Anyone use a foam roller?

Heard a lot about foam rollers, anyone use them for massage and recovery, just wondered what your thoughts were on them.

Comments

  • andrews148andrews148 ✭✭✭

    Best thing ever. Great for IT bands, calves, quads and hammies. I've also found a great stretch for my psoas that utilises the roller in the small of the back. Lifesaver, as I have osteitis pubis.

    You need a foam roller!

  • Mrs NoelMrs Noel ✭✭✭

    I can only agree, love mine.

  • Coco-CatCoco-Cat ✭✭✭

    Absolutely agree - my physio recommended I got one as I'm recovering from injury.  Hated it to begin with because it hurt to use it, but as the muscles eased up, I grew to love it.  It even went on holiday in the suitcase earlier in the year.

    Use it several times a week and it's brilliant.  You definitely need one if you are a runner.  You don't need to buy an expensive branded one - I got mine for about £8 on Amazon and it works a treat.

  • Agree with the above - I am the worst person in the world for stretching - but happy plonk myself on my foam roller for 20 minutes after my longer runs - it hurts, but it's good pain! Lots of free videos on Youtube about the best way to use it as well - and they're cheap as chips - I think mine was £13 including postage from Amazon.

  • Nose NowtNose Nowt ✭✭✭

    Never having had one, I find it hard to think how a foam roller hurts.  And how £13 for  a bit of foam can be considered to be "cheap as chips".

    I'm sure I'm missing the point somewhere

    image

  • Cheap compared to a £25+ for one sports message? image

  • Try a rumble roller. More than just foam and has the a ability to hurt like hell. Great piece of kit.

  • Got mine from Sports Direct, if you want to have a look and feel before you buy... They have perfectly serviceable ones pretty cheaply.

  • Run Wales wrote (see)

    Never having had one, I find it hard to think how a foam roller hurts.  And how £13 for  a bit of foam can be considered to be "cheap as chips".

    I'm sure I'm missing the point somewhere

    image

    It's hard foam and, believe me, it can really hurt if you have a traumatised muscle! And you can get them a lot cheaper than £13. Of course, you could get 'a bit of foam' and roll it up youself. Let us know how you get on.

  • I had never used one but have had a bit of a niggle in my shin/calf, mentioned it to a friend who brought over her roller. Two days later zero niggle. Have ordered one. It's was 10 mins of rolling for 2 days and sorted. Hurt, REALLY hurt on the shins but if it means I don't have to miss a run because of a silly niggle I'm happy. 

  • I can only add to all of the above comments.

    foam rollers are fantastic, ask any Physio, sports recovery specialist etc.

    mine cost £9 and I've made mine oval with so much use.

    they really do help in between runs for recovery and prevention too, I had a slight niggle in the I.T area, started using the roller and cleared up within couple days image

  • I've just finished a masochistic 10 mins on a soleus strain. Ouch!
  • I don't think I must have been using mine properly cos I'm the only person I know that didn't find it much use!!

  • Nose NowtNose Nowt ✭✭✭
    Peter Collins wrote (see)

    Of course, you could get 'a bit of foam' and roll it up youself. Let us know how you get on.

    Foam rollers are rubbish.  The sellotape holding them together comes off way too easily.

  • andrews148andrews148 ✭✭✭

    I had ITB syndrome that made it painful just to walk. Running was out of the question.

    I bought my foam roller to help recover from this. At first it very nearly brought me to tears rolling with weight of just one leg. Eventually I could use the weight of both legs. ITB syndrome cured. 

    I'm currently using it to help stretch out some very tight psoas muscles to make running with osteitis pubis a little less painful. 

    I try to roll routinely every day, focussing on ITBs, calves, quads and glutes. It definitely works for me. If I miss a few days I really feel it.

  • DunkyDDunkyD ✭✭✭

    I've been looking into getting one for a while.

    They tend to my 45cm long or 90cm long. Any thoughts on whether you need the wide one???

    Cheers,

    D

  • By using the longer one you can do both legs at once - saves abit of time

  • Dunky D get the longer one, Paul's right. I bought a foam roller after having advice from a sports physio, it worked wonders for me & I recommend getting one. I was given specific exercises for my problem, at first it was quite uncomfortable then after a couple of days it was ok so you have to take the pain for the gain! Lots of different videos on Youtube too for advice etc.

  • If your only interested in lower leg massage, the a http://www.the-stick.co.uk/ could do the job (or alternativley a £3 rolling pin from Wilkos). I prefer it as I can put more pressure on getting deep into my calves than I can with a foam roller.

  • Got one of these for the first time sunday must say best thing ive ever brought

  • They're a bit of a love hate relationship. 

    Unlike a sports massage you can just fall off if it hurts too much !

    Good poor mans massage though and they do work out tension, knots etc.

     

  • I have one from Argos. It's a 3-in1 with large, medium (ridged) and the inner is like a truncheon with smaller rollers along the middle. I call it The Beast and I LOVE it. I have muscle problems due to hip impingement couple years ago and couldn't walk let alone run. Once my massage therapist got me sorted she recommended one of these so I could save money (by DIY massage), which it does! 

  • I have a black one (believe black foam is stiffer than the blue?) and its been excellent for taking the dullness out of my legs post run. Flat mate can't quite get his head around me rolling around the living room floor though!

    Also I have a shorter one and work one leg at a time, to put more weight on it

  • How long do you roll for, as in how many times back and forth over the same spot.

  • one question what are the rdiges for? mine has them but i have no clue what they are for?

     

    And Harvey, you find a tender spot then hold position for 30-60 secs.

  • Hello Friends,

    Foam Rollers are an excellent way to increase your flexibility. I've been doing it for the past few months and I must say that I've been benefited a lot.

    One Important thing about Foam Roller Exercise is that people largely focus on common ones like Upper Body or Lats but focusing on other parts like Shins, Calves, Hamstrings and Quadriceps are very beneficial to the overall flexibility.

    Just in case you are looking for a thorough guide to Foam Exercises, I'd strongly recommend you to visit --- http://www.predatornutrition.com/articlesdetail?cid=11-foam-roller-exercises-that-will-stretch-your-entire-body as it has helped me a lot personally.

    Thanks, Stay Fit and Stay Healthy!

  • Chris2304Chris2304 ✭✭✭

    I'm dyslexic, and yet even I found the capitalisation in this advertorial weird...

  • NessieNessie ✭✭✭

    Phil - if you look at the top of the page, you will see this is "Runners' World".  Most runners use their foam rollers almost exclusively on their legs.  Why would a runner need to foam roll their lats?

  • I was sceptical of foam rollers, but was suffering with hamstring/glute issues and Aldi had them for £8? so thought why not give them a whirl.

    3 weeks of daily use had me back to 100%. Unfortunately, once fixed I got out of the habit of using it and I'm now back to where I was in January.

    Back on it the last two days already feeling a lot better.

    Recommended

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