Airplane Yoga
Do you travel for work? Ever feel like you just went 10-rounds when you get off the airplane? Try these eight yoga poses to relieve the stress your body faces when flying on an airplane.
Seated Cat/Cow. This spine-stretching exercise can be done in your airplane seat or while sitting in a waiting area. Inhale, arch your back and lean forward toward your thighs letting your chest puff out, then exhale and round your back and sit u
Simple Seated Twist. For this spine-stretching pose, sit up tall and grab the sides of your seat, twisting the torso to the right and the left, and holding for 10-20 seconds on each side. This improves circulation in your lower back.
Thigh Lifts. To strengthen and improve circulation in the legs, try taking one leg at a time and imagining that you're lifting the middle of the thigh up to the ceiling. Keep your back straight and pull your belly button back in your seat. The pose activates both the legs and the core.
Ankle Rolls. Get your blood flowing by rolling the ankles in a circular motion to both the right and the left several times while stretching the leg out slightly in front of you. You can also add a point-flex motion of the feet.
Modified Mountain Pose. For a full-body stretch, stand up by your seat or in an empty area in the back of the plane, bring your feet together pointing forward, raise your arms up above your head with the hands clasped together. Slowly raise the heels so that you're standing on the balls of the feet and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat several times.
Mini Lunges. Try heading to the back of the plane to do a few mini-lunges, bending one leg and stepping forward with the whole body and then back with the legs together, switch legs. Even a few repetitions can help increase blood flow.
Seated Pigeon Pose. In your seat, put one ankle on the opposite knee. Gently press down on your bent knee and lean forward from your hips. This releases low back tension and releases tension in your hips (which get tight from sitting for long periods of time). To increase circulation, flex and point your upper foot.
In your hotel room, try Legs up the Wall pose. Simply, lie on the floor on your back and put your feet up on a wall, scooting your butt close to the wall (legs can be bent or straight). Breathe deeply for 3-5 minutes. This reverses the blood flow back to your heart and helps remove any lactic acid in your legs (which causes soreness). It’s also a very calming pose and will help you sleep better.
