Types of Foam Rollers

Soft Roller: If you have never used any type of foam roller before, then this is the one for you.  A foam roller that is completely foam, and does not have a PVC pipe in the middle or any foam spikes will do the trick.  This is the first foam roller I used, and it worked great.  But, eventually, I did want something more firm.

Ball Foam Roller:  If you really want to get into your shoulders or your glutes, this one is a must!  This ball really provides extra pressure for certain body parts that are just a little tough to get with a cylindrical roller.

Firm Roller:  I like this one better than the soft roller, which I don’t use anymore because it just doesn’t provide enough pressure for me.  If I didn’t have a vibrating foam roller, this is the one I would use all of the time!

Spiky Foam Roller with Spine Channel.  I also really really love my spiky roller for two reasons: my shoulders and lower back.  This roller has a scoop cut out of the middle.  This is where your spine safely goes.  This allows you to roll out the muscle just on either side of your spine. 

Massage Stick:  This type of roller is quite firm, and fits in a suitcase!  I like this roller because I don’t have to get down on the floor to use it!  You can sit on the couch or in a chair and roll out your legs and shoulders.  However, it can be tough to get your shoulders.

Spiky Massage Stick.  I do not like this one.  It is very firm.  I bruised myself the first time I used it.  I had little polka dots bruised up and down my legs. No thanks!

Vibrating Foam Roller.  Ok, so this one is odd!  But I love it!  In my opinion, it is a totally worth it investment for an amateur athlete who wants to get more out of foam rolling.  I bought it after reading Tom Brady’s TB12 book.  I hated the book, but he kept talking about using certain massage methods to increase blood flow and activate muscles.  Of course, I do not have my own personal masseuse and trainer like Tom Brady, but these therapies can be mimicked with a vibrating foam roller.  I’m not gonna lie, I love it.  I try to use it everyday.  I use it to warm up and activate muscles as well as a recovery exercise.  I take it with us on climbing and snowboarding trips.  If I could only have one foam roller, this would be it.