Fascia training is very trendy and has really arrived everywhere. In the beginning, there was only the Blackroll, but the variety of brands in the field of fascia rollers has literally exploded. The applications are as diverse as the models. Even in the gym, you can no longer get around the handy massage rollers. Fascia training for warm-up or cool-down is almost as natural for hobby athletes as it is for ambitious athletes. So that you don't lose the overview and can make a good purchase decision, we have collected the most important facts and figures about fascia rollers for you.
Which relevant brands of fascia rollers are there for professional use?
The cheapest fascia rollers for professional use are already available from 10 euros net, in the medium price segment there are products between 15 and 30 euros net in the high-priced segment fascia rollers are available from 30 euros net.
Trendy Sport and Theraband position themselves here in the most favorable price segment, Trendy Sport is specialized in the range Fitness, the Faszienrollen of Trendy are laid out for sportsmen, who insert with the Faszienrolle only before and after training a short unit. Theraband relies on a modular system. The massage rolls are available individually at a very low price, but when combined with the Theraband wraps, they can be transformed into deep-acting fascia trainers.
Artzt Vitality and Gymstick in the middle price segment, on the other hand, are primarily aimed at the health sports sector. The fascia rollers from Artzt Vitality are available in different degrees of hardness compared to cheaper offers.
Blackroll and Liebscher & Bracht can be found in the most expensive price segment. Both brands are aimed at the professional use of the fascia roller in physiotherapy and rehabilitation, the rollers from both suppliers have been developed primarily for targeted use in a medical indication. Liebscher & Bracht has positioned itself in the field of pain therapy, Blackroll addresses somewhat more the field of sports medicine applications.
All presented brands stand for quality, the distributed fascia rollers are made of high-quality materials compared to similar, very cheap products from the hobby and home sector. The closed-cell plastics are easy to clean and can be disinfected, are skin-friendly and free of harmful substances. The dyes used are also harmless, the products are odorless and do not emit unpleasant fumes. Therefore, for use in the professional field - whether in the gym or in the practice - should be used in any case to well-known manufacturers, NoName products from abroad should be better avoided for the reasons outlined.
What are the differences in fascia rollers?
Length and diameter
Fascia rollers are usually available in standardized lengths. Standard rollers are 30, 45 or 90 cm long and have a diameter of 15 cm. Short lengths allow application to a variety of body parts while long rollers are easier for beginners to use, but make application to isolated areas of the body somewhat more difficult.
Surface
The surface can be smooth or structured, if a structuring is present, one distinguishes here between a purely superficial structuring and a structured form with knobs or spikes. A smooth surface again allows a variety of applications and impresses with its simple action. Smooth fascia rollers are also particularly easy to clean - a great advantage for a large number of different users.
A textured surface provides a more intense training experience, blood circulation is stimulated more than with a smooth roller. Mistakes in handling are also almost impossible with these models. Cleaning is somewhat more difficult here, especially in areas of application where a high level of soiling is to be expected, this can be a slight disadvantage.
Structured shapes provide a very intensive fascia training, however, due to the strong stimulation, beginners may make mistakes in handling, the sometimes very pronounced structures such as spikes, pimples and serrations are challenging to clean. These fascia rollers are therefore more useful in the field of personal training or medical applications.
Hardness grades
Fascia rollers are available in different degrees of hardness. Soft models are particularly suitable for beginners, medium-hard models are available to a wide range of users. Hard fascia rollers, on the other hand, are something for advanced users and also have their uses in medical applications.
Use and application
In principle, the use of fascia rollers is useful for almost everyone.
In fitness training, the use of a fascia training device is recommended in the warm-up before training and the cool-down afterwards, with regular use, the regeneration phase of the muscles can be shortened.
Inexpensive, plain models that are easy to clean are highly recommended for this area. Depending on how many members on average start training at the same time, a quantity of 5 - 8 fascia rollers is sufficient here. The rolls are not used for a particularly long time and are quickly available to the next user, a quick disinfection between two uses is completely sufficient here.
In the area of personal training, starting with small group training up to intensive individual training, the fascia roller is used under guidance. Here it is worthwhile to resort to more sophisticated models, as the trainer can provide valuable assistance and show the use for more applications than a quick warm-up. Especially in the area of personal and small group training, improving health often plays a major role for exercisers, and more and more "best agers" - i.e. exercisers over 50 - are taking advantage of such personalized training offers. Rollers with different degrees of hardness and structures can be used well here to achieve a more individual training result, a good selection and mixing of the fascia rollers is the key here. The group size for small group training usually varies between 3 and 8 people, here too the main focus should of course be on the "mass" of the users. 4-6 rollers with a medium hardness level and a textured surface, 1-2 rollers with a textured shape and 1-2 hard or soft rollers cover the needs of each group. Due to the less number of users and the time interval between two guided trainings, there is enough time for cleaning the fascia rollers.
In physiotherapy or for medical applications, of course, the full range of high-quality fascia rollers can be used. With 1:1 care by the therapist, different fascia rolls can be used in one session. Especially in medical applications, it is particularly important to be able to respond to the patient individually. Small quantities of different rollers are offered here as basic equipment. A selection of different degrees of hardness, a long and a short roller as well as different structured forms for intensive application are offered here as basic equipment.
Special requirements for professional use
Fascia rollers do not have to be used on bare skin, but they will still be used on bare skin. Shorts and tops now once leave areas of the body uncovered. In doing so, the roller will inevitably come into contact with the sweat of many different users and will need to be cleaned regularly and frequently. It is important to have a suitable disinfectant on hand in the studio that attacks the plastic of the roller as little as possible and still provides good, hygienic cleaning results.
In principle, the wear and tear of fascia rollers is relatively low, but with a high frequency of use and frequent cleaning, it can still happen that the plastic becomes brittle at some point, especially at the ends of the fascia roller, it can happen that the edges break out and fray over time. This does not change the training result, but makes an unkempt, loveless impression.
For private use, natural materials such as cork or protective leather covers are quite suitable, but for use with many different users, natural materials are not recommended.
Current developments
In the field of plastics development, great advances and new discoveries are being made all the time. Not least in the wake of the climate debate, more and more manufacturers are turning to modern plastics such as EPP. EPP is a plastic that is 100% recyclable and produced in a climate-neutral way.
The cell structure of EPP foam has a special advantage: it absorbs the energy that acts on the object from the outside. The high energy absorption as well as the good recovery capacity after load are typical for EPP. Fascia rollers made of EPP are therefore particularly robust and also suitable for heavy loads.
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Editorial fitnessmarkt.de (DG)
Photo credit: #100661261 Prostock-studio / stock.adobe.com
Published on: 24 September 2019