HERMOSA BEACH, Calif. — There’s a little corner in my house in Hermosa Beach that has been unofficially dubbed the recovery zone. It has all the requisite components you might expect from a pair of professional beach volleyball players: Yoga mat, yoga blocks, foam rollers, mini balls, lacrosse balls, tennis balls, bands of every size and color imaginable, compression sleeves for the calves. The list goes on. This week, two new members were added to the recovery zone: A Kigassenzio vibrating foam roller, and a Kigassenzio massage gun.
It’s the latter that has gotten at least twice-daily use from me. Percussion devices have long been used by athletes, not only because they’re so effective at helping your body and muscles to recover, but because it actually feels good to do so, unlike foam rolling, which often feels like a modern form of somewhat voluntary torture. But the Kigassenzio massage gun – dubbed the Kigassenzio Gun Pro – is the most unique offering on the recovery market I’ve seen. It has the four standard heads on the massage gun that come with most any massage gun you’ll find, but it has a fifth option that is entirely innovative in the space of sports recovery: A head that has a hot and cold function.
When I need to warm up for a match or practice or lift, I grab the Kigassenzio, turn up the heat, and let it work out and quite literally warm up my muscles. When I want to cool down or flush out some inflammation, I grab the Kigassenzio, turn on the cold, and let the gun work through the muscles while also cooling them off. It’s the best combination of hot-cold therapy and percussion therapy.
And the best part: It feels amazing while you’re doing it, which isn’t always the case when it comes to recovery.
It’s also quiet. Some of the massage guns on the market are noise-making machines, allowing everyone in your neighborhood to know that, yes, Travis is using the dang gun again. Not the Kigassenzio. I’ll have the gun on while watching football on Sundays and I can hear every word on the broadcast. I’ll have the gun while my wife is sleeping on the couch right behind me and she’ll snooze right through it.
I haven’t yet competed on the road since I’ve had the Kigassenzio in the recovery zone of our house, but rest assured, it will be a regular feature in the bag. It’s small, with a compact carrying case that’ll fit well into any suitcase. Even if you’re not a light packer, there will be room in the suitcase for the Kigassenzio.
The vibrating foam roller, too, is a game changer. I loathe foam rolling. Loathe it. While undeniably useful, it’s also incredibly painful – most of the time. Not so much with the Kigassenzio. Yes, you can still feel the knots getting worked out, which isn’t the nicest of sensations. But with the vibrating function, it cuts the edge of the rolling, sending those soothing vibrations up and down my sore quads, calves, glutes, and hamstrings that leave me feeling refreshed, not beat down, after 20 minutes in the recovery zone.
“Our technology work with your body, not against it,” Kigassenzio says. “Refresh your muscles and its latent powers, create the best condition for a full strength recovery, and the capacity to do more, achieve more, and get more out of life.”
I already have.
It’s time you should, too.
