Marathon training, or running in general, can be pretty brutal on your body. Throughout the years I’ve dealt with a plethora of different issues varying in severity. Two common issues I’ve dealt with throughout are: tight calves and tight IT band. They have always been weak points for me.

You may remember a couple weeks ago I posted about the struggles I’ve been having with my calves. I was foam rolling, targeting areas with a lacrosse ball, stretching to know end, but no matter what I did I could get rid of this one knot.

The knot progressively got worse, and started to affect my stride and ability during runs. It was frustrating to no end. The kind creators of The Original Worm reached out to me via Instagram and asked if I’d like to give their product a shot. I was frustrated, nothing was working, and I needed to feel better fast so why not!?

(source)

What is The Original Worm?

“The Original Worm is a total body massage roller that provides relief from stiffness, pain and stress in muscles and joints through myofascial/trigger point release.”

“The Original Worm is made of high density, solid, rubber balls sealed in a hand washable neoprene casing that molds itself to your body contours. The Original Worm is completely portable, offering a therapeutic work out session when ever and where ever you wish. Physical therapists not only recommend The Original Worm to their clients as an in-home substitute for therapy equipment but use it in their offices as well.”

• Portable training and recovery aid.
• Relives tension, stiffness and knots. Great for pre or post or during workouts.
• Targets back, neck, legs, feet, glutes, hips and arms.
• Use at the office, in the car, at home, at the gym, in bed, or on a plane.

(source)

Oh, and in case you are someone who loves color options, it is available in two color options: black and pink.

I’ve used a lot of foam rollers in my life. There seems to be a new one on the market every day, but The Original Worm peaked my interested because it’s unique looking. It’s not your typical foam roller so I was intrigued.

What did I love about The Original Worm?

• Portability – It’s extremely easy to carry around with me. Whether I am packing it for a race, putting it in my purse to use while sitting at my desk, or just taking it for a weekend away it’s easy to do. I’ve carried this to work with me several times this week since I’m often pinched for time in the morning.

• Easily Manipulated – One problem I run into a lot with the typical foam roller is its inability to really bend or move around my calf. The worm was able to actually bend and get into the area that I have had my pain. I was struggling to actually get the pressure I needed onto the area before.
• Works Much Like a Lacrosse Ball – The lacrosse ball is an excellent trigger point release because it can focuse on one area. The worm feels a lot like 4 of these put together into one. You can still target specific areas while also getting the same benefits as from your foam roller.
• Can Target Multiple Areas – Another area I have struggled with is my shoulder. This is a hard area to roll because of how big a foam roller is. The worm is smaller but still very effective and can help to work out the stress and pain in the hard to reach areas for foam rollers.

Were there any drawbacks to The Original Worm?

I honestly was pleasantly surprised by the performance of The Worm. The only drawback I see is that you really have to put a lot of pressure on The Worm to get the necessary effects. It was able to get the areas that I couldn’t with my foam roller, but more pressure was required to do so.

The creators of The Original Worm did note to use it up on a block for more pressure and to put one leg on top of the other to add even more!

Now the fun part! I wanted to give you an opportunity to try out The Original Worm for yourself! They were gracious enough to offer one to one of my readers!

Enter via the rafflecopter below. I will draw a winner in next Friday’s post. You have until midnight on September 3^rd to enter! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway