If you haven't used a roller before, they're quite good for helping your muscles staying healthy and pain-free. Think of why people go to a masseuse. They go so the masseuse can gently knead the muscles, working out knots and sore areas. That's what a roller does. You roll your muscle along the roller, it gently presses into the muscle, and it helps the muscle be healthy.So on one hand I highly recommend that everyone have a roller, and use it daily. We all want working muscles, no matter our age or situation. We all want pain-free mobility.
On the other hand, it's also good to know that there are a variety of TYPES of rollers out there. Here's the three I own:
* The Pro-Tec Y-roller, 15.5"* The Gold's Gym flat roller, 24"
* The Rumble Roller, 31"
So of the three, the Gold's Gym is the simplest, and the least expensive one. As you might guess, it also means it's the most basic of the three.
So, for example, say I'm rolling my back. I work on a computer all day so my back muscles can get quite sore. Sure, it's better than nothing to roll with the Gold's Gym roller. However, it feels SO much better to use the Y Roller for my back. The Y roller has grooves that dig into the back muscles and give it a nice workout.
Think of it as the difference between a massage therapist just sliding her fingers over your back without any pressure, vs that therapist putting in some pressure with her fingers. The pressure is what digs into the muscle and helps it feel good.
Also, with the Gold's Gym being flat, it puts pressure on your spine, which I don't like. I like that the Y roller has a gap in the spine area so there's no pressure on it.
The difference is even more substantial on my legs. I like a deep massage on my legs, to get into the fairly substantial muscle groups there. For my legs, even the Y roller isn't quite enough. I prefer the Rumble Roller with its many little knobs to dig into the muscles. The Gold's Gym roller barely does anything in comparison.
Now, if I'm doing yoga poses or stretches, the Gold's Gym roller is often just right. All I need is a "support" and not any muscle pressure. So this roller does quite well for that.
So it all comes down to what you're looking for. If you have no roller at all, and are on a budget, then definitely get this one vs having nothing at all! It's important to have a roller to help with muscle health. But if you're active, or exercising, or have specific pains you're going to work on, then I recommend at least trying out the other varieties in a local sporting store or gym. See what they're like. That way you can see if they'd be a better match for your needs.
Feel free to ask me if you have any questions about any of these rollers.
I purchased this roller with my own funds in order to do this review.
Buy The Gold's Gym 24 inch Foam Fitness Massage Roller from Amazon.com
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