Life is Better With . . . the MA Roller

In college, my roommate had this funky, rolling pin-like thing, that she loved. Many nights before going to bed, she could be found lying on the floor with this sculpted piece of wood under her back. She praised its ability to relax her back muscles and work out the knots she was prone to. She also gave the most excellent back massages herself, so I had to try out her curvy rolling pin.

I have to admit that the first try was a bit uncomfortable, but with a little coaching from my roommate, and some giving in to the relaxation, I soon became to appreciate the massaging effects of the MA Roller. In fact another roommate and I came to appreciate it so much that many nights found the three of us just before bedtime, taking turns on the MA Roller while discussing the day's happenings and undoing the effects of carrying heavy backpacks around all day.

When my roommate got married, she gave each of us our own MA Roller. (Leading me to think that the roller may not only help you feel better physically, but also give you a tendency towards thoughtful generosity.) For many years now I have displayed it on my shelf during the day as art, or so visitors have speculated, and used it a few minutes at night to work out some of the worries of the day. I also have used it a lot recently on the arches of my feet.

The one area I've seen the MA Roller fail, is with males. With the few guys I've seen try it out, they all have this same response that goes something like this, "Why would you ever lie on such a hard lumpy thing! That hurts!" But frankly, I think men (or at least some) are just prone to resist muscle relaxation, can be wimps with certain kinds of discomfort, and besides, they wouldn't want to risk losing out on an actual hand massage from you.

It never wears out, so the MA Roller is a pretty economical investment. There's a knock-off on Amazon I haven't tried, but also has some good reviews and looks the same to me. Though neither of them would actually be useful for rolling out dough, both of them would probably be effective against intruders, eliminating the need, should you currently have one, for a rolling pin or baseball bat to be handy in the bedroom. But really, its primary use alone makes the MA Roller completely worth the money, effort, and space on your shelf.