A firm 18 in roller – long enough for thighs, calves and the upper back, short enough to live on a cart.
A roller is the first thing to do after a workout because it needs no setup: put it down, sit on it, roll. The ProsourceFit roller is 18 in long and 6 in across (46 × 15 cm) – long enough for one thigh, a calf or the width of the upper back, short enough to stand in a cart bin or a closet corner. It is molded from high-density expanded polypropylene that the maker says keeps its firmness under pressure, rated to 300 lb (136 kg), water-resistant, and it weighs under half a pound.
Firm is the point and also the catch: the maker itself says new users may find it intense. At 18 in it is too short to lie along the whole spine – that is the 36 in version’s job – and the surface is smooth, so pinpoint work belongs to a ball.
Tip: Roll slowly, about an inch a second, and pause on the tight spots instead of rolling fast over them; keep it off the lower back, the neck and the knees.
Rester's Choice
cold on the quads or hamstrings after leg day, warm on the low back later, a freezer shelf kept for recovery
Amazon Basics
a recovery kit that lives by the door, the garage or the end of a hallway, rolling the whole kit to wherever you stretch, small apartments
Amazon Basics
lying lengthwise to open a rounded upper back, slow rolling of the mid-back and thighs, a corner with 3 ft of clear floor