Disclaimer: I received an Addaday Pro Massage Roller to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find and write race reviews! All opinions are my own.
For as long as I can remember, I have been told that using a foam roller as part of my marathon training routine is necessary. Sure, I have owned a foam roller or two throughout the years, and I even used them a few times if I was particularly tight after a long run. But truth be told, rolling was often an afterthought; something I’d do if I had time on my hands. Frankly, using a traditional foam roller was simply too painful to make me want to use it willingly! So I avoided it. I neglected it. I simply didn’t do it. And then I got injured.
After running the 2014 New York City Marathon, I took a month off running completely. My mind, my body and my family needed the break from marathon training. In January, I decided to help a friend train for and complete his first marathon in April. Since I wasn’t running for myself, per se, I took a more relaxed (read: lazy) approach to training. I ran, but I didn’t do much else to get ready. Thinking that my experience would pull me through, I ran three half marathons in March and simply overextended myself. I severely strained my right psoas and my IT band on the same leg was constantly tight. I somehow managed to gut it out through the race, but at the cost of injury that took me out of running for over 8 weeks. This experience got me acquainted with my foam roller.
My traditional foam roller and my Addaday Pro Massage Roller.
The thing about a traditional foam roller is that it requires a bit of floor space to use correctly. I had to mentally prepare myself to use it because controlling the pressure on my very sensitive hip area was really difficult for me. Tears would literally fall down my face as I rolled multiple times a day to massage the thick IT Band on the outside of my leg. I’m pretty sure I scared my kids every time I used it. But I knew it had to be done if I wanted to run again.
Then, the Addaday Pro Massage Roller arrived at my door. It is about the same length as my traditional roller, but as you can see, it is certainly not as one-dimensional. According to 
Addaday’s website, “Addaday’s scientifically-designed self massage sticks, foam rollers, bodywork balls, and flexible massage devices all incorporate varied surface textures and shapes designed to release muscle and tendon adhesions, and provide a daily realignment of your joints.” The unique gear system enable each gear to move smoothly and independently of the others, allowing for more focused pressure on muscles and joints.
The Addaday Pro Massage Roller can be used in multiple ways. For me, my focus is all the muscles groups of my legs, including the IT Band, hamstrings, quads, glutes and calves. I discovered several tutorial videos to help me target each group of muscles effectively. Here’s one for the IT Band:
(Click here to see multiple quick tutorial videos about how to use your Addaday product.)
After suffering through traditional rolling for months, I was elated to discover that using my Addaday Pro Massage Roller was less painful, less traumatic and probably more effective than I ever imagined possible! Not only could I control the pressure on highly sensitive areas, but I could use the gears in a variety of ways to truly knead the muscles and tendons more effectively. Studies have shown that rolling PRE workout is actually more effective than post workout, but it is something I rarely did with my traditional roller. With my Addaday Pro Massage Roller, I just grabbed on my way to the kitchen in the early morning and worked on my legs a bit while my toast was in the toaster. I mean, some rolling is better than no rolling, right?!? 
Another advantage of using the Addaday Pro Massage Roller is that it’s easy to take with me to my workouts. I actually find myself rolling much more frequently now, often immediately after finishing a speed or strength session. I just throw into my bag with a change of clothes, a towel and other essentials. This is NOT something I could do (or ever attempted) with my traditional foam roller.
The bottom line is this: I LOVE my Addaday Pro Massage Roller! I truly feel that it’s helping me stay healthy as I train for the Chicago Marathon coming off an injury. In fact, I even bought one for a running friend to encourage her to roll more often as well! It’s portable, versatile and extremely effective.
Wonder what the other BibRave Pros think about the Addaday Pro Massage Roller? Check their reviews below!
Do you use a roller as part of your daily fitness regimen?
If so, how has it impacted your training?
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