With half-term holidays approaching, travellers are being urged to add one unusual item to their carry-on luggage: a tennis ball. The small, lightweight object is recommended to help prevent stiffness and aches while flying, and can also enhance circulation when used to apply gentle pressure and roll up and down the thighs, legs, or shoulders, according to health experts.
How to use the tennis ball trick
Registered osteopath and qualified sleep therapist Tracy Hannigan previously debunked viral travel tips as part of a partnership with travel insurance specialist InsureandGo. She recommended using a tennis ball alongside a hand towel. 'A great tip is to find a hand towel, put the ball in the middle of it and roll it like a sausage,' she explained. 'When you then apply pressure using the ball, it's easier to position and will prevent it from skidding out of position, which can be painful. A tennis ball is small and light and can help you to apply soothing pressure to points you might otherwise not be able to reach.'
Hannigan also advised stretching regularly to combat stiffness. She noted that the side of the neck can be extended by 'turning the chin towards the armpit and gently applying pressure to stretch the opposite side of the neck.' She added: 'You can even stretch your lower back in your plane seat, by crossing your legs and leaning forward, as if you're trying to reach down to the crossed-over foot with your elbow.'
Travellers share their experience
Travel enthusiasts have embraced the hack. On the r/TravelHacks Subreddit, user @tmckhar wrote: 'Place it at the base of your spine near your tailbone. I do this when driving long period, and it helps with back pain.' Another user, @CrapSandwich, added: 'I have a slipped disc in my lower back that tends to go out on long flights. The tennis ball between the seatback and my lower back really helps.'
This is not the first unconventional travel tip to surface. Esther Sturrus, who works for Dutch airline KLM and shares TikToks about her journeys, previously recommended throwing a water bottle under the bed upon entering a hotel room. She advised rolling the bottle under the bed, adding in her video that it 'has to come out on the other side'. If it does not, travellers may want to exercise caution, as it could indicate someone is hiding underneath.
Metro puts the tip to the test
Metro's Maria Astardjieva recently flew long-haul from London to San Francisco and packed a tennis ball in her carry-on to test its effectiveness. She said: 'I've seen countless tips promising to make long-haul flights more bearable. But one suggestion kept cropping up: pack a tennis ball. It's cheap, weighs next to nothing, and, crucially, takes up barely any space. I started by positioning the ball at the base of my spine, just above my tailbone – the epicentre of that dull ache that seems to appear the moment you start approaching your 30s. Leaning back into the seat, I applied gentle pressure and slowly shifted my weight. Almost instantly, I felt relief…'
