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Get the massage
Some people relish the prospect of having a massage and can’t wait to be pummelled vigorously by a stranger. Others, like me, carry their tension around with them while silently cursing their own inhibitions. The touch-free massage offered by an Alvica reLounge, therefore, is my saviour. An extraordinary piece of medical-grade (American FDA-certified) kit, it offers heat therapy, EMS (muscle stimulation) and TENS (electrical nerve stimulation) to our poor, overworked backs. Already installed in spas, private clinics and hotels (including the Burj Al Arab in Dubai), the reLounge is now being launched in the UK with by-appointment tryouts available at the Royal Exchange in the City of London. Its aim is to reduce the incidence of back pain and its various knock-on effects, both personal and societal.
Your job, primarily, is to pop on a kimono or towel, have your back lightly sprayed with water and to lie down on this mighty piece of furniture, all oak, leather and gentle LED lighting. Its shape is designed to raise your legs (to promote blood circulation) and to bring the entirety of your back into contact with the 24-segment mat at the lounger’s centre, the part that delivers the electrical magic in conjunction with a touch-screen control panel. You begin with a scan that assesses the way your upper and lower back muscles contract when stimulated and identifies any strengths and weaknesses. That scan (colour-coded in red, yellow and green) is then displayed, stored on the device and used to recommend tailored treatments.
In all, there are 55 such treatments available, categorised into dynamic massage, muscle therapy (more of a gym-style workout) and pain therapy (for a list of specific conditions). Once you’re under way, there’s no need to fiddle with the screen; an external remote lets you dial the intensity up and down, and stop if you wish. But you’re unlikely to want to stop; the distinct patterns of pressure moving up and down your back feel thoroughly therapeutic, the experience noiseless and calming, the aftermath an endorphin-fuelled feeling of contentment.
Good sport
Garmin has hit a sweet spot between form and function with this sport-focused smartwatch; it’s packed with features (including GPS tracking, which its predecessor lacked) but without the bulk that characterises many devices in its class. The touch screen is a gentle monochrome, the interface (with two side buttons) easy to navigate, but it pulls a ton of data into the Garmin Connect app. Along with standard 24/7 health measurements (heart rate, steps, sleeping heart rate variance) you can record specific metrics for a wide range of activities, from yoga to skiing to golf. Phone notifications pop up reliably (unless you turn them off, as I did) and, thanks to its NFC chip, you can make contactless payments without reaching for your phone.
Sleep tight
The battle to produce the perfect pair of sleepbuds just intensified. Ozlo, having bought Bose’s Sleepbud trademark, has launched its first product, and it’s a side-sleeper’s dream unit: comfortable to wear, stable operation and sound to rival any earbuds, sleepy or otherwise. Unusually, a lot of the clever work is done by the case, which forms an audio bridge between buds and phone while also monitoring sound, light and temperature. Fall asleep listening to whatever you like; once the biometric sensors within the buds detect that you’ve nodded off, the soundtrack automatically switches to soothing, consistent masking sounds designed to keep you slumbering peacefully. Imminent firmware updates promise a suite of tools designed to track and address noise interruptions.
And breathe…
Of all the muscles we might consider exercising, the ones helping to supply air to the lungs (diaphragm and intercostals) rank pretty low. But IMT (inspiratory muscle training) can improve stamina for athletes, wind musicians and singers, as well as helping with a range of health conditions. The Powerbreathe Plus is a hand-held IMT device with adjustable resistance which you inhale through deeply; one training session comprises 30 breaths, which takes me about three minutes. The optional smart adapter, which sits between the mouthpiece and the device, sends data to a smartphone app which keeps precise track of your developing aerobic capacity. As a lapsed bassoonist, I look forward to knocking out the solo at the beginning of The Rite Of Spring in one breath.
An emerging treatment to consider…
Strong claims are made for red light therapy (photobiomodulation), in particular its ability to treat pain and stimulate muscle healing. Photobiomodulation has been studied as a clinical tool since the 1960s and is NICE recommended for use by patients who have had the lining of their mouth damaged by chemotherapy and radiation. As to the efficacy of home-use photobiomodulation devices, a recent review of studies reported they had seen “mostly positive results” but that “conclusive evaluation of their efficacy [would require] additional randomised controlled studies”. The Move+ Pro comprises three small, chunky modules, each of them containing a combination of infrared lasers and deep-red LEDs. These modules, once charged (via a USB-C cable to a charging case) snap neatly into a harness, which you can configure appropriately to wrap around your shoulder, knee, ankle etc. The modules are linked, so one of their power buttons turns on all three; holding it down lets you select five, 10 or 15 minutes of therapy. I (thankfully) have no pain to treat, so I can’t personally vouch for its efficacy, but the design and build quality can’t be flawed.
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