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I’m a big fan of foam rolling to release muscle tension, but I find it’s usually more effective for my lower body than my chronically tight upper back and shoulders. That’s mainly because the sore muscles in those areas, especially around the shoulder blades, can be hard to hit in just the right spots. Flat foam rollers don’t always reach those upper-body nooks and crannies, while the raised points on grid rollers can be too intense or put pressure on the wrong places (ouch!).
But as a fitness writer, I know there’s a wealth of research showing using a foam roller can improve muscle soreness, flexibility, and performance. For instance, 20 minutes of foam rolling on a high-density roller immediately and 24, 48, and 72 hours post-exercise was found to enhance recovery and reduce muscle tenderness due to delayed onset muscle soreness, according to a 2015 study in the Journal of Athletic Training.
My quest to find an effective way to foam roll my upper body took a new turn when I tried the GoFit Revolve Roller, a roller with adaptive massage rings you can switch up to create a unique variety of ridges and patterns designed to target even hard-to-reach muscles. Could this latest innovation be a solution for my ongoing upper body tightness?
Read on to find out more about the importance of foam rolling for your upper body, why it can be challenging, and my experience trying the GoFit Revolve Roller.
The benefits of foam rolling your upper body
Foam rolling is a great way to release muscle tension, promote better mobility, and enhance blood flow that supports muscle recovery, says Ramon Felix, CPT, founder of Stretchergy.com, a mobility and flexibility online platform. When it comes to your upper back, foam rolling also has a protective effect.
“By relieving tightness in the upper back, foam rolling protects the shoulder joints, as overly tight muscles can pull the shoulder blades upward potentially causing pain, discomfort, or even shoulder impingement,” says Felix.
But targeting your rhomboid muscles (located between your shoulder blades) and your rear deltoids (running from the back your the shoulders to your upper arms) can be challenging with a standard roller because of the muscles’ smaller size and deeper placement, explains Felix.
Neck tension can also contribute to a tight upper back and shoulders. “The trapezius and levator scapulae muscles, which attach to the neck, can cause discomfort when they are shortened,” Felix says. “Foam rolling the upper back and shoulders can help release these muscles, reducing neck pain.”
Tight biceps (front of your upper arm) and lats (just below your shoulder blades) can also round your shoulders and elevate your shoulder blades, negatively affecting your neck and posture, explains Felix. “Tending to these areas with a foam roller can indirectly relieve neck tightness,” he says.
How to use a foam roller on your upper body
For hard-to-reach upper back and shoulder muscles, Felix suggests using a higher-density or grid foam roller—the GoFit Revolve Roller is basically an adaptable combination of the two. “Instead of rolling back and forth, lie on the roller until you locate a tender spot, then hold pressure for about 30 seconds to release tension and improve blood flow,” he advises.
Because excessive foam rolling can irritate muscles and worsen pain, Felix recommends foam rolling three to five times per week, spending an average of one to two minutes on each muscle group. Athletes or those with physically demanding jobs might benefit from foam rolling five to six days per week, he adds.
To use the Revolve Roller (or any foam roller) on your upper back or shoulders, Felix offers these three tips:
- Don’t forget to breathe. Proper breathing is essential. Holding your breath can increase muscle tension, raise blood pressure, and reduce the effectiveness of foam rolling.
- Don’t roll your neck or lower back. These areas are delicate and rolling them can make existing issues worse.
- Slow your roll. Foam rolling is not meant to be done quickly. Hold pressure on tender areas for at least 30 seconds to allow your muscles to release effectively.
My experience using the GoFit Revolve Roller
The GoFit Revolve roller has two main components: a 13-inch hollow roller and adaptive massage rings that fit over the roller and can be taken on and off to create different configurations. The massage rings have dimples and raised points and come in three diameters—red low profile (the least diameter), grey mid profile, and green high profile.
The roller was created to be a portable, affordable option you can switch up depending on your needs, explains Mark Ish, president of GoFit. “Each configuration is like having a new roller, so you don’t need to buy five rollers to get results,” he says.
I tried the 423 model roller, the deluxe version that comes with four green, two grey, and three red massage rings. (Two lower-level models come with either red or red and grey rings; you can also buy additional rings separately.) With Felix’s suggestions in mind, I started using the roller about four times a week for a month, usually later in the day when my upper back and shoulders were tight from sitting at a desk for hours.
With so many possible combinations, it was hard to know where to start, but thankfully, an instruction booklet with configuration suggestions was included. After trying several of them, my favorite was “the cradle”— three red rings in the middle, then one grey and two green rings on each end.
Placing my spine on the middle red massage rings and rolling up and down from the base of my neck to my mid spine allowed the higher profile grey and green rings to hit all the right spots. As the name suggests, it was like lying in a self-massaging cradle. When I hit a particularly spicy trigger point, per Felix’s suggestion, I would hold there for about 30 seconds on the roller’s raised points.
I used the same technique, along with slowly rolling side to side, on my biceps and lats. One of my favorite parts of using the roller was moving my body position let me vary the session based on how I was feeling that day. For example, when using “the cradle” on my lats or biceps, if I needed more intensity, I’d simply move a couple of inches to the denser green rings. If things got too spicy, I’d just slide over to the red or grey rings.
Because of the dimples and points, the Revolve roller is definitely steadier than flat rollers—you won’t go rolling off of it onto the floor. The cons were minor—reconfiguring the rings took a few minutes and I struggled to get the end screw-in caps that lock the rings in place on and off. These were only small drawbacks compared to my overall experience, though.
My results and final thoughts
After just a couple of sessions with the Revolve Roller, I felt definite improvement in the tightness and tension in my upper back and shoulders. If I skipped more than a couple days, I could tell—I’d feel those problem areas progressively tensing up as the day went on and know I needed another session. Within a couple of weeks, my shoulder and upper back tightness was noticeably improved and continued to be, as long as I consistently used the roller.
The adaptive massage rings really made all the difference, allowing me to target hard-to-reach muscles (especially around my shoulder blades) far beyond what I’ve been able to achieve with a flat roller. While grid rollers have raised points similar to the Revolve, you can’t adjust them. I’ve tried a lot of foam rollers and never found one that offered this level of adaptability. I seriously can’t wait to try it out on my lower body.
As a side note, beginners would probably benefit from watching instructional videos or a personal training session to make sure they’re using the roller properly. Even if you’re an old pro like me, the roller does require some trial and error until you find configurations that work best for you. But when you do, if you’re like me, the results will be worth it.