Foam Rollers are a waste of time for injury prevention.

I KNOW!

I am probably in the minority on this thought, but stay with me because I think you’ll agree with what I have to say. (At least, I hope you will)

There is one main reason…A foam roller is flat.

Our body is not flat because we have bones, which means a flat object, such as a foam roller, rolls OVER the bones instead of AROUND them.

Why does this matter?

The goal of soft tissue mobilization/massage is to get the tool on your muscle, not on your bones.

If the foam roller is unable to snuggle around the bone it’s unable to get to your muscles which is the whole point.

This means the benefits of using the foam roller are subpar and you (or your student athlete) are unlikely to continue doing it. And that’s not a good thing.

What should you use instead? Balls.

I recommend balls because, you guessed it, they can reach around the bones and grip more muscles. More muscles touched = better results.

What balls should you use!? Well, definitely not balls that are hard as a rock, like a baseball or softball.

Your body will actually brace because the ball is too invasive and it feels like it has to protect you. Again, not what we want.

I suggest checking out Tune Up Fitness Therapy Balls (find ‘em here) or use a tennis ball.

Once you switch from a foam roller to a ball you’ll start to notice your body feels and performs sooooo much better.