Whether you’re an athlete, a weekend warrior, or a desk jockey, you’ve probably come across foam rolling. Maybe you’ve even tried it and include it as a regular part of your workout routine.
Foam rolling is often recommended to correct common postural issues (like forward head posture and forward rounded shoulders), to treat muscle knots, and to increase joint range of motion when included as part of a flexibility program . This simple tool offers a lot of benefits, so if you’re not using it yet, you should strongly consider adding it to your repertoire.
To go over the basics, foam rolling is a self-myofascial release (SFMR) technique you can use to massage your tight and sore muscles. It’s a great tool to use both pre- and post-workout, and can also be performed for active recovery on your non-workout days. The first time you foam roll, chances are it’ll hurt… a lot. But over time, you might start to crave the muscular release you get from this simple (and free) method of self-therapy.
Rollers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but most share a common inconvenience in that they’re big, round, and take up a lot of space. It’s easy to foam roll at your gym or at home (if you have a roller at home), but what do you do if you want to take this awesome tool with you to your outdoor workout, on a business trip, or on vacation?
Travel Solution: A Collapsible Foam Roller
Enter The Morph, a collapsible foam roller created by Nate Lawrie and Val Luca at Brazyn Life. Nate is a former NFL Tight End who relied on foam rolling to help him recover from a season-ending back injury. Nate religiously foam rolled during his rehab process, but was frustrated at the lack of a convenient roller to easily roam or travel with. Using this as inspiration, he invented a shape-shifting foam roller that easily fits into a standard messenger bag or backpack.
The design of this foam roller, which uses Collapsible Core Technology, makes it incredibly easy to assemble. The Morph transitions from flat to full with the pull of two tabs (one on each side), and just as easily collapses back to its flat storage form by firmly pushing in the Brazyn disc. No need to compress this roller to return it to its packable form. When flat, The Morph takes up less space than two folded t-shirts.
The mission at Brazyn Life is to help you “move better, move more, experience more, and feel better” with a functional tool that you can take anywhere unencumbered, and that helps you take optimal care of your body wherever you are.
Nate and Val definitely accomplished their goal with The Morph.
Pros of The Morph
1. Easy to Assemble. The pull tabs make assembly simple, while the Brazyn disc makes breakdown a breeze.
2. Light & Easy to Pack. When The Morph is flat, it can fit into a standard messenger bag, backpack, or suitcase while leaving room for your laptop and other essentials. Additionally it’s lightweight, weighing under 1.5lbs so it won’t weigh you down.
3. Durable and Usable. Even though its collapsible, this foam roller won’t collapse while you’re using it. The spine along the interior is incredibly sturdy, enough to support a NFL football player or even a 400+ lb. Sumo Wrestler. It’s also long enough, at 14.5 in, to fit across your entire back.
Cons of The Morph
1. A bumpy ride. My one criticism about The Morph is that it’s a bit bumpy to roll on. When comparing The Morph to a rumble roller, the rumble roller was smoother.
Bumpiness aside, The Morph is a highly effective tool for SFMR, and the value for its compactibility surmounts the slight bumpiness. The design is so convenient that I honestly carry this roller with me everywhere, and will absolutely pack it on my travel adventures.
You can order The Morph in black, pink, or blue. It comes with a performance sleeve, so even if your foam roller gets dirty your bag won’t. And you’ll get exercise suggestions so you can start foam rolling as soon as you pull the tabs to expand your roller.
If you want to learn more about The Morph, check it out at Brazyn Life. Have any questions? Feel free to ask in the comments section below!
Love the ease of packing concept for travel, definitely worth owning. Thank you for the information.
Ordered in May 2016, received it in September 2016, after 2 weeks of use, it broke!, the internal structure just collapsed.
Wow, that’s not good, sorry to hear that. Thanks for sharing. I would contact the company and see what happened