A Stress-Busting Wellness Tool to Keep At Your Desk

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Here at T&C, we pride ourselves on our discerning eye for quality. With Tried & True, our editors will give you an inside look at the pieces they simply cannot live without.

I am perennially stressed. My shoulder blades are always tense and tight, my mind is always racing with hypotheticals, and my jaw is always clenched while I sleep. All this pent-up energy is truly taking a toll on my body. While years of therapy and mindful thinking have certainly helped ease my anxiety, I recently got my hands on one of Theragun's newest massage guns... and let me tell you, this gadget has become a therapeutic companion over the last few months.

The Theragun Sense is a percussive massage gun that relieves aches and pains and eases soreness, while promoting an overall sense of relaxation across the body and a better night's sleep. It comes with four attachments designed to target different areas of the body: a dampener for tender areas, standard ball for reducing all-over body tension, thumb-shaped head for the lower back area and tight knots, and micro-point tip to increase stimulation. There are also five different massage settings to choose from, which manage speed and force.

I find myself most often reaching for the standard and thumb-shaped attachments for my upper shoulders at the end of the day. Just a few minutes with this bad boy completely reduces tension and loosens the muscles, so I'm not walking around or sitting feeling rigid. The device has also become a must-have for post-workout recovery. I exercise three days a week, and no matter how much muscle I think my body has built up, I am always sore the following day. It's a quick and convenient way to provide instant relief, and gosh, does it feel good tapping against my muscles.

But the Sense is more than just a massage gun. It's is also equipped with a built-in biometric sensor—tucked underneath the handle—that offers haptics, heart rate insights, and my favorite feature of all, breathwork. I can't tell you how many anxious-filled nights I've turned to this device when I needed to just chill out. It offers a visually guided routine on its front screen with soothing music and vibration cues that feels so relaxing every time you breathe in and out. It's only a few minutes long, and what a few minutes of mindful breathing can do to your psyche. What's also nifty about this feature is as you hold the tip of your index finger against the biometric sensor, it provides insight on your heart rate and beats per minute.

That's not the only guided routine the Sense offers, either. It's also pre-programmed with a routine designed to use before bedtime, which I also enjoy when I'm feeling wired. The screen guides you to massage different areas of the body, such as the back and bottoms of your feet, for a few moments. I'm typically not a bad sleeper, but it's pretty amazing how it can put you in a calm state before lights out.

Other cool and notable specs: The Sense is Bluetooth-enabled and can pair to the Therabody app for additional short, guided routines, such as Tech Neck, Yoga Recovery, Red-Eye Readiness, and Skiing Recovery (which I am 100 percent absolutely using later this month in Aspen!). It's also surprisingly lightweight, like a little over a pound, and ergonomically designed to reach awkward areas of your back easier.

As much as I love visiting the spa for a massage, it's not always feasible with my schedule. And while nothing can beat the handiwork of a professional masseuse, the Theragun Sense is the next best thing. I can say with full certainty that it will continue to be by my side for the unforeseeable future.

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