Foam rollers for free movement
Get rid of tight and painful knots without spending hundreds on expensive physio and massage.
The gym essential
Foam rollers can be incorporated into all kinds of workouts including yoga and pilates, helping you to stretch your muscles and improve your core strength. Being used at home alongside your other fitness equipment, foam rollers are lightweight and easily transported. You can even buy foam rollers with their own mesh bag which helps keep them clean and makes them easier to carry. While you're using your roller, it can be a good idea to lie on a yoga mat or other soft mat, so that your knees and elbows aren't digging uncomfortably into the hard ground in certain positions.
Benefits of a foam roller
Working with a foam roller helps to boost your circulation and they are incredible at massaging away aches and pains in your muscles. By improving your mobility, you can reduce the likelihood of injury too. Look for a foam roller that comes with professional instructions to help you make the most of this simple but effective tool, or check out techniques online to ensure you're getting the most of your roller.
Choosing a foam roller
Foam rollers come in a range of sizes to match a range of uses, with lengths from as little as 30cm up to 90cm or more. If you are looking for a general purpose fitness foam roller, it is worth bearing in mind that a longer roller will do everything a shorter roller will do, but a shorter roller could be more limited in its range of uses, depending on how you're planning on using it. Short rollers have the advantage of being easy to fit into your gym bag.
Specialist foam rollers
For an even more effective foam roller, look for one with special features aimed at easing your tired muscles. Some come with a textured or ridged surface to get deep into the tissue and activate trigger points, while others have an inbuilt vibration feature to gently massage you while you roll.