Victoria Gibs practicing her forearm balance using a yoga wheel for added assistance.

What’s A Yoga Wheel & How Do You Use It?

According to practicing yogis from the Alo Fam

Stop, drop, and roll your way into deeper practice and yummier stretching. How? Your new go-to fitness prop: the Bend-It Yoga Wheel.

While you’re familiar with yoga blocks, yoga straps, and your handy-dandy, 100% non-toxic Warrior Mat, the yoga wheel serves as the new kid on the block (or the studio). This means, it deserves some explanation around how to use it, what benefits it serves, and why yogis and athletes alike are swearing by it.

Ashley Galvin using a yoga wheel to deepen her split stretch.

What is a yoga wheel? This cylindrical prop — 12 inches in diameter and made from supportive yet flexible plastic — elevates warm-up, practice, and cool-down. It’s a 360-piece built for 24/7 use.

How do you use a yoga wheel? Stretch, bend, roll, repeat. Implement it during your warm-up one day by rolling your spine over the wheel to open your front and back body. The next day, use it to assist and add energy to your inversion practice. Follow that up with an aided cool-down, using the wheel to elevate your leg-up, lactic-acid-draining ritual. Just roll with it — there's no place the yoga wheel can’t go.

What benefits does a yoga wheel serve? The Bend-It Yoga Wheel invites new energy into your mindful movement practice. From expanded flexibility, to increased range of motion, steadier inversions, and targeted tension release, we see why people are calling it “a value added to my workout routine.”

A woman using a yoga wheel to deepen her backband by rolling her spine over the wheel to open her front and back body.

To dive a little deeper, we’re inviting the pros to take over. Caley Alyssa and Jill Modes teach us how to get bent into shape with their fave practice partner, the yoga wheel:

JILL MODES

"My favorite way to use the yoga wheel is first thing in the morning. I'm 54 years old and despite practicing and teaching yoga 6 days a week, I wake up and use the wheel to massage my back and spine. It helps me completely open both my front and back sides.

And unexpected way I am using the wheel is as a back rest for taking Zoom meetings in bed!

The Alo wheel is so much better than others that I have used. It's of the highest quality and the grip on it is super. 

Another benefit is that I really enjoy bringing the wheel to my studio and letting my students use it before and after classes!"

CALEY ALYSSA

“My favorite way to use the yoga wheel is to help me prepare for deeper back bending or when I am feeling like I just need to lay on something without any effort and open up.

One out of the ordinary way I use the yoga wheel is for lunges — working on the booty!

I notice the benefits of the yoga wheel the most when I am shooting [for Alo Moves] and need to open up a little faster. I always bring my wheel with me!”

Roll into the new year with a brand-new yoga prop that propels you toward your flexibility, strength, and balance resolutions we know you (and us) have on your list! Be sure to tag us on IG in all the ways you're using your yoga wheel to energize your practice!