A self-applied pressure technique needing one inexpensive cylinder and about ten minutes. Joints move further after rolling, and further still after several weeks of it; soreness after hard training is reported as less severe. Large arteries become less stiff and blood pressure falls for about half an hour. No strength or power gain; harms are minor. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sit-and-reach distance | Men ≥ 0, women ≥ +5 cm past toes | Posterior-chain flexibility; most-used trial outcome |
| Passive straight-leg raise | 80–90° | Hamstring length; rolling's most reliable joint |
| Ankle dorsiflexion, knee-to-wall | 10–12 cm | Ankle mobility for squat depth and gait; not improved by rolling |
| Resting blood pressure | 105–120 / 65–78 mmHg | The vascular outcome a session acutely lowers |
| Pulse wave velocity | Below age-matched median; under 8 m/s carotid-femoral before 60 | Large-artery stiffness, reduced about 11% after a session |
| Heart rate variability, RMSSD | Individually referenced; stable or rising 7-day average | Autonomic balance, perturbed in a still-contested direction |
| Pressure pain threshold | No established target; change from personal baseline | Tissue sensitivity at rolled sites; moved least in trials |
| High-sensitivity C-reactive protein | Below 1.0 mg/L | Low-grade systemic inflammation; a check on tissue irritation |
| Skeletal muscle index | Men ≥ 7.0 kg/m²; women ≥ 5.7 kg/m² | Muscle mass / height²; predicts the vascular response size |
| Platelet count and international normalised ratio | Platelets 150,000–400,000/µL; normalised ratio in the prescriber's band | Bruising and haematoma risk under compression |
| Bone mineral density T-score | Above −1.0 | Whether direct spinal rolling is appropriate at all |
Cadence: Range of motion at 4 and 8 weeks; blood pressure monthly; arterial stiffness, heart rate variability and bone density every 6–12 months