You work hard, you play hard.

Diet is usually ok but when it comes time for recovery you know you could be doing better.

We all can right?

Below I outline the best foam roller for your sports recovery.

Having (but more importantly, using) a foam roller is a must.

Foam Roller Benefits

Help reduce muscle soreness
Increases blood flow to the muscles promoting recovery
Can assist with flexibility
Because after rolling stops hurting, you feel better!
Helps ease the fatigue from your muscles
Reduces adhesions and trigger points, preventing injury.

Considerations when buying a Foam Roller

Picking the right roller for you can be a difficult task. There are lots to choose from!

The main considerations regarding the ideal roller for you will be:

Cost
Durability
Resistance
Precision
Training Style/Sport

All factors are important.

Despite which roller option you choose the success of your foam rolling comes down to regular use!.

A little bit regularly will give a much better result than one big session once per week.

Unfortunately a roller on its own is not enough for your sports recovery tool box.

The best Foam Roller for your Sports Recovery

Eva Foam Roller

This roller is made from closed cell foam that is soft to the skin.

It offers good resistance that does not feel like it is pushing you out or allowing you to sink in too much.

This is often a good roller to get started with as you will get good benefits without all the pain.

Over time and with long term use, these rollers tend to loose their firmness. You will start to see "tracks" where you regularly apply pressure.

High Density Foam Roller

This is a roller made from beads of closed cell foam.

Firmly solid throughout, it is designed to withstand the pressure of weight put through it and consistently deliver a dense roll.

It feels much firmer to the roll than the EVA.
This type of roller is more likely to last the distance with regular rolling. But it will require longer period of time to adapt to the firmness of the roll.

Rumble Roller

This is not for the faint hearted.

Comes in Blue and Black (blue is easier to start with). This roller provides evenly spaced bumps around it to provide a deep Massage effect.

It also uses newer technology (seen in the next foam roller) and whilst it doesnt have a hollow core, it remains firm.

The solid outer component of the core (seen both in this model and the Grid roller) have been shown by research to have a greater effect on the fascia. This is due to increased pressure whilst rolling.

With this particular model you get that benefit and the added extra of the bumps. This roller is not for the faint hearted but once you switch to this, there is no going back!

Grid Roller

Similar in technology (solid inner core) to the Rumble, this is hollow internally with an outer shell that is mostly smooth.

With this roller you get the benefits the density has to offer your muscles.

But without the therapeutic discomfort the rumble provides. Ultimately the choice of these two will come down to personal preference and your training.

Which Foam Roller is right for you?

The answer to this is a little bit of trial and error.

You really cannot go wrong with any of the above options.

In order to get the best roller for you, it may be worth considering your goals and sport.

If you are a regular at the Gym, the Rumble would be preferable as the very nature of weight training encourages the development of trigger points and decreases Range of Motion. The Rumble would adequately get into the muscles and assist in the release of these trigger points more precisely than a smooth roller.

If you are into endurance sports and have been for quite some time any of the smooth rollers should suffice.

The goal for you would be (also to free up trigger points) to open up fascia, improve range of motion and assist with any exercise related muscle soreness..

Remember foam rolling is NOT a substitute for a good quality Remedial/Sports Massage. Any good therapist will be able to instantly tell whether you have been doing your time on the roller!

Thanks for reading!

The Best Foam Roller for your Sports Recovery

Foam Roller Benefits

Considerations when buying a Foam Roller