11 Best Foam Rollers For Sore-as-Hell Muscles
Working out is all fun and games until you realize that it's actually no fun and there are no games. Unless you've been playing pick-up basketball or you're trying to teach a youngin in your life a good game of catch, in which case it's some fun, no games. No matter what kind of movement you're doing or how much of it you're doing, joints get achy, muscles get sore, and you get used to a reality that includes waking up with pains you didn't have the night before.
Foam rollers aren't going to fix all of your problems, but they might help ease some of the muscley ones. Now, the large-scale research on foam rolling effects is not comprehensive, so most of the claims you'll hear about it are anecdotal. There's some evidence to show that foam rolling before a workout can help increase your range of motion, and many physical therapists and trainers will recommend foam rolling post-workout to prevent delayed-onset muscle soreness.
Even if you're not aiming for some high-level athletic performance, there's an abundance of anecdotal evidence to show that holding tight muscles on a dense foam roller (and breathing through the pain) can at least help you and an aching body relax. Whether you're training at the gym or hunched over a laptop all day or, best of all, a combination of the two, a foam roller can get your stiffened muscles to chill out right from the comfort of your living room floor. Eleven of the best ones, here.
(Couretsy Photo - Esquire)
Lululemon
lululemon.com
$38.00
The ridges on Lululemon's double foam roller are not just for looks. Foam rollers will often be outfitted with strategic grooves along the top to get into even the tightest of muscles.
(lululemon.com)
Therabody
therabody.com
$149.00
Therabody is known for its Theragun range, which is basically a very intense and automated foam rolling experience. The brand took that head for tech to the little ole foam roller with five vibration frequencies. It's 12 inches long, and it connects to the Therabody app via Bluetooth—a whole setup for optimizing your foam roll.
(therabody.com)
Gaiam
gaiam.com
$24.98
Gaiam's foam roller is a medium-firm density, which means it has some more give than super dense options. This is good for newbies, anyone who bruises easily, and for especially tight muscles. It's 18 inches long and 6 inches in diameter.
(gaiam.com)
Pro-Tec Athletics
rei.com
$34.95
For a high level foam roll, this contoured roller has ridges to hit muscles from multiple angles. It's a firm density and 5 x 14 inches in size. This combination makes it great for intense pressure on lats, glutes, and calves.
(rei.com)
MOBOT
amazon.com
$59.99
Muscle tightness doesn't stop for vacation. In fact, after sleeping on a plane with your neck contorted, muscle tightness may be at an all-time high. This 2-in-1 water bottle that is also a foam roller is travel-friendly but trust that these ridges are anything but friendly. They're intense. Sometimes that's what you need.
(amazon.com)
Trigger Point Performance
rei.com
$68.95
This Trigger Point Grid foam roller is a great choice for those ready to commit. It's a little pricey, but it does its job well. The hollowed out core means it's going to hit muscles harder, and the grid structure helps relax muscles from all angles. It's 26 inches long, making it ideal for hitting your back, quads, and hamstrings.
(rei.com)
IntelliRoll
amazon.com
$39.99
If you need help releasing any back tension 10 years ago, the IntelliRoll is a very friendly tool to have around. It's hollowed out in the middle, so that it won't and irritate your spin (do not try to roll out or over bones, please) but it will get to the tight muscles around it.
(amazon.com)
RAD
amazon.com
$49.99
This high-density foam roller is small option (12.5 inches long) ideal for hitting more targeted areas, like right around your low back or your forever achy traps.
(amazon.com)
OPTP
amazon.com
$59.95
Low-density foam rollers are great to have if you want a gentle rather than intense experience. This long one (measures 36 inches across) is also great to have as a second option, for when you need rest and care and not aggressive manipulation.
(amazon.com)
Chirp
amazon.com
$44.99
Anyone who exists in modern society is probably spending most of their time in a forward motion—sitting at a computer, picking up a kid, falling asleep on the train. This roller wheel is small but mighty. Put it under your back and lay on it to open your chest for once.
(amazon.com)
Pro-Tec Athletics
amazon.com
$31.46
Foam rollers that have a hollow core offer a different experience than full foam ones. That is to say, usually an experience with no give and all take. The smoothed out surface gives it an even pressure. Use it for your calves, which will never feel the same.
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Sore muscles? Relieve them a with a useful foam roller post workout. We found the 11 best options for you help get that recovery in.