Backaches, anxiety, and feelings of claustrophobia are all common symptoms associated with the stress of the packing, schlepping, waiting and hurrying involved in travel. And travel can present the risk of more serious health threats including deep vein thrombosis, the formation of blood clots in the legs due to lack of circulation and dehydration. So what’s a yogic traveler to do? Try these simple strategies and easy yoga stretches to help shield you from the effects of stress and inactivity when you travel:
1. Try to arrive at the airport well ahead of schedule so that you lower the risk of missing your flight. Then, with your extra time at the airport, you’ll be able to indulge in some “pre-flight yoga.” Find an un-crowded waiting area and stretch.
After carrying luggage, interlace your hands behind your back and raise them up for Standing Bridge Arms pose.
My favorites are basic shoulder poses to help me unwind from carrying luggage, standing one-legged balance poses to reset my core, and a variety of runner’s lunges using chairs for additional support.
While practicing, soothe your nerves with deep abdominal breathing. If you find yourself rushed or in a panic with spiking anxiety, remind yourself that the only thing you can control in this moment is your breathing. Don’t punish yourself for getting hyped up; forgive yourself (and the airlines) for losing control now and then!
2. Once on board, pull your Yoga Tune Up® Balls out of your carry-on so you can use them for an in flight back massage. You can start by placing them between your shoulder blades and gently wiggle your back from side to side while the balls massage across your upper back. Reset the balls in a new spot every 10 minutes or so and your kinks will be massaged out by the time you walk off the flight.
3. Choose an aisle seat so that you can walk along the aisle (carts permitting) and stretch your legs to pump blood through your whole system. During a long flight, the hamstrings, hip flexors and back muscles tend to become tense and congested from lack of movement.
4. Try to squeeze in another runner’s lunge or simple forward bend in the galleys on the way to the onboard bathroom. The airline bathroom may be small, but I have been known to do jumping jacks to stir up my blood. I’ll then carefully arrange my body into a few creative sidebending poses, like the boomerang, which is also a great lower back stretch. And of course, throughout the flight, drink plenty of water.
5. Once you’re at your destination, make it a priority to calm down your nervous system from all of the stimulation. My favorite is the deeply tranquilizing Veeparita Korani Mudra (Legs Up the Wall Pose). It is very simple and a great stress-reliever.
Lay on your back with your buttocks at the wall and prop up your pelvis with a block.
Straighten your legs upright against the wall so that they are supported by the wall.
Inhale through your nose filling from belly to throat.
Imagine your breath is like a cascading waterfall as it fills from your belly to your heart, and finally pauses at the throat.
Slowly exhale then repeat (5-10 minutes).
Resume your yoga practice the next morning, whether it’s with a yoga DVD you’ve brought along, a live class you found in your destination city, or an online yoga class or how-to video. You’ll feel much more regulated, balanced and ready for your day.
[...] I asked him to take a break several times during his rides, getting off his bike to practice Standing Bridge Arms using his jacket like a strap between his hands to support and hold the [...]
[...] known as adaptive shortening) and kept her shoulders rounded forward. One pose she practiced is Standing Bridge Arms, which is also included in the Yoga Tune Up® Quickfix Shoulder video. In this pose, Alicia [...]
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Great article!
I’m short enough to do a forward bending in my seat. The flexion in my spine is a nice release for the lumbar pain associated with sitting on a plane for long periods.
I definitely get back pain when I travel. I will have to try some of these stretches the next time I fly!
I never knew travel can present the risk of more serious health threats including deep vein thrombosis, the formation of blood clots in the legs due to lack of circulation and dehydration. Thanks for the tips!
this is what im going to do before road trips to boston for Pure ytt at Equinox
http://www.yogatuneup.com/blog/2010/05/05/airplane-travel-yoga/comment-page-1/#comment-1703
As a frequent business traveler, I am so grateful for such helpful tips! Remembering to paclk the Yoga Tune Up (R) balls – as well as some patience – is essential. Again, by bringing consciousness and breath to an anxiety-filled situation, we are able to switch from the sympathetic (fight or flight) mode to a deregulated calm state of mind, all through exhaling twice as long as the inhales. Incredible to know we are in charge, event when things appear somewhat out of our control.
I completely agree with Anne. With arthritis in my lower back (and years of back issues), I get extremely anxious before extended periods of travel when I know that I will be sitting with completely unnatural support. I think this anxiety only adds to the pain. I’m actually looking forward to my next few trips now that I feel empowered with this knowledge and understanding of how to counter the discomfort… and the balls will be a great help!
I had a 24 hour flight from the states to South Africa. Breathing exercises, many eagle arms, and runners lunge in the galley helped. The first thing I put in my carry on bag was my Yoga Tune Up balls. I would not have made the flight without it. I’ve owned many pairs since their inception, but they somehow keep ending up with friends and family who also fly often. I’ll be waiting for Yoga Tune Up for Flights soon!
Isometric contractions like trying to adduct and abduct of flex and extened opposing muscle group ( like tune up tadasana for legs) even while seated is incredibly helpful.
I packed my Yoga Tune Up Therapy Balls on my last trip to Europe. Although I forgot to use them in flight I took them out once I was checked in the hotel and it was just what I needed for my sore back from the uncomfortable seats and my shoulders, arms and hands from carrying and dragging all my luggage.
i’m about to head cross-country so this is perfect. quad stretches are also pretty compact and working the rectus femoris (easy to do even in the bathroom) can counteract all that hip flexion during hours of sitting.
These are great. I’m flying across the country to Florida this Sunday and I’m definitely going to use these tips. Thank you!
These are great tips. I’m normally a just-in-time traveler, so I may not have time to do the pre-flight routine. I do try to do some breathing exercises while in my seat before takeoff, which helps to calm the mind after rushing to get to the airport. I’ll have to try the Legs Up The Wall Pose (especially with a block to get the pelvis above the heart) after I land.
Great suggestions! I’ll have to try them the next time I fly as space is becoming more and more of a premium on flights these days!
I’ll be using these tips when I fly tomorrow.
I have a trip coming up in two weeks and I will definitely be carrying my Yoga Tune Up balls with me. Standing Bridge Pose is another good pose that I can practice in flight or in the airport.
I think these are great ideas. I frequently get knots and tightness in my shoulders and general feelings of fatigue from traveling. These are good ideas to prevent muscle stiffness and encourage circulation. I really like the idea of using the Yoga Tune Up Therapy Balls the whole flight so that you arrive massaged. It’s a way to use the “downtime” of the fight into productive body work and relaxation time. These ideas would also help you to transcend the stress and chaos of crowded airports and planes.
What a concept, use down time in the airport to unwind. Using the tune up balls makes perfect sense to make traveling less stressful. The more I schedule work travel the more concerned i get with the idea that I’m going to miss my yoga time. Currently there is nothing better for me than being in a live yoga class, but i may just shock myself in my hotel room with my new yoga tune up balls and my iPad.
I’m a frequent traveler and although I don’t do much walking around on the plane, I do go to the galley and do some quad stretches and hamstring stretches. Bringing my Yoga Tune Up balls with me is a great idea. I always have a book with me on planes—not to waste that valuable reading time! Now I can use the balls AND read at the same time. Multi tasking!
I never thought to bring the YTU balls on a flight. I always arrive feeling cramped and achy, and never actively doing anything about preventing the knots. I am going away this weekend and plan to bring them with me and try them out!
Love the idea of using the YTU balls while flying–that way the journey can be liberating for the back rather than binding. The question is can I use the balls en route without calling attention to myself by making faces when it hurts so good?
I only started flying in 2008 to attend a convention in Florida. It was all I could do to get through the flight since not flying since I was 9 years old. Felt claustrophobic for sure, painful ears and that was a 2 hour flight. Since then I’ve flown a couple of times – the most recent being to my son’s wedding in Mexico. Longer flight – cramped terribly even with extra leg room seats – taking the balls is a fabulous idea. Some movements could create some funny looks – that would make the flight more exciting : )
I just got my Yoga Tune Up balls today and will definitely bring it on my next airplane travel…a great way to relax and incorporate some movement into my body.
Using my Yoga tune up balls sounds like an amazing idea to bring on the plane ride I go on, I’ve just started using them and I love them. Also after the landing putting my legs up sounds relaxing.
A number of years ago I flew Korean Air to Seoul and then to Mongolia-I was amazed that there was an in flight video towards the end of the flight that showed some exercises. Many of the passengers were doing them-I did not because I let pride get in the way but I was struck by the fact that I have never seen anything like this on a domestic airline. (with the exception of some suggestions on a set pocket card on JetBlue) I will definitely be bringing my YTU balls with me on my next flight not only for the flight; but also once I arrive to my destination. My upper back is tight to begin with but after lugging my suitcase around it is almost unbearable-now I can do something to treat it!
These are fantastic. Since I discovered the YTU Therapy Balls, they’ve been on every flight with me but I haven’t used them in my (super expensive) flight seat yet! Great idea! I’m definitely a fan of shoulder stretching as I wait in the inevitable on-flight bathroom line too, and a good Viparita Karani when I arrive at my destination. Draining the legs after such a long-distance sitting, plus the restorative nature, is a giant relief. I like the idea of lunge poses in the aisle too, and some before boarding, to allow the legs to fully extend at the hip joint, since during the flight they’ll be in such prolonged flexion. Other shoulder stretches that you could add to the Bridge Arms before boarding the flight could be the YTU Bridge Arms in Prasarita pose, to really allow the trapezius and rhomboids to relax while oiling up the shoulder joints and elongating the spine.
My yoga mat has been on several trips to Australia and dragged out of my suitcase a few times but on my last two trips to Australia I only took my very small YTU Therapy balls and used those delightful purple guys everyday. The self massage saved me the cost of a deep tissue massage in Sydney and a trip to the chiropractor back in Los Angeles. I’ve fantasized about using them on the plane but thought it might be overkill…next time the are in my carry on. I love my YTU balls!
Thank you for the great tips on travel. I spent quite a bit of time in airports this summer and my YTU balls went with me everywhere. They are much easier to carry than a foam roller and much more effective
My shoulders are always in my ears after moving through congested long hallways & carrying heavy bags. Having the balls available has given me such relief by releasing my trapezius and working all the way down my spine. I find legs up the wall helpm e sleep in unfamiliar places and is my favorite way to spend time in the parasympathetic realms of relaxation . Great reminders, I will pass this blog on.
Airplane seats are not designed for sitting for long periods of time and I have to get up several times during a flight to stretch. Next time I will be armed with my YTU balls. In fact they should be sold at airports with a how to guide. I can see it now, everyone sitting in their seats rolling there back muscles!
the tune up balls are a great tip for flights. i travel a lot and on a way back from the east coast, ended up what i affectionately called a “uni-kankle” from sitting with my ankle tucked underneath me (doah! i knew better!). i can’t wait to try the tune up ball techniques you’ve mentioned.
I love all the travel tips since I travel 50% of the month. Thanks for the relief!
What a great idea! I always feel so stressed during and after a long flight, especially if I’m supposed to sleep on it. I will definitely bring the YTU balls the next time I go travel.