Foam Rollers

The stretching area is usually the least specified part of a gym and one of the most used. Foam rollers cost very little, get picked up by almost every member at some point, and wear out quietly. Stocking them properly is one of the cheapest ways to make a floor feel complete.

Choosing a length

• 32cm. Short rollers for calves, arms and targeted work, and easy to move around the floor.
• 45cm. The general purpose length for most members and most muscle groups.
• 60cm and 90cm. Long rollers support the whole spine for thoracic work and give more room for larger users. A 90cm roller is the one most stretching areas are missing.

Smooth or textured

Tread and vari-massage profiles apply more focused pressure than a smooth roller, which suits members who already roll regularly. Smooth rollers are more forgiving for beginners and for anyone coming back from injury. A stretching area benefits from both, since one is not a replacement for the other.

Trigger point work

A trigger point massage ball set reaches the areas a roller cannot: glutes, shoulders, feet and the smaller muscles around the hip. Useful in rehab settings and increasingly requested by members who have been shown them by a PT.

Stocking a recovery area

Buy more than you think, in more than one length, and check them regularly for compression and splitting. Rollers are a consumable. Most stretching areas are also short of resistance bands, which cover the banded mobility and activation work a roller cannot do. See also yoga and Pilates and studio equipment.

All prices are shown excluding VAT, which is calculated at checkout.