fitbody


Airplane Yoga


Six Easy Stretches Ease the Journey


by Cynthia Bowman T


he majority of the symptoms we can experience dur- ing flying—stiffness, poor circulation and swollen feet—are due to lack of movement rather than the altitude or pressurized cabin air. Knowing this can make healthy flying easier. Drinking lots of water and moving about and stretching


every two to three hours on long flights is key; trips to the bathroom naturally help fulfill this. We also can keep blood from collecting in our lower extremities by finding a way to elevate our legs and feet periodically. Wiggle all 10 toes, shift positions and go for these six discreet airplane yoga stretches. Etiquette tip: Do the first two stretches at the back of the plane with adequate space and a wall to lean on. Don’t do these in the aisle; hanging on to someone’s seat back rocks it and can be annoying. A quad stretch involves the shoulders, upper legs,


calves and ankles, while elevating each foot and getting the blood moving. Hang on to a wall, grab an ankle and bring the heel as close to the butt as possible. Then rotate the ankle in a circular motion. Do this as long as it feels worth doing, and then switch arms and legs.


A calf stretch is a simple way to target calf and hamstring mus- cles, as well as ankles. Stand facing a wall, placing both hands at shoul- der height on the wall for balance, elbows bent. Take one foot forward


Quad Stretch natural awakenings December 2015 43


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