Travelling can be a lot of fun, but more often than not, getting to a destination is the least pleasant part. In order not to feel all battered upon arrival, we gathered five pilates exercises to keep things moving during your next long-haul flight.
For many a traveller, long-haul flights are a necessary evil when discovering the world. Although alternatives do exist – including train travel and cruise trips – some destinations are just easier to reach by flight. But spending endless hours in a (cramped) aeroplane seat can leave its mark, from a stiff neck to sleeping feet and everything in between. The human body is not designed to spend too much time staying inactive.
“If you sit at work all day, if you sit at home a lot, then you should be really mindful of trying to take a break from your sitting habits as often as possible – at least every 30 minutes. Even if you exercise, you still should be mindful of taking breaks and be moving throughout the day, because exercise is not enough to overcome the risks of sitting, and sitting in long bouts,” said Keith Diaz, co-author of a 2017 study from Columbia University Medical Center that suggested movement ‘snacks’ every 30 minutes.
Walking the aisle every now and then is a great way to stay active during a flight, but it isn’t always possible and, depending on the seat you managed to secure, it may soon start to bother your neighbours. In-seat exercises can be a valuable alternative or simply an add-on to those aisle laps. But where to find inspiration?
Pilates, invented by Joseph Pilates in an effort to help World War I soldiers recover from their injuries, offers a large number of exercise options that can easily be done in a seated position. At home, they can help you deal with the long hours spent behind a desk; when travelling (by plane), they may prevent you from spending the first days of your trip feeling all shattered due to the voyage.
Five plane-friendly pilates exercises
Pelvic tilt
An immobile pelvis can cause quite a lot of lower back pain and other uncomfortable issues, as it has a tendency to go into an anterior or posterior position instead of staying neutral. To resolve this issue and to activate the pelvic region, pelvic tilts are a great exercise that can be done from a seated position.
- Sit up tall and inhale, slightly arching your lower back and pulling your pelvis backwards.
- Exhale, drawing your belly toward your spine while pulling your pelvis upwards.
- Repeat this rolling motion for a couple of minutes.
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Shoulder rolls
Shoulders generally don’t agree well with flying. Especially if you have a tendency to get stressed on the plane, chances are you’re unconsciously putting a lot of tension on your shoulders and neck. Shoulder rolls offer some much-needed relief in a matter of seconds.
- Sit up tall, with your hands and arms relaxed along your sides.
- Pull your shoulders slowly towards your ears, then backwards and upwards again, making a circular motion.
- Repeat a couple of rounds before reversing the direction.
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Spine stretch
Can’t shake the feeling that you’ve been sitting for too long, even after taking a little walk and doing the previously mentioned exercises? A spine stretch might be just what you need to get everything realigned and ready for the rest of your voyage.
- Sit up tall and inhale.
- Exhale, meanwhile slowly bending forwards. Keep your sitting bones grounded and stay in control of the movement.
- Once you can’t go any further, inhale, slowly stacking your spine again into a seated position.
- Repeat if needed, and if you want and can, use your (stretched) arms to accompany the movement.
Knee lifts
What if you can’t walk around but are desperately longing to get those legs moving? Well, you do a very convincing walking impression while staying seated. Not as good as the real deal, but it will get those muscles going.
- Sit up tall and put your feet firmly on the ground, bending your knees at a 90° angle.
- Lift one foot from the ground, keeping that knee in a straight angle.
- Hold for a couple of seconds before slowly putting your foot on the ground.
- Repeat with the other foot and go on as long as you want.
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Seated ABCs
If the previous exercise isn’t enough of a challenge or if those legs just won’t wake up, don’t hesitate to combine the knee lifts with some ABCs. If the alphabet is too long, just spell out your name and switch to the other foot.
- Sit up tall, both feet on the ground.
- Slightly lift one foot and start writing out the alphabet, moving your foot and toes but staying immobile with the rest of your body.
- Switch to the other foot and repeat as long as necessary.
