What kind of foam roller do I need?
When it comes to foam rollers is there a right one to choose? If you look online (or amazon if you are like me) and type in foam roller you’ll see they come in different sizes and textures. Is there really that big of a difference between them? Short answer: yes.
Whether you are new to rolling or not there is a roller out there that is better suited to your body’s needs. Also, depending on what part of the body you are rolling out and how tight that specific area is can also be a determining factor on the style of roller you decide to invest in. I personally own 3 rollers. Each of them is a different length and has a different texture to it depending on what I am using it for.
For the novice foam roller
If you are new to foam rolling and new to exercising I would recommend starting out with a foam roller like the one listed below.
It’s smooth contour is forgiving on the muscles that are tight but it is firm enough to apply the pressure needed to massage out knots that are in the area you are rolling. Maybe you’re thinking that you could go to Home Depot and get a PVC pipe for less than the Amazon Basic version. It’s basically the same right? No. They both are smooth but a PVC pipe will be too firm for someone just starting out. I like to tell my clients that if you are making faces or making noise while you are rolling you are either applying too much pressure or you have the wrong roller. You’ll want to be able to relax into the area that you are rolling to be able to get the full benefit of it which you can read here:
I also recommend getting the 36” since this basic roller is actually quite a versatile prop especially if you get one long enough to lay down on it.
For the proficient roller
If you’ve been foam rolling for awhile and looking to upgrade your roller I like the one listed below.
The grid roller might look similar to one mentioned earlier but it is actually slight firmer and has contours and ridges to apply pressure point relievers as you roll out your muscles. This is helpful when you start adding different movements to rolling out other than your typical up and down fashion. When you move perpendicular to the muscle fibers oh baby you’ll be in for a surprise. Check out my YouTube tutorial on rolling out your calves below to see what I mean.
For the Sadist
Kidding(Kind of)! This is the roller that I use the least BUT I still think it’s worth having. When I am on my game rolling every day I love using this one for my upperback. It feels so delicious. Just like I mentioned that the contours on the grid roller help deepen the massage of the nodules on the textured roller 10x that feeling. It legit feels like you have multiple thumbs applying pressure while you are rolling. Sometimes that feels amazing other times it feels overwhelming and too much. That’s exactly why I have multiple rollers. Every day my body feels different and somedays I am tighter than others. It’s nice to be able to meet your body where it’s at.
