Stress busters

So what’s the best way to bust stress? There is yoga, you can take a spa holiday, sleep it out...or bring home a bunch of gadgets that ease your nerves. That’s not all, if you are willing to spend, there are gadgets that help you look slim and beautiful, without spending much of your spare time in the gym or trying to think what not to eat. In fact, you can start working on those extra inches while watching a movie on the DVD in your living room and even keep a tab on you health and fitness without a personal trainer: all thanks to a long list of massagers and stress relievers from Singapore-based OSIM international.

uCrown
(Acupressure head massager)
IT MIGHT make you look like Mr Frankenstein, but the “world’s first acupressure head massager” gives you a traditional head massage, undoubtedly the best stress buster after a tough day. The massager has three modes—vibration, air pressure and heating— which can be used simultaneously or separately for cycles of 5, 10 or 15 minutes. That’s not all; this crown comes with headphones that play relaxing music in three modes: nature, therapy and ambience. The music plays on small speakers embedded in the crown if the headphones are not plugged in. Priced at Rs 11,500, this is a must-have if you are one of those who spend a packet for a chumpi at the neighbourhood salon.

uZap
(Slimming and toning belt)
Anyone with a paunch knows it is one of the toughest things to get rid of. The uZap slimming belt claims it can help reduce the ‘bulge in the equator’ with an invigorating oscillating massage. The belt, which can be set on a rhythmic mode, also has a heating feature to help burn unnecessary fat. The belt with Velcro straps can be set to work on your stomach, buttocks and thighs. The massage is quite intense, so I wouldn’t suggest you do it just after a meal. Though slightly heavy, the belt makes you feel light after a 15-minute session. The uZAP is priced at Rs 10,500.

iPamper
(Handheld massager)
THE iPamper combines warm air with vibrations to give you an all-new massage experience. The warm air emitted by the machine improves blood circulation to flush away lactic acids while reducing muscle pain. The unique shape helps you attend to aches and pain along your spine without any external help.
The iPamper is priced at Rs 6,500.

Keeping tab
iCheck 500 ( Blood pressure monitor)
The iCheck 500 helps you keep a tab on you blood pressure and pulse rate at home. The machine also measures body fat percentage, after you feed in you age, height and weight, though I found the process slightly complicated. Cost: Rs 13,500.

uCount (Digital motion-sensing pedometer)
Here’s a gadget that tells you how many calories you have burnt during your morning jog or evening walk. The pedometer uses digital motion-sensing technology to measure your pace, exercise time, distance covered and calories burnt. The handy gadget has an FM radio to keep you company during your workouts. Cost: Rs 2,150.

iCare 200 (Eye massager)
LONG hours in front of the computer do take a toll at the end of the day, often resulting in headaches and eye stress, and worse deteriorating vision. The iCare 200 relieves your eyes from monitor strain, tiredness and headache whilst improving blood circulation around the eyes. It has vibration, air pressure and heating modes which can be set for the cycles less than 15 minutes using the remote. The air pressure mode feels as if someone is gently massaging you eyes, easing the strained optic nerves. While the iCare 200 is priced at Rs 5,500, the cheaper iCare 100 comes for Rs 1,999.

uPapa (Massager)
THE best massages are always those done with strong hands that actually wring the stress out of you. No wonder royalty used to employ wrestlers to soften their muscles and improve blood circulation. The uPapa gives you a similar experience. You can rest you back, buttocks, thighs, calf muscles or feet on this pillow-like massager for a real good ‘drumming’. The six-point tap massager, inspired by Japanese Taiku Drums, somehow finds the right spots on the body to give you a relieving massage. I really enjoyed the 15-minute intense massage session on rhythm mode, with the crescendo of the last few minutes really taking away a lot of pent up stress from my muscles. It is, however, better to keep the massager in low intensity for the upper body. The UPapa provides 245 different massage combinations and is priced at Rs 14,500.