t have to plug in all the time… you will use it more! The battery (USA electrical adapter required to charge it), also lasts for a surprisingly long time. Roughly 5 hours of use which is awesome because trust me, it is absolutely devastating when the battery dies and you have just started using it!
The only downside is that it’s a touch noisy which does make it a little distracting to use when you are watching TV but that’s a small price to pay for 1200-3200 percussions a minute, like little workings massage thumbs working their magic into your sore body. I’ve been told by friends that also own massage guns that my EXOGUN is actually wayyy quieter than theirs, so there you go! To be honest, the noise really doesn’t bother me.
While I’m not a gym junky carrying this bad boy in my backpack for muscle recovery, It does have a permanent home next to my yoga mat, reminding me to include it in my regular self-care routine. After a long day surfing, it has been a huge help in bringing blood to my tired muscle. Helping me to not be so fatigued the next day. I’ve also found it a huge aid in relieving tightness in my neck which has helped me sleep better. The size of the gun itself makes it easy to reach around and place it under your shoulder blades, another tender spot that surfers want to get to. I have taken it in the van on a few overnight surf trips with me which has gone down a treat in the campsite, although you will need a 240V inverter to charge it 🙂
So for anyone thinking about getting a massage gun, I would definitely recommend the ExoGun. Especially for the active amongst us that love having those Bali massages in-betweens surfs… this is literally the at-home-version of those sweet post-surf massages! Throw a coconut in there for hydration and you’re almost in Indo…. haha. Maybe not.
The Exogun Dream Pro massage gun is great value for money at $169USD (currently on sale on their website, down from $699). This price is on par with a two-hour massage here in Sydney (if only you could get one). Gifting yourself a massage gun is an investment in your body. Even if just sitting there, it reminds you to pay more attention to your muscles and recovery, that in itself is worth its weight in gold. For a surfer though, I would say this is a great piece of kit to have in your quiver: a yoga mat, a foam roller, a shakti mat, and a massage gun like the EXOGUN, these items combined will help you get more out of your surfs and surf more often. Winner winner chicken dinner!
The EXOGUN massage gun was gifted to Still Stoked and we loved it. If it was shit, trust us, we would tell you!
