Need a Little Sore Muscle Relief? 3 Ways to ‘Ahhhh…’

3 Ways to Sore Muscle Relief: EvoFit’s ensō Muscle Roller

I (Erin) have become hooked on the foam roller at the gym. I attribute my lack of knee and ankle pain to diligently foam rolling after my runs. But I’ve (fitness confession time) never had a foam roller at home. So I was all about testing out EvoFit’s ensō muscle roller.

The ensō roller isn’t your typical foam roller at all. It’s an aluminum tube outfitted with eight sliding discs that click in to place (with a very satisfying click, by the way). Because they slide, you can adjust them to your desired comfort — or discomfort — level, depending on how aggressive you want to be. The ensō came with handy illustrations of all of the configurations to work various parts of the body, which was helpful for a newbie. When the discs are close together, it’s a milder roll. When they’re farther apart, it’s a more intense rolling session. You can even use the aluminum tube for a super aggressive experience. Even the slightly different sizes of the discs make this a different foam rolling experience than your standard roller — you feel like you’re getting a more thorough massage.

I also really enjoyed the fact that because it’s smaller than a long foam roller, it’s much easier to use it to massage yourself rather than just strictly rolling on it. Rolling my quads, for instance, can feel really awkward. But being able to roll down my thighs while sitting on the floor was much easier. At $89, the ensō is a bit of a splurge, but for the serious runner or roller it just might be worth the investment!

How do you treat sore muscles? Wait them out or get your massage on? —Kristen and Erin