Healthy Hoboken: Fitness on a Flight

Stressed. That's how I feel the second I step on a plane (and for the full day before I fly).  Once I'm packing my bags, I'm antsy, jittery, on edge. I fly so much that no one really believes me when I say I hate it, but it's true: I hate flying.

It's an irrational fear, and one that I won't let stop me from traveling the world. Just last week I survived a 16-hour flight home from South Africa, where I went to catch some World Cup games. Two weeks ago I had a 10-hour flight to Cairo, followed the next day by a 14-hour flight to Johannesburg. In the past year I've been overseas four times, with more than a few flights exceeding 10 hours.

What have I learned from all the hours in the air? Moving around, stretching in my seat, and doing breathing exercises help burn the anxiety-related energy that has me so hyped-up. Yoga is the only way I have any hope of arriving feeling somewhat refreshed, so I squeeze in whatever moves I can in the cramped economy cabin.

I sit in an aisle seat so that I can stretch and move around at least once an hour. I used to prefer the window seat, so that I could crawl up next to the window and sleep, but I've learned that it just doesn't work for me anymore. I never sleep anyway. So I'd rather be able to move around without having to climb over my neighbor.

When I was getting ready for my latest trip, I asked my friend Katie Walsh, a fabulous yoga instructor who trained at the OM yoga center in Manhattan and now teaches throughout the area, to suggest the best moves to practice in transit.

Whether you love flying or have to be dragged onto a flight, these moves will help you arrive feeling a bit less bleary-eyed; a bit more prepared to hit the ground running. Here are her tips:

Side Stretch:

In your seat, inhale and reach your arms up over head, keep your shoulder blades down. Exhale and lower your right arm to the side of your seat and sidebend to the right, left arm alongside your left ear. Inhale your arms back up, exhale lower your left arm to your left side, right arm up and over to the left, sidebend to the left. 

Seated Twist:

Inhale to sit tall, lift your sternum. Exhale twist to the right, place your left hand on your right knee, your right hand behind you. Inhale to center, exhale twist to the left.

Hip Stretch:

If you have room in your seat. Place your right ankle on your left knee. Fold forward, keeping a straight back. 

If you don't have enough room, stand up in the back of the plane and place your right ankle on your left knee and bend your left knee under your left thigh is parallel to the floor. Place your hand on the wall for balance.

DownDog variation:

Standing up in the back of the plane, fold forward to a flat back, place your hands on the wall (arms extended if you have the room). Drop your head and relax your neck. 

Parsvottanasana (hamstring stretch):

Step one leg a few feet in front of the other, as wide apart as you can while still keeping your hips square, oes pointing forward. Fold forward over your front leg. Place your hands on the wall for balance. Try to keep your back straight as your fold forward until you can't fold anymore then you can along your back to round as you fold further over your leg. Keep you neck relaxed, drop your head, shoulder blades down your back. 

Breath:

Sit up straight, hands on your knees and breath in slowly for four counts, pause at the top of your inhale then exhale slowly for four counts, pause at the bottom of your exhale. Repeat.

Katie knows what she's talking about. I've traveled around the world with her, and she is such a calming presence. I wish I'd had her in South Africa with me!

One other suggestion: I've started making sure to schedule yoga classes in the days leading up to a trip, as well as the morning of. I'd rather fly a little later in the day, so that I am not rushed and stressed about sleeping through my alarm and potentially missing a flight. These little tactics, coupled with yoga, have made my stress levels slowly decrease as I fly. They're not completely gone, but I'm getting there.

Whereever you're heading this summer, relax along the way. Do some yoga. Stretch your legs. Just remember to breathe. Happy travels!