Review: Roll Recovery R8

Disclaimer: I was NOT compensated in any way or provided free product for this review. Product was purchased by me at full price. All thoughts are my own.

Do you know you need to foam roll, but never do?

Maybe do you do foam roll, but think it’s a pain?

Need to step up your recovery game in general?

If you answered “yes” to all of these questions, you are probably me. If you answered “no,” well, I want to be you.

Anyway, I kept seeing people with this weird big white roller-blade contraption and wondered what it was. I looked into it… saw the price… and ran away.

A few months went by, I stepped up my running game, but my recovery game stayed the same (nonexistent).

For my 27th birthday present to myself (a few days ago), I FINALLY caved in. I got myself THE Roll Recovery R8. If you’re on social media or know runners in general, you’ve probably seen it, heard about it, want it, or already have it.

Roll Recovery R8 Deep Tissue Massage Roller Review:

First, let’s talk about the price. I think this is something that shy’s people away from it (like me). It is $119. That’s a lot of money. BUT, is it about what you’d pay for a quality pair of running shoes? This is how I justified it. If we’re willing to invest in running equipment, why not invest in recovery? I considered a membership to a compression therapy/cryo therapy studio and decided to invest in my own at-home recovery instead. $119 vs $80/month. Anyway, this is just my thought process on the price. I think it’s going to be 100% worth it in the end. Hopefully reduce injury risk, maybe even prevent the need for chiro and/or PT visits for some.

So, some facts about the R8:

Stright from the website:

The patented technology self-adjusts for different body sizes and targets the IT-bands, quads, hamstrings, calves, shins, gluteus, arms and more. It is easy to use, feels great on tired legs, and is small enough to take anywhere.

Features

Patent-pending design provides all the force for a deep tissue massage.

Takes the “work” out of rolling.

Compact design for easy travel and transport.

Easy to use standing, sitting, or laying (no more rolling on the floor).

FDA Registered Medical Device.

Helps improve circulation, break up muscle adhesions and reduce inflammation.

Credit: www.rollrecovery.com

My thoughts:

When I first tried it – the VERY first time – it made me laugh out loud… a “WOAH” laugh. It feels funny. The sensation is hard to describe – but if you’ve ever had a massage, its that feeling in between hurting, feeling good, and tickling (I’m very ticklish)

As for how to use it, there are lots of tips and tricks videos out there and I personally roll over my legs slowly with it. I have seen many people rolling really quickly over their legs, but the slow rolling just seems more effective in my opinion. That’s one great thing about it – it’s versatile and you can really use it however you want, in any way that feels good to your muscles! Oh, and it makes “foam rolling” really quick – I just use it for maybe 2 minutes at a time. Because of it’s convenience, I’m simply more likely to use the R8 than to whip out the foam roller and roll around on the ground.

I’ve been using it for about a month now, and I will say that it gets better. The more you use it, the less it hurts and the better it feels. This makes me feel like it’s working, because clearly the muscles have loosened up and aren’t as tense. As far as preventing injury, how could one know if and injury “would’ve happened,” so I’m not sure, but I can say that I have not had an injury since using the R8 and I have upped my mileage to 40-45+ running miles a week and at least 2 spin classes (cycling) per week. My legs take a beating yet I am feeling great. I would recommend this contraption to anyone, am ultimately glad I invested in one, and will continue to use it!

Do you use a Roll Recovery R8 or other recovery tool? If, so what do you prefer?

How much time do you spend on recovery?