As go the incredible shrinking airplanes, so goes our aching leg, knee, back, and neck pains. At least that’s the common plight of us economy class Joes and Janes, as we squeeze together in slim rows of three seats, each one offering a cushion so thin that we might as well sit on our own t-shirts. For we are Sisyphus, and our boulder is trying to find just the right position so that our legs don’t go numb.
When I’m traveling to beautiful tropical places, I want rest and peace for my mind, but it’s hard to get past the lingering pain of a carryon bag being dropped on my shoulder (that really happened last year on a flight to Cabo). So, I’ve spent a lot of time and reviewed plenty of gadgets and devices to find the right solutions to treating those bumps and bruises so I can get back to the R and R.
Health and wellness gear and supplements are typically treated with a grain of salt, since results are more important than promises. However, when we’re going through painful and stressful situations on the road, we’re willing to try anything. As such, I’m glad I took the plunge with the DNAVibe JazzBand, because the red and near-infrared light, or Intelligent Light Therapy, combined with the vibrations make for a soothing one-hour treatment as I wind down every evening.
The four modes work together to combat muscle and joint pain, inflammation, and stiffness, which is like the unholy trinity of air travel. For people who bring fitness on their travels—like us golfers who squeeze in as many rounds as possible—this can be an especially important device, and best of all it takes up very little bag space.
This one might take up a little more luggage space, but it’s totally worth it. Athletes and fitness buffs have long known the amazing relief provided by handheld percussion massage guns, but we learned their secret by trying the Turonic GM5 and it’s been a comfortable ride ever since. With seven interchangeable heads and five speeds, this device covers an achy traveler from head to toe, and when charging space is limited in the hotel room, you’ll. Be happy to know the battery life lasts up to eight hours.
Let’s be real for a second: your hotel room’s mini fridge probably can’t keep a bottle of water slightly colder than room temperature, so how is it going to handle these small, round, reusable Icewraps? Well, that’s where we get creative. Before you fill up your ice bucket, place these at the bottom. That way, when it’s time to recover from an intense game of pickleball or a round of golf on one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful courses, these convenient circles will feel like a small slab of the frozen tundra.
And we don’t really need to explain why that’s helpful for aches and pains.
I finally caved and bought my first neck pillow before a direct flight from Maui to Orlando, primarily so I could see if it helped me finally fall asleep on a flight, but also because it had a cool little “Aloha” design on it. Sadly, it didn’t help me battle my inability to pass out during a long flight—my son slept like a king with it, though—but it did get my brain juices percolating. I found myself wondering, “How can I make this better? I’d add a multi-speed and -pressure massager and maybe even a warming mechanism to really help battle neck pains.”
I really thought I had my billion-dollar idea. Turns out I just daydreamed about the incredible, do-it-all Breo iNeck3 Pro Electric Neck Massager.
I first became aware of Mantra Sports’ innovative gear when I took a chance and ordered their exercise ball chair to replace my leather desk chair, which does nothing but inspire me to slouch during long days at the keyboard. Since that big ball is already doing wonders for my energy level and core, it was safe to assume I’d find the same results in the Mantra Sports Pilates Ring.
In addition to being excellent for quick and easy fitness routines, it is also compact and fits right into a carryon bag, so it’s a true win-win for people who want to use stretching and yoga to solve their post-flight woes.
