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| It isn’t pretty but it works |
Foam rollers are pretty awesome. A few minutes of foam rolling can create all of the benefits of a massage such as increased blood flow, injury prevention and improved spinal alignment; every athlete should own one. The problem is that foam rollers are expensive but that problem is about to be solved. Read below and I will show you how to build your own foam roller that is better than anything sold in stores and it can be made in less than 15 minutes for under $15.
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| A normal foam roller |
Most foam rollers are made of a dense foam core wrapped by soft foam that looks a lot like a giant pool noodle. You can expect to pay $25 or more in most stores for a quality foam roller. Did I mention that store bought foam rollers are made out of foam? This means that they wear down over time and become ineffective; requiring you to head back to the store to shell out another $25 for a new foam roller. Thankfully there is a better and cheaper way for you to get your roll on.
My friend Jason Polonsky recently made a foam roller out of a PVC pipe, a yoga mat and some duct tape. Jason is a competitive weightlifter so if his homemade foam roller works for him it will surely work for all of us. So without farther delay I shall show you how to make the “Polonsky Foam Roller”.
Step 1: Gather the materials
Here is what you will need:
-24’’ by 68’’ yoga mat
-4’’ x 2’ PVC pipe
-Duct Tape
-Spray Adhesive
You should be able to obtain all of these materials in a hardware store or Home Depot/ Lowes for under $15.
Step 2: Apply adhesive and prepare to roll
Roll out the yoga mat and apply some spray adhesive evenly across the entire surface. After that, align the PVC pipe at the end of the mat and prepare to roll.
Step 3: Roll it tight
Roll the PVC pipe around the yoga mat on the adhesive side. The key here is to roll tightly and evenly so the edges of the yoga mat align with the edges of the pipe; I admit that I didn’t do too well at this.
Step 4: Tape it up
Congratulations, a few strips of duct tape are all that stands between you and a completed foam roller. Simply wrap tape around the edges of the pipe along with a strip across the length of the pipe at the end of the yoga mat. Finally, place a strip of duct tape along the circumference of the pipe a few inches from each end. Lastly, run another strip across the length of the pipe at the end of the yoga mat. You are now ready to roll.
Your new foam roller might not be the prettiest thing on earth but it will perform better than anything sold in stores. The PVC pipe core of your new roller is denser than any foam and it will never break down. That means it will hurt so good for a long time.
Thanks again to Jason Polonsky for showing me how to make this sweet foam roller. If you choose to make one then let me know how your project turns out!
I made mine using a PVC pipe, and a yoga mat, used Selleys Liquid Nails (an adhesive you can get in Australia) and one strip of duct tape across the seam where the 2 ends of the foam met, as I had bought a very long pipe, I managed to get 2 rollers for 30 bucks, works wonders too
I actually did the same thing but used a rolling pin as the center so I can actually roll my legs easier.
Simple, DIY, low-cost and effective. Love it. Finally a worthwhile use of the scrap PVC I used to build my dip machine.
Do you cut off the access yoga mat or do you just roll until you run out?
I rolled until I ran out.. The PVC pipe is hard enough that a little extra padding doesn't hurt!
You build a dip machine out of PVC pipe? Sounds like a cool DIY project!
Interesting! I imagine it must be a little smaller then? I bet the handles do make it easier!