Help prevent stiffness and blood clots with these ten exercises you can do in your airplane seat.
Being able to travel anywhere in the world in a day is incredible; disembarking from a long flight and feeling stiff and sore is not so good, nor is getting deep vein thrombosis (blood clots) en route.
Getting out of your seat during a long flight and going for a walk down the aisle is a good idea–and you absolutely should do it—but often it isn’t enough to keep stiffness and soreness at bay. If you’d rather not do downward dog in the aisle or burpees in the galley, here are ten simple exercises you can do from the comfort of your seat to help you maintain good posture and flexibility while also helping to protect you against DVT.
1. Ankle Rotations
Raise your feet off the ground and rotate both of your ankles in the same direction at the same time, five times one way and five times the other way. Repeat the whole movement five times.
2. Calf Raises/Toe Raises
Start with your feet flat on ground. Raise your heels off the ground as far as you can until you are barely on your tiptoes, hold for three seconds, then slowly lower your heels back to the ground so your feet are flat again. Raise your toes off the ground, so just your heels are left touching (you should feel a slight stretch in your calf), hold for three seconds, and lower. Repeat ten times.
3. Fast Feet
Sit up with good posture. Lift your heels off the ground so you’re on the balls of your feet. Move your feet alternatively off the floor a couple of inches and back as fast as you can for ten seconds; like running small steps on the spot. Rest for five-ten seconds and repeat ten times.
4. Shoulder Rotations
Sit up straight with good back posture. Keeping your arms relaxed, roll your shoulders forwards five times and then backwards five times. Repeat both directions five times while maximizing the size of the circles you’re making.
5. Neck Rolls
Drop your chin to your chest so you feel a slight stretch down the back of your neck while keeping your shoulders relaxed. Slowly roll your neck to the right side so your right ear is over your right shoulder, keeping your chin down the whole time. Roll back to center and repeat on the left side. Repeat ten times.
6. Knee Hugs
Make sure the seatbelt sign is switched off for this one as it’s easier to do while unbuckled. Sitting up straight in your seat, lift up one leg and hug your knee to your chest, holding the position for five seconds. Gently lower and do the same with the other leg. Repeat both legs five times.
7. Butt Clenches
Squeeze your glutes (bum) as tight as you can and hold for five seconds, then release. Repeat ten times. You should feel as though you are lifting off from your seat as you clench, and are sinking back down as you release.
8. Ceiling Reach
Keeping your bum in your seat and sitting with good posture, stretch your arms and fingers up as high as they will reach; imagine someone is pulling your upper body straight up from your fingertips. Hold for three seconds, then release. Repeat ten times. Try not to worry about what the people behind you are thinking.
9. Core Rotation
Sitting up straight and keeping your bum fully in the seat, use your core to rotate to your left until you can touch the back of the seat with your right hand. Then rotate to your right and touch the back of the seat with your left hand. Repeat ten times, increasing your range of rotation with each set.
10. Hip Opener/Glute Stretch
While sitting, keep your left foot flat on the floor and put your right ankle onto the top of your left knee. Place your hand on your right knee and, keeping both butt cheeks on the seat, gently lean forward, feeling a stretch in your glute. Hold for ten seconds and repeat five times on each leg, alternating each time.
Twist’s Take: Got a long flight? Help prevent stiffness and blood clots with these ten exercises you can do in your airplane seat.
