rollholz original – wooden fascia roller

The difference isn't in function or hardness – all five woods are equally durable and feel equally effective when you roll. It comes down to personal preference in four areas:

Feel & warmth
Alder feels especially warm and soft in the hands – almost velvety. Beech, ash, oak and walnut feel a little smoother and cooler by comparison, which many people find particularly pleasant.

Weight
Alder is the lightest of the five hardwoods. The other four – beech, ash, oak and walnut – are close to one another in weight.

Scent
Every wood has its own natural smell. Since all our products are treated with linseed oil, that warm, nutty linseed note is always there on first use – a nice sign of natural finishing.

Look & grain
Beech is usually very even and uniform – plain and classic. Alder, ash, oak and walnut, on the other hand, can have beautiful, individual grain: every piece is one of a kind. Walnut stands out with deep, dark tones, oak and ash with bold structure. Purely a matter of taste.

Durability
On longevity, none of the five compromises – they're built to last forever.

Everyone thinks that at first – and that's completely normal! But most people who try it are surprised: around 95% say straight away, "Oh, that doesn't feel hard at all!"

The reason is the shape. The groove in the middle leaves the spine free, so the pressure goes onto the muscle and not onto the bone. Put your leg into the groove, for instance, and the weight spreads across a large contact area – it feels surprisingly pleasant. That's exactly why you can roll the iliotibial band (the outer side of the thigh) so well this way; on a straight roller most people would find it too painful. And if you lie on your back with the roller under your neck, you'll often think: I could take a power nap right here.

The main difference is the build: the classic rollholz has a diameter of 14 cm, the Pro version 12 cm – and it's hollow in the middle. That makes it about half the weight of the standard version.

Intensity: the smaller diameter means a slightly smaller contact area on the Pro, which makes the massage marginally more intense. The difference isn't huge, though.

Lower back: if you prop yourself up on your forearms while rolling the lower back, the Pro is more comfortable to work with – especially for shorter people, who can support themselves better thanks to the smaller diameter.

Balance board: both versions work on the balance board. The Pro reacts a little quicker and more dynamically, the standard version is calmer and easier to control.

In short: both work brilliantly – the Pro is lighter and a touch more intense, the standard version calmer and more substantial. There's no wrong choice.

The nice thing about the rollholz: it fits around your day – you don't have to follow a strict programme. As a rough guide:

Stretching can be done daily, 5–10 minutes is plenty.

Rolling out – the classic back-and-forth over a muscle group – we recommend about twice a week with roughly 3 exercises each time.

Melting – staying on one point until the tension eases – you do as needed, for example when you notice a particularly tight spot. That takes about 1.5 to 4 minutes per spot.

All the techniques, the exercises and what to watch out for are explained in detail in the free e-book you get after your purchase.

The e-book was developed together with sports scientists and therapists and takes you through your fascia training step by step. It has everything you need: from the basics (what are fascia, anyway?) through the two techniques of rolling out and melting, to a large collection of exercises with photos and precise notes for almost every muscle group – for all rollholz products. There's also a section on contraindications, so you know when to pause or ask a doctor.

You get it automatically – just look at the very bottom of your order confirmation email after you buy.