Best Foam Roller Substitutes in 2023

1. Rolling Pin

A rolling pin can make a very effective substitute for a foam roller. After all, a rolling pin literally is a roller.

Many foam rollers are made from firmer foam rather than soft foam, so the hardness may not be a deterrent. If you prefer a softer foam roller, then you may not enjoy using a rolling pin on your muscles. Or you can add one more layer of improvisation and wrap a dish towel around it for a bit of cushioning.

Those who do like a firmer foam roller may find benefit in using a rolling pin. The design of a rolling pin makes it very easy to roll your muscles, whether you need relief in your quads, calves, lats, or biceps.

It’s also very easy to use, thanks to the handles on either side. You can use it effectively on yourself, or ask someone to help you if you need relief in a hard-to-reach place. It’s not dissimilar from using a stick massager.

Another helpful thing about using a rolling pin is that the rolling motion should help to stimulate blood flow, which can speed up recovery.

There’s very little chance of a rolling pin getting dented or broken when you use it as a foam roller substitute. They’re very durable and tough, as well as being resistant to moisture, which can help if you’re sweating.

Just don’t let your spouse catch you using their favorite baking tool on your sore muscles!

2. Lacrosse Balls

Are you struggling with aches and pains that you just can’t quite rub out? Delving into your kid’s sports bag may yield a helpful tool to relieve muscle soreness—lacrosse balls.

Unlike a rolling pin, these work smaller, more targeted muscle pains rather than larger muscles. They’re easy to use on small spots like under the foot, the forearms, and in between the shoulder blades.

They’re inconspicuous and easy to carry around with you, unlike a rolling pin.

If you’re at home, you can lie on a yoga mat or on the floor and place the ball on the floor. Rest the sore muscle on it, and move gently until the ball hits the sore spot. Then rest your full weight on it. It will hurt at first, but the knot will be released thanks to direct pressure.

You can use them anywhere on the body, as long as you can find a way to apply enough pressure to work out the tightness. The only thing that may put some people off is that the lacrosse balls may be too hard for them to use comfortably.

3. Water Bottle

Most of us have a water bottle lying around somewhere. With the emphasis on sustainability these days, many of us have not only plastic water bottles, but also metal or stainless steel bottles.

A hard bottle can be used as a foam roller substitute quite easily. Like a rolling pin, it can be rolled over any muscle it can reach to offer some relief from knots and tension. It’s also great for stretching out the arch of the foot.

If you’re going to be going out for a hike or a long run and you know you may be feeling sore by the end, you can fill up a bottle with water and freeze it. This is a great idea also for recovery.

Rolling with a cold bottle can be uncomfortable, and you may have to cover it with a towel to prevent it from hurting your skin. If you choose to do this, you’ll be getting the benefit of rolling over the muscles as well as the benefits of cold therapy. This can help to decrease swelling and inflammation in the area of the tightness.

Not all water bottles will be able to withstand bodyweight if you want to roll your shoulders or hips, so you may need to invest in a stainless steel bottle. If you want to keep using a bottle that’s not as strong as a stainless steel one, you will need to fill it and freeze it to avoid breaking it.

4. Massage Gun

If you don’t have a foam roller but you have a massage gun, you can get the same benefit from the massage gun for your muscles. The mechanism is a little different than a foam roller, because it uses percussive therapy instead of a rolling massage action.

You can use a massage gun on any part of the body, no matter which muscle is painful or tight. If you have a high-quality massage gun, they come with a variety of speed settings, as well as different attachments of different shapes.

This makes it a very versatile option. You can experiment with different speeds and pressures on different muscles. Different-shaped attachments are also helpful for dealing with specific pains.

Trigger points would benefit from a smaller, thinner attachment, while large muscles could use a flatter and bigger attachment.

The benefits of using a massage gun are many. It eases pain, cramps, and tension in the muscles, and it’s very effective when you can set it to exactly the right pressure and shape for you.

It also helps to increase circulation to move oxygen more effectively throughout the body. This helps the muscles to recover faster, and it can also be a good way to get your muscles warm before you work out.

If you don’t have a massage gun at home already, it is quite a lot more expensive than a foam roller.

5. Stick Massager

This is a useful contraption that can roll out sore muscles quite effectively. It’s fairly thin, so it’s not something you can use to pinpoint particular sore spots or reach deep tissue for a massage.

But it is effective for things like niggly quads and tight calves, as well as possibly the arch of the foot. It improves recovery and relieves soreness, keeping muscles flexible and feeling strong.

You can get these in various sizes, so you can choose one that works best for you. They come in normal sizes and flexibility, stiffer versions, and even a travel version that you can carry with you.

6. PVC Pipe

If you searched your garage right now, I’d be willing to bet that there’s a piece of PVC pipe somewhere in there. This is another great foam roller substitute, as it’s very firm and durable.

PVC pipe also comes in a variety of diameters. If you have a piece of the smaller size, it could be effective for stretching out the arches of your feet, rolling calf muscles or forearms, or even quads. Larger sizes can be used to roll out larger muscle groups like hips and quads effectively.

When you’re done using it, you can just place it back in the garage so it doesn’t even take up space in your gym bag or house.

7. Baseball bat

A baseball bat is great for rolling out muscles in the legs and back. One of the advantages to a baseball bat is that its shape has different thicknesses, so you have a very thin area and a slightly thicker area. It’s almost like having two different foam rollers.

Rolling different areas of the bat over sore muscles can help to increase blood flow, speed up muscle recovery, warm-up before a workout, and even reduce inflammation and swelling thanks to better circulation.

Even if you have pain in a specific point of your muscle, you can use the bottom of the bat to pinpoint it and release it.

8. Trigger Point AcuCurve Cane Massage Tool

This unusual-looking tool can be used to reach muscles that may not be easy to reach normally. The neck, back, and shoulders can be reached and rolled easily with this tool.

It’s ergonomically designed to make it comfortable for you to massage or rub out knots in muscles that you may not usually be able to get to. The curved shape means you can hold it in front of your chest and rub out the tension in your neck or upper back.

A double-ball design also means you can roll on it if you wish to put more pressure on specific points.