When I was training for my first ½ Marathon I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know what equipment I would or wouldn’t need. I didn’t know very much about nutrition, workouts, or workout recovery. Now, as I am in training for my second ½ marathon I am getting the hang of things so to speak and have learned a lot about my body, fitness, and recovery. One of the items I often heard discussed by other runners and fitness minded people was the “foam roller”. At the time I had no idea what it was or what it did but I heard it was great for recovering from runs and other workouts. When I got the opportunity to review one for my blog and OpenSky shop I jumped at the chance!
I was super excited to receive my high-density foam roller from the fabulous people at Fitness Wholesale. Once I got it my first thought was “Now What?” It turns out a quality foam roller is super simple to use. You can search for the term “foam roller exercises” and oodles of videos and how-to sites come up for your convenience. There are far too many to list here but trust me you can easily find one to meet your specific needs! Since I was interested in combating the tightness in my back and legs after a run that is what I focused on. There are several simple things anyone can do to use a foam roller for workout recovery.
I also learned you can use the rollers for pilates and yoga as well. You might remember my love affair with P90X Yoga. I am looking forward to busting out the foam roller to work on my strength and form!
This particular roller is lightweight and extremely durable. I feel perfectly comfortable using it at my current size (extra fluff and all), as does my husband who is sporting a lot more muscle and height than I am.
I have noticed a huge difference in my recovery after a run. I am able to ease tension in my back that it was nearly impossible to “stretch out” before. I also noticed that with the foam roller I am able to work on problem areas without putting as much stress on my body. In sum, foam rollers are a great way to give yourself a back or leg massage, combat post-workout soreness and stiffness, and promote workout recovery.
I am really really excited to announce this is going to be the first item available in my OpenSky Shop. Remember as I mentioned before I am only putting items in my store that I personally use/love/recommend. So while the store might be a little slow to grow you know that everything inside is owned by yours truly and used in the Running In Pink Project household. I ~puffy heart~ shopping so I LOVE Love love being able to share that with you!
As a fun bonus the awesome team at OpenSky is offering Free Shipping on all items purchased from my store through August 16th. Simply enter the code FREESHIPING at checkout. I heart free shipping so I am thrilled to be able to offer it to you! Click here to visit my store and Happy Shopping!
