Flying across the world to explore some of the best places on the planet can be an enormous pain in the butt—literally.
When you’re confined to an economy seat on a crowded flight for several hours, your body might start to get a bit sore. Should that happen, it’ll be virtually impossible to enjoy your initial experiences wherever you’re going to. Instead of exploring and celebrating your new surroundings with gusto, you might come hobbling out of the plane with a limp.
Making the most out of your trip starts with doing everything you can to stay comfortable during your flight. Since you’ll be sitting on your backside for the bulk of the trip, that means making sure your butt is taken care of first.
We partnered with Bunch of Animals, the geniuses behind the softer than soft underwear, to give you three simple tricks you can use to make sure your buns feel fantastic during your flight so you can hit the ground running when you arrive at your destination.
1. Bring a butt pillow along for the ride
Since you’re going to be sitting for a long time on your flight, the bulk of your weight will be supported by your butt. The average airplane seat isn’t exactly known for being the most comfortable thing in the world. To enjoy a solid flight experience and make sure you don’t get sore, consider bringing a butt pillow along for the ride.
Wait a sec. Butt pillows?
Yes, butt pillows are actually a thing. And it turns out they come in all shapes and sizes—just like our butts. There are Brazilian butt lift recovery pillows, memory foam coccyx pillows, and foam donut pillows, to give you an idea.
Many butt pillows are small and lightweight, so bringing them along on a flight shouldn’t be much of a hassle. Bottom line? Pack a butt pillow that delights your buns and become the envy of fellow travelers on your flight.
2. Wear the perfect pair of underwear
Everyone knows what it feels like to wear uncomfortable underwear.
When underwear doesn’t fit properly, it rides up into rather unpleasant areas. Say no more.
Nobody wants to pick a wedgie when an entire cabin of travelers can see it happen. So, when you realize you’ve made a terrible choice for the underwear you’re sporting the day of your flight, you might end up accepting that you’re just going to have to be uncomfortable for the next several hours.
There’s a simple fix: Make sure you wear super soft and super comfortable underwear. That way, you won’t have to spend any time thinking about whether your underwear is comfortable or not because you won’t even know it’s there in the first place.
To fly comfortably, we recommend wearing Bunch of Animals underwear. The company says its underpants are 3X softer than cotton… aka they’re softer than soft and they have 50% better moisture and odor absorption. They’re form-fitting, too, so that whole riding up into one’s nether regions thing isn’t a concern, either.
As an added bonus, Bunch of Animals underwear features next-level design. Never be embarrassed again when someone sees you in your underpants.
Bunch of Animals is a relatively new apparel and lifestyle brand that’s the brainchild of founder Krystian Frencel. There’s an awesome backstory about how the idea for Bunch of Animals was conceived, and you can read all about it here.
3. Learn pre-flight, in-flight and post-flight stretches
Butt pillows. Check. Awesome underwear. Check.
Even if you have the perfect setup, flying to the other side of the world can still do a doozy on your buttocks and other muscles.
To really reduce the likelihood you’ll be uncomfortable on your flight, you need to change positions in your seat often and you need to master your stretches.
Before you head to the airport—or before you get on the plane, if you can find a quiet spot in the terminal—spend five or ten minutes doing a few pre-flight stretches to get your body relaxed prior to taking off. Calf stretches and toe lifts are a great place to start, and they help stretch your glutes, too.
Once you’re airborne, there are all kinds of stretches you can do on the plane—either in your seat or in your aisle. The folks over at Men’s Journal put together a list of in-flight stretches that cover an array of scenarios you may find yourself in on your next trip (e.g., stretches for when the fasten seatbelt sign is lit up and stretches for when you’re stuck in the middle seat).
After you’ve landed, you might be tempted to immediately start exploring your new locale. But first things first: Do a few post-flight stretches to make sure your buns don’t tighten up.
Now, you’re ready to conquer your new surroundings while feeling great.
Take care of your butt! It’s the only one you’ve got
If your butt is sore after a long flight, you won’t be able to have as much fun on your trip from the outset. After all, the last thing you want to spend your time on vacation doing is having the following words repeatedly cycle through your head: My butt hurts!
You want wow, this place is incredible to be your mantra instead.
Butt pillows, comfortable underwear made by Bunch of Animals, and proper stretches can go a long way toward ensuring you have a relaxing flight that puts you in the best position to have a blast at your destination the moment you step foot off the plane.
Here’s to giving your glorious tush the attention, comfort, and support it deserves.
