3 Travel Friendly Massage Tools I Can’t Live Without

I LOVE travelling with my family, but more times than I can count my travels have been dampened by back, neck, and hip pain. Years of rodeo has left my body in mediocre-at-best condition and lifting treadmills doesn’t exactly help my cause.

At home I stretch and foam roll daily and have an awesome team of massage therapists, chiropractors, and physiotherapists (Shout outs to Argyle Natural Health, Total Care Chiropractic, and Stapleford Health & Rehabilitation in Regina!)

Travelling presents a unique challenge. Starting with the plane ride, my 6’ 6” body starts to hate on me for the sedentary squishy economy seat ride. This is not a great kick off to a vacay and to be honest, the pain makes me a bit of a grump. Over the years, I have found 3 travel friendly tools that keep me (and everyone else around me) limber and happy.

Tool #1 - The Lacrosse Ball

Such an easy tool to throw in your suitcase and doubles as a dog toy. At home I foam roll, and while there are travel foam roll options I find I just don’t have the space in my suitcase - do you know how many diapers we have to pack for a 10 day vacation!? The lacrosse ball is my second best option. I take that thing, find a wall (also easy to find on vacation), place the ball on my back, and roll out the areas that are tight. You can also do this on the ground, but I find that to be too intense for myself.

Tool #2 - The Massage Stick

There are many variations of the massage stick and I’ve gone through plenty of them. My favorite one for travel is the XM Fitness Massage Stick. While it may be awkward in shape, it’s not bulky at all. No matter how packed my suitcase is, it's small enough that I can throw it on top of my clothes and it doesn’t take up much needed real estate. It’s an excellent tool for my neck and mid back and I have even used it for my jaw, quad, and calf muscles.

Tool #3 -  Resistance Bands

This one for me is a really important tool for stretching. There are so many options for bands which can be a bit overwhelming if you've never used them before. For stretching, I like to have a light Resistance band such as this Element Fitness .5" XX Light. I use it for shoulder rotations, trunk rotations, and just generally getting some movement into my arms, core, and back. Bonus of resistance bands is that they can double as a workout option on the go.

So there you have it! If back, shoulder, or neck pain and stiffness while travelling is a problem for you too, hopefully this provides some insight into how to get some relief on the go by taking a few minutes at the end of the day to take care of yourself.

If you think this might benefit someone you know, please share and as always, slide into the DM's or e-mail if you have any questions!

All the best,