Okay, maybe it's not stronger or faster, but the SmartRoller--an oblong-shaped version of the regular ol' Garden Variety model--is a cool variation on the old chestnut theme of rolling on heavy, industrial-strength foam to bust up muscle adhesions and to improve alignment. 

I got hold of one of these bad-boys early this year while attending a Feldenkrais workshop taught by my friend Stacy Barrows.  In addition to being a physical therapist and Feldenkrais practitioner, Barrows is something of an entrepreneur, and was selling prototypes of this new-fangled foam roller she designed. 

I've been using it ever since, and lemmie tellya, you can do some things with this foam roller that just aren't possible with the regular kind. 

I've touted the value of foam rolling in this space a number of times, but, as with virtually everything, over time, your body gets used to foam rolling.  The roller contacts the same amount of surface area on your body no matter where you place it, and if you've got a big knot or a ball of tension that's laughing at the roller--well, you're out of luck.

Enter the SmartRoller:  it's got a flatter side, which is great for the initial softening up of your tissues, as well as a more pointy side, which really allows you to dig into those areas that need it the most.  Plus, it allows you to do all kinds of cool balancing drills and alignment-enhancing exercises (try lying on the thing longitudinally...it feels wonderful, in an 'extremely painful' kind of way).  

The SmartRoller.  It's a foam roller 2.0.  A foam roller on 'roids.  The Cadillac of foam rollers. 

(This is hard.  Get a SmartRoller and see.)

And, okay, here's the link in case you want to pick one up for the fitness nerd on your shopping list (Someone besides me, as I already have one, but thanks for thinking of me):  I'd say they'd just baaarely fit inside an oversized stocking, and therefore would qualify as a stuffer. 

Cheers

A