FitBALL Roller

The FitBALL Roller is an inflatable vinyl doo-hickey (that's a technical exercise term) which is a combination of an exercise ball and a foam roller. It's portable and easy to clean, which makes it a nice choice if you've been thinking about using a foam roller (those can get pretty dirty). It also has more give than a foam roller, which makes it more comfortable to use.

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This is another one of those products that makes my husband say, "What the heck is that?" Then when I show him how to use it and he realizes how fun it is, we end up fighting over it. Marriage is never easy unless you're the FitBALL Roller, which is an interesting marriage between the exercise ball and a foam roller. If you didn't know, foam rollers are used for a variety of exercises from stretching to strengthening, and the FitBALL Roller is a great alternative because it's easy to clean (foam rollers tend to get dirty and, once they do, there's not much you can do) and there's a little more give to it so it isn't as hard on the body. For example, you can use it as a back support for doing ab exercises, or you can use it to add instability to traditional exercises (e.g., lying with the FitBALL Roller vertically under the back and performing crunches or leg lifts). It doesn't cost much more than a typical foam roller and also comes with an exercise poster detailing a few basic moves you can try. This is a great tool to add to your exercise arsenal!

Updated: March 13, 2006